Analysis Of The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin

576 Words2 Pages

The purpose of this essay is to elaborate and clarify James Baldwin’s book The Fire Next Time. Some examples that are related to his argument are given to strengthen the point. The examples are taken from the articles about ‘White People Commit the Most Heinous Crimes, So Why Is America Terrified of Black Men?’ and the book New Jim Crow. In The Fire Next Time, Baldwin talks about how white people view themselves as a savior rather than slaves owner. Here, white people think that they are doing something great by saving the black people and by exposing them about religion. He also added a point on how white people never feels guilty about the crime that they had committed; they often choose to ignore it. Baldwin also discuss a point on how black people actually know more about whites compare to what whites know about them selves. Black people know about the …show more content…

Most white people always view themselves as non-racists individual but black people know it better. For an example the War on Drugs that happen in America is obviously occur to target the black people from merging into the mainstream, which is the white society. This is clear because of the fact that the targeted area during the War on Drugs is basically in the rural area where most of the population is actually black. Here because of the mindset that has originally been set up, white people are blinded from viewing the true agenda of the War on Drugs. Despite of believing, they tend to blame it on the cultural pathology of black and believe it has nothing to do with racism. Here the situations about the War of Drugs has brought out Baldwin’s argument on how white people always view themselves as a peace loving group and on how they have been trap on their own mindset. Besides, we can see here that black actually know more about the whole society compare to

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of Paul Robeson And James Baldwin

    1009 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baldwin uses his literary work to reflect on what he, as a black man, has seen and experienced. In the text, Baldwin reflects on the relationship between he and his father. He speaks specifically to the point that he didn’t know his father well throughout his childhood other than the fact that he explicitly remembers the bitter spirit that his father seemed to always posses. Later, after his experience with white business owners in New Jersey, Baldwin realizes that the bitterness that his father possessed was an unfortunate side effect of the socio-political structure of racism that his father had

    Read More

  • Baldwin's Effects of Narration and Analysis in Notes of a Native Son

    1817 Words  | 4 Pages

    ... one must acknowledge mankind for what it is and the associated injustice without reserve; however, one must also resist the injustice inherent in mankind. This applies to the struggle between races as well as it applied to Baldwin’s relationship with his father. The initial questions proposed by “Notes” are answered in a general warning: hate breeds death and destruction, so resist the injustice where hate is conceived while accepting the unjust for who they are. It is through both personal and general experiences that Baldwin arrives at his final conclusion, offering a warning to society and the individuals within: hate only causes destruction and must be put aside before positive gains may be achieved.

    Read More

  • Baldwin's Father in Notes of a Native Son

    1668 Words  | 4 Pages

    Baldwin’s father died a broken and ruined man on July 29th, 1943. This only paralleled the chaos occurring around him at the time, such as the race riots of Detroit and Harlem which Baldwin describes to be as “spoils of injustice, anarchy, discontent, and hatred.” (63) His father was born in New Orleans, the first generation of “free men” in a land where “opportunities, real and fancied, are thicker than anywhere else.” (63) Although free from slavery, African-Americans still faced the hardships of racism and were still oppressed from any opportunities, which is a factor that led Baldwin’s father to going mad and eventually being committed. Baldwin would also later learn how “…white people would do anything to keep a Negro down.” (68) For a preacher, there was little trust and faith his father ...

    Read More

  • Baldwin's View of Christianity

    552 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Fire Next Time, James Baldwin addressed the problem of racism that existed in the early 1960s. He gives very powerful accounts of his life growing up in Harlem in the 1930s and 40s. Throughout the book he gives accounts of how whites, blacks, Christians, and Muslims all can be blamed for the racial tensions that existed in the early 1960s. While Baldwin spends much of the criticism on whites, Christians, and Jews, and their inability to give up their hold on the political, financial, and religious power of the country, he also holds the Black and Muslim communities responsible for not working harder to make things better. Baldwin does not feel that the Whites are totally accountable for the racial situation that exists in the US at the time he wrote the book, but he does feel that they have the most to give to make things right.

    Read More

  • John F. Kennedy and the Civil Rights Movement

    2936 Words  | 6 Pages

    ---. “White Man’s Guilt.” 1995 James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 722-727.

    Read More

  • Racial Transition In James Baldwin's Notes Of A Native Son

    1085 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the essay Baldwin talks about his fathers hatred or mistrust towards whites such as the story of the white school teacher who Baldwin’s stepdad has an immediate mistrust towards. This path is the path Baldwin, throughout his life has rebelled against his father against. However, as time moved one Baldwin began to feel this fight/hatred that his father experience not because of his father but because of his actual experiences. We can use the story of the restaurant for examples of this as well as an example for Baldwin and his father similarities. In the story you can tell this is a transition of ideas, especially for Baldwin and the idea of his father. Before the death of his father Baldwin and his father had different views of the world, where his father saw only the past and nothing of the future, Baldwin saw people, saw change waiting to happen, the niceness of whites not the nastiness his father was keen to. Baldwin declares “I knew about Jim-Crow, but I had never experienced it” about the restaurant he had been going to for weeks, the racism that he was receiving was never received by him, until his “eyes were open” by the death of his father. This was an unknowingly act from the author that further assimilated him and his fathers

    Read More

  • James Baldwin Notes For A Hypothetical Novel

    1056 Words  | 3 Pages

    James Baldwin’s “Notes for A Hypothetical Novel” is part of a collection of essays entitled, Nobody Knows My Name. James Baldwin opens “Notes for a Hypothetical Novel” by stating that he wishes to write a novel about where and with whom he grew up (Baldwin 222). James Baldwin believes a novel should contain two important components. First, a novel should note that the events occurring locally reflect events occurring nationally or globally. For example, James Baldwin witnessed the transition from championing African Americans in the arts during the Harlem Renaissance to condemning them following the Great Depression (Baldwin 223). James Baldwin believes the evolution of the African American image in the 1920s is a micro event that was influenced by macro events that were occurring nationally (Baldwin 223). In addition to the connection of micro and macro events, James Baldwin believes that a novel should describe reality, not a romanticized situation. Both of these components are difficult to attain in a novel, because of the innate ability of Americans to avoid certain truths, resulting in an incoherent American identity. There is a discrepancy between the true American identity and what American perceives.

    Read More

  • James Baldwin's Stranger in the Village

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    Baldwin and his ancestors share this common rage because of the reflections their culture has had on the rest of society, a society consisting of white men who have thrived on using false impressions as a weapon throughout American history. Baldwin gives credit to the fact that no one can be held responsible for what history has unfolded, but he remains restless for an explanation about the perception of his ancestors as people. In Baldwin?s essay, his rage becomes more directed as the ?power of the white man? becomes relevant to the misfortune of the American Negro (Baldwin 131). This misfortune creates a fire of rage within Baldwin and the American Negro. As Baldwin?s American Negro continues to build the fire, the white man builds an invisible wall around himself to avoid confrontation about the actions of his ?forefathers? (Baldwin 131). Baldwin?s anger burns through his other emotions as he writes about the enslavement of his ancestors and gives the reader a shameful illusion of a Negro slave having to explai...

    Read More

  • Analysis Of The Price Of The Ticket

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eventually, although he was being torn somewhat from his natural talents for writing, he was preaching about the human rights of all people to enjoy equal treatment. A speaker in the film called it the “Gospel of revolution”, which relates to the hope that his father originally wanted for his life. Baldwin wrote a book he called “The Fire Next Time” which intended to communicate to white Americans what it is to be Black. This book tells the story of how Black people needed to teach white people who were willing to learn about the Black experience so that they would understand what it meant to live as a Black person in the United States. Baldwin talked about the ways in which White organizations had a tendency to keep out Black Americans, making his point that the experience of being Black was very different than that of being White. Because they did not have access to unions, houses and neighborhoods, and a variety of different points of access that Whites had, it was clear that they were constantly being told that they were unwanted and would not have

    Read More

  • James Baldwin The Fire Next Time Analysis

    1019 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book, “The Fire Next Time”, written by James Baldwin, there are two letters written; one was to Baldwin 's fourteen-year-old nephew, and the second focused on race and religion based on Baldwin’s personal experiences. James Baldwin was an African-American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic. Baldwin wrote this book to inform America about the incessant race issues that continue to plague our nation. The Fire Next Time was a well-written book and does a mediocre job of describing what was transpiring during the 1960s and the race problems throughout the world.

    Read More

  • From Hate to Love in James Baldwin's The Fire Next Time

    1054 Words  | 3 Pages

    James Baldwin was a man of many insights.  He believed in various ideas with regards to ?the problem of the color line? (103).  Baldwin, like many other thinkers of his time knew that a change was needed in this country, specifically Baldwin believed a shift from hatred to love was needed.   The main change Baldwin discusses in his biographical novel, The Fire Next Time, religion and how it teaches hate for others and love for those who believe.  The importance Baldwin believes is the change from those beliefs taught by religion to a new acceptance of both black and white races.

    Read More

  • Literary Analysis of Barn Burning

    939 Words  | 2 Pages

    At first glance, the story “Barn burning” seems just to be about a tyrannical father and a son who is in the grips of that tyranny. I think Faulkner explores at least one important philosophical question in this story were he asks at what point should a person make a choice between what his parent(s) and / or family believes and his own values?

    Read More

  • The Discovery Of What It Means To Be An American By James Baldwin Summary

    727 Words  | 2 Pages

    Baldwin makes people see the flaws in our society by comparing it to Europe. Whether we decide to take it as an example to change to, or follow our American mindset and take this as the biased piece that it is and still claim that we are the best country in the world, disregard his words and continue with our strive for

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Shooting An Elephant And George Orwell

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Baldwin being visits an unfamiliar place that was mostly populated by white people; they were very interested in the color of his skin. The villagers had never seen a black person before, which makes the villager

    Read More

  • Analyzing Notes of a Native Son

    1482 Words  | 3 Pages

    At the end of the essay, a strong message is conveyed. Baldwin learns that love, which is synonymous to his constant use of the word hatred, must prevail and that with love, acceptance and equal power can finally be attained (84). He also says that bitterness is pointless and that life and death are far more important and significant than the black/white power struggle. The end of the essay closes gracefully because Baldwin has now revealed the use of his writing techniques of “Notes of the Native Son” and he has also fully matured and is now able to see his father in a positive light for the very first time in his life.

    Read More

More about Analysis Of The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin

Open Document