James Baldwin Identity

Throughout the semester I have learned to analysis the dialogue of the texts we read and came to find out the characters voices derive the tone of the author's argument. Better yet, I learned how to read between the lines. Based on the series of texts I have read in GEW 101, I come to depict the significance of language to one's identity is that racism is not acceptable, by comparing texts, authors and scholarly sources. Some of the texts and authors include: Martin L. King Jr.'s Letter from Birmingham Jail; Urban Neanderthals; Black Ball; Gran Torino and a Very Old Man with Enormous Wings. I believe that the connection between all these texts brought about a social change in the community by the language of the authors.

One point is about how understanding the past is the only way to understand the struggle of today. “Remember that: I know how black it looks today, for you. It looked bad that day, too, yes, we were trembling. We have not stopped trembling yet, but if we had not loved each other none of us would have survived. And now you must survive because we love you, and for the sake of your children and your children’s children.” (Baldwin, 7). Baldwin wanted his nephew to comprehend the only way to understand why society, America, and white people are the way they are is because of the past. Baldwin also wanted his nephew to keep up This relates to current race relation because this is what Black people of today need to understand as well, it traces back to the very beginning of time why Blacks are treated unfairly, why Blacks are viewed as less than, why Blacks are being killed by police and the list goes on. The Whites have created this “innocence” which is this refusal to accept and realize the damage they have caused to African Americans. “Baldwin feels as though the white society will think he is being “bitter” or “negative” but he wants to inform his nephew on how to respond to this treatment. He attempts to show

James Baldwin states in the essay, If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is? that a lot of people speak differently, even though they may speak the same language. He further continues to say, people who speak differently, but have the same language speaks in such way because of they have different experiences, and they orientated from different geographical settings, as well as, social, and economic standings. For example, if you originate southern United States, you will most likely speak with more of a “country accent.” If you originate from an upper class, wealthy family, you will most likely speak with a proper tone; successfully following all grammatical and phonetical rules. Baldwin’s main point was that “Black English”

James Baldwin uses a first person narration, brings us closer to the man himself, and gives an emotional connection, while we watch him struggle in his life. James allows us to see the difficulties in his life along with realizing his own place in the world and where he belongs as a writer. “The difficulty then, for me, of being a Negro writer was the fact that I was, in effect, prohibited from examining my own experience too closely by the tremendous demands and the very real dangers of my social situation.” These are examples of the way the first person point of view shows a true emotional connection between both the reader and James Baldwin, the writer of this

In the article, How to Tame a Wild Tongue by Gloria Anzaldua describes how a person is judge based on the speak they have. The people that have English or other languages as a second language are more likely to speak a different way. Therefore, people make fun other those who cannot pronounces words right. Those people are the one that do more have a harder time speaking to people with can lead to mental trauma. These people tend to lose their identity to please others that are persuading them to speak the American language. The author discusses how people that have their second language be the common language is harder to get work that pays good. The author has experience this kind of thing where we are judged base on the way you speak a language.

Baldwin gave hope to all African Americans, but believes that most African Americans still think they are trap in the past and nothing would change if they keep thinking like that, they need to force themselves to be accepted by white society. Baldwin suggest that "If we--and I mean the relatively conscious whites and the relatively conscious black, who must, like lovers, insist on, or create, the consciousness of others--do not falter in our duty now, we may be able, handful that we are, to end the racial nightmare, and achieve our country, and change the history of the world.” And if nothing changes America would continue to be segregated and the violence would

Speech has always been important; yet being judged by how to speak on a daily basis is what many go through. Not everyone speaks the same, which is why each person is unique. The author Allison Joseph of the poem “On Being Told I Don’t Speak Like a Black Person,” has an precise frame of mind on how people believe that all black people speak differently than others. There is not a certain language that people should speak; it is passed down or learned while growing up. Allison states in the texts “Now I realize there’s nothing more personal than speech that I don’t have to defend how I speak, how any person, black, white, chooses to

After reading and analyzing two essays written by African-American males and their encounters with their Caucasian counter parts, I have carefully dissected the two essays in an attempt to compare and contrast the papers. Although the environments of both men are different the treatment is not all that different. While we expect whites in America to be openly racial and degrading towards African-Americans, it was eye opening to have a European view like the one described by James Baldwin. After reading over the essays multiple times I have constructed a type of main focus for each essay and also a thesis of my own. I believe that James Baldwin’s main focus was “People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them.” (pg. 2). On the other hand I believe that Fredrick Douglas was trying to convey that in his situation the knowledge that he acquired was a blessing as well as a curse. In my own words I would say that knowledge is the biggest bridge between the past and the present. To compare and contrast “Stranger in the village” by James Baldwin and “Learning to read and write” by Frederick Douglas, I will focus mainly on the environment they were in, the people they were around, and the way they were treated by the people.

Understanding why Baldwin was criticized requires a look into the time period in which the movement took place. According to Spurlin, Time Magazine on May 17, 1963, produced a cover story on Baldwin as part of an article that was titled “Races: Freedom - Now.” (105). The article highlights Baldwin and has much praise about his work. However, it takes a dreadful turn when the article says that Baldwin “is not, by any stretch of the imagination, Negro leader. He tries no civil rights cases in the courts, preaches from no pulpit, devises no stratagems for sit-ins, Freedom Riders or street marchers.” (qtd. in Spurlin 105). It begins to become clear that even though Baldwin is highly looked upon within the community, writing essays and novels isn’t seen as a form of action that will bring about change. However, the article had more to say about Baldwin, this time about his sexuality. It says that he is “a nervous, slight, almost fragile figure, filled with frets and fears. He is effeminate in manner, drinks considerably, smokes cigarettes in chains, and he often loses his audience with overblown arguments” (qtd. in Spurlin 105; emphasis added).

In the article by James Baldwin, “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” (1979), the author insinuates that the argument about language is not the true debate, but how language reveals the speaker. Baldwin presents this argument through examples of countries with similar languages that are completely different as well as correlations between whites and blacks. Baldwin claims that instead of focusing on the “black language”, the root of this language has been at times discarded and used against the blacks. Baldwin’s intended audience is people who do not understand the importance of language and its power to bring a group together or push a group away.

James Baldwin’s style of writing is known for its eloquence and its ability to make powerful social critiques through rhetoric and narrative. He talked about his life events by using many irony, humor, metaphor and many figurative terms. Where as in his content he mentioned the African American culture, its history, race and the politics played by the white and the government’s law

In his essay he says, “wherever I passed, the first summer I was here, among the native villagers or among the lame, a wind passed with me¬—of astonishment, curiosity, amusement, and outrage” (42). This is an example of stereotyping as they noticed he was physically different from them, and so they treated him differently. It’s not unusual that people have questions about something that is different. If they go unanswered then they may come to a solution that can be completely wrong, which is how stereotypes can develop. In only a short period of time though, those people talked to him like any other person would, but with many questions. Baldwin was shocked by the outcome of the Europeans reaction but then realized that they have either never seen a black person or have rarely seen one. The native people do not understand how Baldwin feels, because he thinks that they are like white people in America judging and stereotyping him. In actuality they are not, because they do not have the history of black slaves. This can also be a case of reverse stereotyping, in that Baldwin assumes the white Europeans are thinking less of him because of his skin color, and this is based on his interactions with white Americans. Baldwin concludes in his essay, “that the culture of these people controls me—but they can scarcely be held responsible

One important contribution I reflect on is the power and significance of language. Language can be defined as the methods of communication, either spoken or written. This is how the cultural interaction comes into play. In James Baldwin “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” he implies that different

This country is a diverse country and everyone should be treated equally, no matter how the person speaks. In the story “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, People were treating her mother poorly because of the way she speak, at one point she even felt embarrassed of the way her mother speaks. Tan also, expresses how she feels about her mother’s broken English, and how society treated her mother. Tan provides proof/logical reasoning, flashbacks of her mother's experiences, and a defensive and caring tone to illuminate the fact that just because someone does not pronounce any words right and it is difficult for him or her to speak a language, that does not make he or she uneducated.

To begin with, Baldwin introduces his literary piece of writing in arguing that black English should be considered a language. He goes on to say that black English has heavily influenced the American culture, which possibly would be different if black English never existed. A language is an extension of