The Fire Next Time
What is this autobiography about? (2)
1. Coming of age story about Baldwin deciding how to live as a black man living in white america 2. coming of age story about america in a time of racial turmoil between white and black americans
What does Baldwin believe christianity does?
Baldwin again takes issue with the narrowness of Christianity, and comments on how it limits Americans, making them, both blacks and whites, delusional. Baldwin finds that Christianity's view on life itself is what binds Americans to the status quo. Baldwin attacks the individual and collective truths that Christianity preaches, and cites America's blind belief in these tenets as destructive. By adhering to a faith where one cannot challenge anything from fear of disrupting the established order, Americans will not be able to change, even if they want to.
What did the setting take place after?
Baldwin evaluates the situation of blacks in America a century after the Emancipation Proclamation supposedly gave blacks their freedom.in 1863
What is the second essay?
Down at the cross - autobiographical, explains how Baldwin had a religious crisis at age 14 and how it caused him to resee his world
What is the setting?
Early 1960's America, grew up in Harlem, NY. Grounded in the historical context of the Civil Rights movement and racial tensions of the day
What other religion is in book?
Elijah Muhammed's - Nation of Islam - practiced in black community. Muhammed claimed to directly have revelation of truth from Allah. The truth is: black people are Allah's creations and white people are the creations of the devil. and arre therefore White devils themselves and the time will come soon when blacks will be able to claim their destiny and come to power. Attacked the whites and blamed them and hated them as white devils
What were the nation of Islam speeches about?
Gaining power
Why does Baldwin think God's love is fake?
God is supposed to love all his children yet blacks are cast downHe thought instead of love, faith, ad charity as princples of the chirch should be, they were instead blindness, loneliness, and terrorn
What is baldwin's experience with christianity
He explains his happiness at first becoming a Christian, his involvement with the tenets of his new belief system, his growing disillusionment, and his eventual abandonment of the church due to the various hypocrisies he felt it guilty of. Boldly, Baldwin suggests that the only way for America to live up to its potential, its ideals of freedom and individuality, is to abandon Christian teaching altogether.
Theme: religion:
In Baldwin's estimation, both Christianity and Islam fail to provide African Americans with the power needed to overcome the discrimination and injustice they face on a daily basis. In particular, the famous Elijah Muhammad, among others, termed all white people "white devils." Baldwin finds this demonization of white people alarming and in direct conflict with his own spiritual and political views, seeking reconciliation with, rather than domination of, white society.
What does the epigraph do?God gave noah the rainbow sign , no more water, the fire next time.
It's a warning. God promised that he would never flood them with water again. Next time, it's the fires of hell. It's a warning to not let your guard down and do whatever because god promised to not wipe out the earth. The fires of hell is still there, and one must love god
Who is the author?
James Baldwin
What is the first essay?
My Dungeon Shook - Letter written to his 14 year old nephew about integration and acceptance and how slowly real change is happening
What's the big problem of the book
Negro Problem - refers to problem of racial tension
Describe Blacks and whites as mothers and children?
Negros are the parents because theya re able to see about the whites that the whites don't see in themselves. Blacks can empathize with whites situation and feel sorry for them becaus they are victims of their own brainwashing. This is because blacks understand whites have a lot to lose - power. The blacks have whats important: love . Blacks know love is better
What genre of book is it?
Nonfiction - description of James Baldwin's life
Why is life tragic?
People pour themselves into religion and poltics as an escape from from death biut in the end death is the only fact we have. big theme: escape from the reality of death - we imprison ourselves to get away from death
What is beautiful about suffering?
People who suffer discover who they are. They grow in tremendous ways. One who endures suffering achieves their authority and that authority is what is beautiful
What did Baldwin think was the reason for churches spreading the gospel. What did he think of the church as a result?
Planting the flag, colonialsm, land gain , conquest, expansion. As a result, the morals of the church were ambivalent.
Why does christianity need to be removed?
Since the church's goal was land conquest and that the church is full of crimes and hypocracies, which are the opposite of christian goals: become larger, freer, more loving" then there is no use for god. They aren't accomplishing their goals so it must be gotten rid of. Or at least the banner of God must be removed, the name. Because people keep justifying their actions with God. This banner needs to be removed if someone's actions doesnot correspond with true morals
What is Muhammed to Baldwin?
Temptaton of vengence and power over whites
What is the negro's paradox?
The negro is unable to move forward towards equality because the past cannot be accepted. To move past injustice, we must accept the past and use it to build a better future
Theme: Negro problem
The term "the Negro Problem" was used throughout the 1950's and 60's as a shorthand description of the ongoing state of racial tension in America. The essays in "The Fire Next Time" both explore the problem, but from different perspectives. "My Dungeon Shook" anchors its analysis of the problem in the personal relationship between the author and his nephew. The author suggests that he agrees with the nephew that the situation is intolerable, but proposes that instead of reacting from a place of anger, the nephew (and by extension the black community as a whole) ought to strive for transforming the situation rather than confronting it violently. He suggests transformation of attitudes on both sides of the problem through the spreading love and understanding, to preserve the beauty that exists even in the midst of the pain
Descibe epigraphs Kipling vs Hymn
The white man's burden of kipling is saying that colonialism is the burden of a white man and the white man must teach others and civilize them. It is their duty. This is juxtaposed against religion, a hymn that praises God for dying and cleansing us of our sins. This juxtaposition may show that even though one race is dominant over another, we all are sinful and under the same God or are supposed to be a least0
Theme: Communication
Throughout both essays, Baldwin implores a new level of communication and understanding between black and white Americans. A better way to address their anger and outrage. Anger and hatred are largely the causes of racism, and as such, Baldwin wants the black community to see that they are no better off than racist Americans if they succumb to their anger and lash out in response. By approaching an entirely new level of communication, however, by using love and compassion to fight hate, Baldwin feels that both sides, both blacks and whites, can learn and, by experience and new perspectives, move forward.
What is FNT split into?
Two essays/letters
To baldwin, what is the best way to overcome the negro problem?
Ultimately, Baldwin suggests to the reader that perhaps the best way to transcend the "Negro Problem" is for America, all of America, both blacks and whites, to transcend its own ways of thinking. Americans must step out of their narrow way of thinking, thinking fueled by Christianity and its status quo belief system.
How does the book end?
Warning: now, the concious whites and blacks must fulfill duty and to end the racial nightmare to achieve the country and change the history of the world. If they do not dare everything now, the fulfillent of the prophecy will occur: No more water, the fire next time.
Motif: white devil What does Baldwin think of Islam
When Baldwin is invited to meet Elijah Muhammed, he finds the Nation of Islam's authoritarian structure, including the subjugation of both women and men to Muhammed's authority, disturbing. Certainly, Baldwin does not agree with any power structure in which others are oppressed, even if they seem to acquiesce to their own subjection. Additionally, in the Nation of Islam, white people and their many crimes, not black concerns or needs, are the sole topic of discussion. Baldwin decries the demonizing of white people as "white devils." For Baldwin, such demonization seems not only impractical, but dangerous
What stood in between black man and a better future?
White man
What is Baldwin's assertion about white people
White people haven't yet learned to love and accept themselves, and as a result they take it out on blacks to lift themselves up and feeling superior by pushing blacks down. So if whites learn to love and accept each other, the negro problem will no longer exist because the whites wont need to put another race down to elevate themselves
What makes people lose their reality/
lack of trust in oneself. The touchstone for reality is the person themself, so if they lose trust, thyen their reality is distorted.
What is being sensual to Baldwin?
respecting and rejoicing in life and being present in everything one does . To rely on the senses
How did freedom through risk equal love?
to baldwin, surviving disaste led to joy because it was an coomplishment that led to the feeling of freedom. He finds love in this because all of the negroes are going through the same situations. Through overcoming risks together, they find unity and even love
