James Baldwin Essay

All Americans associate themselves with strong beliefs about their own country and community. Their drive comes from the emotional passion that they fuel their lives upon. With that same emotional passion, they create art to express their devotion. Whether it is music, paintings, or writing, American artists spread their own work with a primary and centralized goal of creating a connection with their readers. They form a bond in their own visual or literary art that keeps the appreciator in constant understanding. In the case of James Baldwin, this was no different. Baldwin utilized the oppressed lives of the characters in “Sonny’s Blues” and “The Rockpile” to reflect the artistic escape that he took in his own life, which was filled with hardships such as isolation due to societal issues and racial inequality.
James Baldwin was born into a life of misery and loneliness with no respites. Born on August 2, 1924, he was the first child to Emma Berdis Jones. James grew up with no knowledge of his biological father and instead lived the first few years of his life solely with his mother. Due to the treatment of African-American people, they were left deprived and removed. (EGS.edu). Despite this painful start to life, the now broken family looked for a new member. Ms. Jones soon married David Baldwin, a preacher and factory worker. The ministry soon became an overarching factor in young James Baldwin’s life. His stepfather would constantly push him towards religious life which impacted his childhood up until his teenage years. But before Baldwin was even a teenager, he had many siblings who were often left under his care. The time he spent at home was something to be remembered of his life in Harlem. It gave him time to wonder, ponde...

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...l conflict were resolved through their own musical and literary methods.
As seen in both his stories and his actual life, James Baldwin used writing to divert from his problems and issues. The themes of loneliness, segregation, and family struggles were strongly apparent in his works, but even more noticeable in his life. He learned to adapt with an overbearing and strict father, adapt to the sinking feeling of being alone, and adapt to the society that judged him. Despite all the adversities, he found sanctuary in literature in a way that saved him from everything around him. Baldwin speaks to his readers in a way that translates his own life in a relatable manner. He shows that when someone is alone, it will change. If someone is being put out, it will change. He imparts on the knowledge that even if those closest to someone are the farthest away, it will change.