Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe both encompass many different aspects of the effects of political unrest on the company. An entire society does not change easily, and uprooting customs all at once and replacing them with something different from previously established customs does not resonate well with members of that society. Even though an individual can change voluntarily without hesitation, they do not represent the whole. In contrast, when others are introduced to new customs, the transition overwhelms them. The tensions of societal change faced by the characters in Cry, the Beloved Country, and Things Fall Apart consist of so-called crimes committed, environmental circumstances, and their willingness and refusal to follow the new rules. South Africa, he is accused of deliberately shooting Arthur Jarvis with his revolver. His cousin Matthew and his friend Johannes were also present at the time of the crime, but deny being involved in the case when the courts begin to take control of Absalom's case. When the judge asks Absalom to speak, he says: This man was afraid. He saw my revolver. He leaned against the sink where he was working. He said, what do you want? Johannes said: we want money and clothes. This man said: you can't do such a thing. Johannes said, do you want to die? This man was afraid and did not speak. Johannes said that when I speak, people must tremble;… (Paton 193) Johannes describes to Arthur that he should be afraid of him, proposing the idea that he believed he held power over this individual, in this case, to take the hand of the innocent. life. The judge involved in the case d...... middle of paper ...... ms to live. An individual faces many challenges in society, whether it is crime and punishment, the struggle to grow up, or other rapid changes. Cry, The Beloved Country and Things Fall Apart illustrate how societies can be disrupted and how people respond to interruptions to their traditional way of life. Some choose to adapt to society's new habits, while others resist assimilating with the innovative public. Societal change happens no matter where you are, however, how someone allows it to affect them remains determined by that person. Society maintains its own way of punishing, of producing a particular type of person, and preventing some from adapting to its evolving ways. Works CitedAchebe, Chinua. Things are falling apart. New York: Anchor, 1994. Print. Paton, Alan. Cry, Beloved Country. New York, NY: Scribner, 2003. Print.