Black vs. White and New vs. Old in Go Down, Moses Essay

Kelly Brown Douglas begins by posing a series of questions, including, “Who is the Black Christ?” and “Is the Black Christ Enough?” (6-7) For Douglas, the Black Christ, “…represents God’s urgent movement in human history to set Black captives free from the demons of White racism” (3). The question of “Who is the Black Christ?” is addressed in Chapter 3. The question of “Is the Black Christ enough?” is addressed in Chapters 4 and 5, as Douglas critically examines the relationship of the Black Christ to the Black community and ends with addressing what womanist theology is and why there is a need for it in understanding the Black Christ.

Through all the scathing looks and judgmental remarks, Lena remains resilient and true to her identity throughout her travels. Mr. Armstid meets Lena on the road, offers to to let her stay the night at his home with him and his wife. He notices her confident attitude as she rides with him in his wagon, commenting, "Her own self one of the first ones to cut the ground from under a sister woman, she 'll walk the public country herself without shame because she knows that folks, menfolks, will take care of her" (14). Despite the divides between Lena and the populace her pregnancy creates, she is not afraid to take charge of her life and defy the expectations of the people around her. Faulkner addresses Lena’s conviction in an interview with the Heavenly Herald’s Charlie Bevis, stating, “She was resourceful, occasionally conniving, sometimes manipulative, but certainly not helpless” (220). With her bravery and determination, she leaves everything she knows behind and sets out on the seemingly impossible task of finding Lucas Burch, ignoring the delicate and scandalized way people treat her and using their pity to her advantage. Although the gifts she receives from others serve as only another reminder to her solitary position, she sees the good intentions of others and does not let their sympathy deter her from her goals. Even

“To Kill a Mockingbird”, written by Harper Lee and “Mississippi Burning” directed Alan Parker can be compared and contrasted with each other. Both texts share many themes especially the theme of prejudice where one group of people had bigoted views against another. It is shown in the form of racism throughout the two stories where whites discriminate the blacks. In the town of Maycomb and Mississippi, there is bias, discrimination and injustice between the blacks and whites. Both Harper Lee and Alan Parker explore this theme of prejudice through what their characters stand for, the events that took place during both text and the context behind both stories.

The novel The Garies and their Friends is a realistic examination of the complex psychology of blacks who try to assimilate through miscegenation and crossing the color barrier by “passing as white.” Frank J. Webb critiques why blacks cannot pass as being white through the characters Mr. Winston and Clarence Jr.

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me has been compared favorably with James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time. The book begins with a letter to his nephew which Coats mimics in writing to his son. Themes of ‘Bodies’ related to racial identity, the experience of being black in America, and how to break down racial barriers are very prominent in both books however they vary slightly.

James Baldwin’s, The Fire Next Time, speaks to the current race relation of the 21st century in a numerous of ways. The overall novel encompasses two essays: "My Dungeon Shook — Letter to my Nephew on the One-Hundredth Anniversary of Emancipation," and "Down at The Cross — Letter from a Region of My Mind." The first essay, is a letter to Baldwin's fourteen-year-old nephew, reflects the essential role of race in American history. The second essay contracts with the relations between race and religion, demonstrating Baldwin's experiences with the Christian church at youth, as well as the Islamic ideas of others in Harlem.

In James Baldwin’s book The Fire Next Time, is composed of two essays, My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" and "Down at the Cross: Letter from a Region in My Mind.” These two essays both have a very similar approach taken to them as they are both letters and both have very similar core meanings. These meanings or ideas Baldwin writes about vary from slightly but focus around the idea of race relations in the United States and overcoming them. These messages Baldwin convey’s had great meaning and influence when he first published his book and they still do today, in a society that is more divided than ever before.

and learn to grow up the right way in a racial environment. Faulkner's setting is one of

David R. Roediger displays the history of how the theory of “whiteness” has evolved throughout the years in America in his book, The Wages of Whiteness. According to Roediger, “whiteness” is much a constructed identity as “blackness” or any other. He argues that this idea of “whiteness” has absolutely nothing to do with the advantage of the economy, but that it is a psychological racial stereotype that was created by white men themselves. He claims that it is definitely true that racism should be set in class and economic contexts, also stating that “this book will argue that working class formation and the systematic development of a sense of whiteness, went hand in hand for the U.S white working class.” Roediger basically lays out the fact that “working class ‘whiteness’ and “white supremacy” are ideological and psychological creations of the white working class itself.

Rather than merely examining the affects of racism on people of color, the book turns its attention to whiteness and how a system of white privilege, supported and perpetuated by whites, also damages whites by inhibiting them from making meaningful connections with other human beings. Until I almost reached the end of this book I was uncomfortable and disturbed by the way the book made me feel. As a white male, I am aware of the pain that my ancestors have created for others to advance the free world. I have pain for those who suffered and disagree with actions that were taken by my white predecessors. But I believed that we are now in a much more advanced world where we have chosen the first black president and equality was a focus of most Americans. Identifying with my culture as currently being a white supremacist society is something I have never considered, or would not want to consider. In Neuliep, within the Coudon and Yousef’s Value orientations, we perceive the human nature orientation within the United States with people being essentially rational. This term, rational, can be somewhat subjective. And if we continue with the same value system, and look from ‘the self’ values, we foster our self-identities from the influence of our culture’s values. If we are to reflect truthfully to how our country evolved and what we ‘had to do’ to create our freedom by limiting the freedom of other, how would we then perceive

In James Baldwin’s collection of essays in The Fire Next Time he expresses a call to action for Americans to abandon the belief that skin color separates people from one another and to unite together as a whole country. In the essays, he identifies religion as the source for this disillusioned belief that the whites’ skin makes them inherently better than African Americans merely because of their skin color. In participating in the Christian religion, he learns that the teachings to love one another go unpracticed towards those with a different skin color or of another religion. While religion benefits its members by preventing people from falling into the life of crime that prevails in the ghetto, its influence causes the members to develop

Coleman was described as a man who had worked hard to get to where he was before the ‘spooks’ incident took away his career and wife. Then the reader learns that Coleman comes from a colored family and has been living his life as a white man since joining the U.S. Navy. I could understand why Coleman made that decision but when I learned that he had denounced his own mother and family I found Coleman to be completely despicable. Coleman’s parents had worked to educate Coleman and his siblings well and Coleman was not even grateful for all they gave him. Coleman was so consumed with not being seen as inferior that he did not even hesitate to break his mother’s heart. It was here in the novel that Coleman’s narcissism, superior complex and ability

Throughout the book Black Boy by Richard Wright sheds light on the interesting life of the writers personal memories. Richard is living in a community coming out of slavery as a first generation feeling freedom. His life starts off at a young age and spans through till his days as a successful writer. Many motifs throughout his life repeats in his writing topics. During his years fire is a common perspection expressed in many metaphorical ways and physical, this expression extends to his educational, religious, and psychological mindsets.

In Charles Chesnutt’s novel, The House Behind the Cedars, there are divides between individuals in the black community based off of skin tone. It reflects on the experience of John Warwick and his sister Rena Walden as they attempt to pass as white. Rena leaves home to come with John Warwick back to his home in South Carolina where he works as a white lawyer and Rena takes on the role of a white woman. But they face the reality that their attempt at passing comes with limited success.

His novel explores the healing process as well as the digression and push back of those in the South unable to compromise with the loss and renewal of life they had to make. The complex and alternating speakers and stories are laced together disruptive families that carry ties back to one another. The problems of intermarriages between blacks and whites, incest, the individuality being stripped from what people had known reaches peoples limits. Faulkner plays with these important moments, memories, ages and thoughts that prove his beliefs of this broken image of America.