Figurative Language In James Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk

At the start of his essay, "A fly in Buttermilk", renowned author James Baldwin describes the struggle of people going from one place to another without losing one's identity. This is the plight of a young African-American boy, that Baldwin refers to as G., who courageously accepts the challenge to integrate into an all-white southern school. Leaving a school that doesn't care about him and attending a school that doesn’t want him puts an unimaginable burden upon G. and pushes him into a state of perpetual isolation. The boy works hard to keep up with his studies to make sure he gets an education, and his quiet mild-mannered temperament allows him to say he doesn't mind the name calling or all the trouble this switch causes. By not giving us any names, Baldwin uses the boy's story to represent the African-American struggle for inclusion during this time of sweeping transformation.

In addition to the first person point of view, Baldwin also writes the story with the

effective because it allows the reader to envision the workspace. “Grammar is not just a pain in

After Mrs.Rogers had been found Officer Bell “swears that he saw Fonny running away from the scene of the crime (Baldwin pg. 93). Later it is revealed that Officer Bell was a racist (Baldwin pgs. 138, 182). Earlier Tish and Fonny had been shopping and this man tried to attack Tish and Fonny attacked the man and Officer Bell was ready to arrest Fonny, mostly on the the bases that he is black (Baldwin pgs. 135-138). “She says she was raped by a black man, and so they put one black man in a lineup with a whole lot of pale dudes” (Baldwin pg. 182). During the time of racism the colored families had to stick together. Through love and kindness Tish is able to keep him in his right mind while he is in jail. “The heart that cries- let it but hear/ Its sweet love answering,/ Or out of ether one faint note/ Of living comfort wring” (Source D). Love is what kept Fonny going after all that

In the beginning chapters of the book, we get a glimpse of the typical home and community of an African American during segregation. Many Africans Americans were too adjusted to the way of living, that they felt

In If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin, Baldwin explores society's rules of religion, sex, race, family and violence to show how surroundings shape a person. Baldwin uses many rhetorical devices to employ his message. His voice while writing is a lot like how a person would speak if they were telling a story to a friend. Baldwin uses rhetorical strategies to put across his message.

To prove a truth that lies within the underbellies of society, requires the skill of observation, precision, and the ability to make the previously unknown blatantly obvious. James Baldwin employs all these tactics in If Beale Street Could Talk in order to reveal the social injustice faced within America due to long withstanding social prejudices, fear, and corruption through the adventures of Tish and Fonny, where Fonny has been falsely accused of rape and Tish is pregnant.. To accomplish this immense task that lies ahead of him, Baldwin writes in an first person omniscient point of view which allows insight into a broader spectrum of society in order to support a single argument, creates foil characters in order to explore the complexity of the system from either extreme, and employs a syntax of mostly short simple sentences to explain the thought logically and precisely.

James Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, and social critic. In the article ''If Black English Isn't a language then tell me what is?'' James Baldwin's asserts an argument as how Language is like the ID of people, it can identify, as well as define people. Due to the characteristics it has it can be defined as a persuasive essay. It attempts to persuade the readers to be on the writer's side, or accept their point of view. The article is about the history of black slavery will always be a boundary between black and white people, as it can never be forgotten. This significant essay was written in the 1970s. It talks about how language is not merely used for communication, it can be used to classify people with different social backgrounds and class. He used examples like how people in England talk make sense to their own people and not everyone else to demonstrate his thought of why Black English is not recognized as a real language. The reason is that Black English is creation of the black diaspora. In addition, he thinks that white man never meant to teach the Blacks English, the sole purpose of it was for the blacks to understand with the white people are saying so they can serve the white people. That is also the reason why he thinks black child are lost is that children can't be taught by people who despise them. I find it to be an interesting idea. He talked about the origin of black people going back to slavery. The inability to interact with each other made them create black English. Which was their own means of communication. I think that this article has a lot to say about the impact that language has on African American people and his positive approach is supported with strong historical evidence, and the authors anger behind this writing makes it stronger. However, the assumption about education makes the article weak.

In the novel If Beale Street Could Talk, Baldwin creates a unique literary artwork by standing against the norm of that era and taking a stand against things that were once ignored in society. The first way he diverts from normalcy is to write from the perspective of a girl. This is odd because most authors tend to stay within their gender. Most stories tend to be organized in chronological order, however, Baldwin decided to comply to different time elements such as what he does in the case of jumping from the present to a flashback. Another way in which Baldwin casts such a dramatic novel is through the complex internal and external conflicts that revolve around Tish and her family. The perspective, time elements, and conflicts combine to create a truly unique outlook on this epic love story and the ways that religion, sex, family and violence influenced society as of that era.

In King’s “I Have a Dream” speech his goal during his speech was to get through to the people so they know how this affects him and other African Americans. King does this speech first of all because he feels as if they are still not treated right even after the Emancipation Proclamation. King is also doing this speech to stand up for the people who are too scared to stand up for themselves.  King's expected outcome is that the people marching will be equal to the people who do not have a reason to march or speak up for themselves. Martin Luther King uses diction, figurative language, and repetition in order to appeal to his audience during his speech.

“In a society of criminals, the innocent man goes to jail” (Philip K Dick). James Baldwin published “ If Beale Street could Talk” published on June 17, 1974. In this novel Tish is the main character 19 year old girl in love with Fonny her first love, 21 year old boy who’s passion is wood sculpting. However a tragedy occurs and Fonny is blamed for raping Victoria Rodgers a Puerto Rican woman and goes to jail. Racism can affect the way someone thinks about others, can be overwhelming threat in society, the love that exists in a family is powerful, that can overcome an intense tragedy.

Summary of “If Beale Street Could Talk” This novel was cretaed by of James Baldwin which was published in 1974 with the theme of love and racism. Love story combined with the problems of racism makes the novel more interesting. This novel consists of two chapters’ chapter 1 "Trouble about My Soul" and chapter 2 "Zion". The plot that is used in this novel is forward and backward plot and Tish as the narrator.

Baldwin uses personal struggles throughout his works to show that times of suffering are the bridge that leads to happiness and salvation by promoting the idea that through turmoil, fulfillment and growth can be attained. Throughout his novels, his characters are charged with the subconscious task of attempting to make lives in spite of suffering that affect them and their loved ones. In If Beale Street Could Talk, Baldwin shows characters who reject the church who have to resist temptation and affirm their humanity (Welsh). In order to prove their love for one another, they fight against social oppression and the power of the government to rightfully save the protagonist’s fiance. Her mother preaches Baldwin’s ideology to her daughter, proclaiming

Synthesis Essay With any love comes risk. In the novel, If Beale Street Could Talk, Tish graciously displays how her love, not only for Fonny, but for her mother Sharon, her sister Ernestine, her father Joseph, and Fonny’s family, ultimately leads to her and Fonny both having the life they wanted together. As the story weaves in themes of justice, racism, and prejudice, we see multiple instances of Tish and Fonny loving one another and the people around them, whether it be in casual instances such as the many times they dine at Fonny’s friend’s spanish restaurant, to supporting their friend Daniel during the tough times he faces, to the familial love and support Tish’s family offers up during Fonny’s time in jail. This huge display of

In the poem “Harlem” the significance of the last line “Or does it explode?” is so the reader really questions what happens to the dreams that go away. The significance of “Or fester like a sore-” is to get the reader to question if their dreams and hopes will bother them if they don’t pursue it.