Poem Analysis: The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin
Pete Vasquez
5/9/13
HIST201
The Fire Next Time Through the course of time, large groups of people have been enslaved by superior cultures. The Jews, whipped to build the great pyramids for the Egyptians, slave men who were forced to fight and die as gladiators in the Roman coliseum, and the Africans who were sold by their own people to the Europeans, all had to endure the cruelties of slavery. The author and narrator, James Baldwin has a constant tone of anger toward the white society through out the book. After thoroughly reading this book, I have concluded that Baldwin’s message about race in America is that the only way the country as a whole will prosper is to come together as one. He realizes that having animosity toward the white …show more content…
Interestingly, the author shifts from a strong tone of anger and hatred to a more loving attitude toward the white society. He believes that no matter what, the whites will not accept the Negro. However, if you feed them love, the whites will eventually grow to respect the blacks. In section two, the author dives deep into religion. He goes in depth about Christianity and how it has driven him to try and accept the whites. He says how nothing can bring out his joy and passion like church life does. Through Baldwin’s Christian morals, he believes that his theory of the “Negro Problem” can be transcended by compassion and love. In this letter, Baldwin is addressing all the white Americans who are in denial of their actions of racism. He believes that the only way of ending the “Negro Problem” is through drastic change and peace. In section two, Baldwin heavily addresses the leader of The Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad has a strong hatred toward the white community. He says how black people are the creation of Allah, whereas the white people are the creations of the devil, and are therefore the devils themselves. Muhammad believes that there will come a time when the black Americans are able to claim their destiny and eliminate the white community from the earth. In Stokely Carmichael’s article Black Power, he discusses why the black community doesn’t receive the respect it deserves and what this notion of black power really is. “Black power can be clearly defined for those who do not attach the fears of white America to their questions about it” (pg. 307). He also says how the blacks had to work for power, because America does not function by morality, love, and nonviolence, but by power. From this, we can understand that in order for blacks to be accepted as equal, a new generation needs to be born, as Carmichael inquires on pg. 308. No matter what they do in society, no matter how hard they work,
5/9/13
HIST201
The Fire Next Time Through the course of time, large groups of people have been enslaved by superior cultures. The Jews, whipped to build the great pyramids for the Egyptians, slave men who were forced to fight and die as gladiators in the Roman coliseum, and the Africans who were sold by their own people to the Europeans, all had to endure the cruelties of slavery. The author and narrator, James Baldwin has a constant tone of anger toward the white society through out the book. After thoroughly reading this book, I have concluded that Baldwin’s message about race in America is that the only way the country as a whole will prosper is to come together as one. He realizes that having animosity toward the white …show more content…
Interestingly, the author shifts from a strong tone of anger and hatred to a more loving attitude toward the white society. He believes that no matter what, the whites will not accept the Negro. However, if you feed them love, the whites will eventually grow to respect the blacks. In section two, the author dives deep into religion. He goes in depth about Christianity and how it has driven him to try and accept the whites. He says how nothing can bring out his joy and passion like church life does. Through Baldwin’s Christian morals, he believes that his theory of the “Negro Problem” can be transcended by compassion and love. In this letter, Baldwin is addressing all the white Americans who are in denial of their actions of racism. He believes that the only way of ending the “Negro Problem” is through drastic change and peace. In section two, Baldwin heavily addresses the leader of The Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad has a strong hatred toward the white community. He says how black people are the creation of Allah, whereas the white people are the creations of the devil, and are therefore the devils themselves. Muhammad believes that there will come a time when the black Americans are able to claim their destiny and eliminate the white community from the earth. In Stokely Carmichael’s article Black Power, he discusses why the black community doesn’t receive the respect it deserves and what this notion of black power really is. “Black power can be clearly defined for those who do not attach the fears of white America to their questions about it” (pg. 307). He also says how the blacks had to work for power, because America does not function by morality, love, and nonviolence, but by power. From this, we can understand that in order for blacks to be accepted as equal, a new generation needs to be born, as Carmichael inquires on pg. 308. No matter what they do in society, no matter how hard they work,