Alan Paton

1 6.5

A South African writer best known for the novel Cry, the Beloved Country

proper noun

: Alan Paton

Alan Paton is celebrated for his novel 'Cry, the Beloved Country', which addresses social issues in South Africa.

Examples

Did Alan Paton write 'Cry, the Beloved Country'?
Alan Paton was a South African author.
Alan Paton is remembered for his influential anti-apartheid literature and activism in South Africa.
I studied Alan Paton's novels in my world literature class last semester.
The legacy of Alan Paton continues to inspire writers and social reformers around the globe.
In my literature class, we explored the themes in Alan Paton's writings and their impact on society.
The works of Alan Paton are essential reading for anyone interested in South African history and literature.

Surface Forms

Alan Paton main

Morphology

Alan + Paton

This is a proper name referring to a specific person; the constituents 'Alan' and 'Paton' are personal names with no lexical meanings that would allow a B1 learner to infer the referent or that he is a South African writer. Recognizing the person and his authorship requires world knowledge or prior exposure rather than compositional understanding of the parts.

Etymology

Alan Paton was a South African writer best known for the novel 'Cry, the Beloved Country'. Think of him as a gentle voice calling for a wounded country: his books and his public work fought the unfair system that separated people, so his name now stands for honest, brave writing and social change.