A line that repeats in Alan Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country is the dialogue in the ninth chapter saying "Have you a room for me to let? No I have no room to let" (85). I believe that the author repeats these lines because it emphasises the determination and desperation of the people living in overcrowded Johannesburg. It makes the reader feel empathetic towards the people living there.
He also repeats the concept that all roads lead to Johannesburg. This shows both that European Johannesburg has become a major hub in South Africa and that everybody is going to Johannesburg. The city has become a melting pot of different people and this repetition highlights the idea that Johannesburg is the center of South African life.
One other thing that Paton notes multiple times is the image of the white man as both a force for good and ill in the eyes of the black majority. It is said by Stephen's brother that the white man is oppressive and needs to be stood up against. Yet there are white people who attempt to assist the ailing black population and this is confusing to some of the black members of society. This conflict is emphasised as Paton repeats this image of the white man in Johannesburg.
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