The Revelation of Biblical Allusions in Baldwin
James Baldwin said, “If the concept of God has any validity or any use, it can only be to make us larger, freer, and more loving. If God cannot do this, then it is time we got rid of Him.” In the multifarious works of Baldwin, there are numerous examples of his sharp rejection of Catholicism, Yahweh, and the ambiguous ideologies of the church. However, Baldwin eloquently compares and cites many of his keynotes and allusions to biblical passages and symbols of the Old Testament. “Synthesizing empirical data and theoretical insights, he offers a compelling vision of the complex unfolding of nineteenth-century African American religiosity” (White 1-8). His 1953 novel Go Tell It on the Mountain directly condemns the ultraconservative faction of religion by presenting the theme of the “Threshing Floor”. Yet, he also erects the religion with his use of the Old and New Testament writings. Baldwin so eloquently uses these biblical allusions to support his innumerable themes in the novel.
One of the biblical allusions that continue to surface is the connection to Abraham and Sarah in Old Testament Genesis. Abraham and Sarah were nearly 100 years old when they attempted to bore a child together, however, it was unfeasible
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for the elderly to perform such a task. In the mid novel, Gabrielle and his former wife Deborah try to have a child, however, she is barren and is unable to fulfill the aspirations and visions of Gabrielle. When Abraham was unable to have a child with Sarah, she permitted the carnal liaison with Hagar the servant. Gabrielle in a sense prepares and undertakes the same relationship with another female, however; Deborah and God did not permit it. He has an affair with Esther to produce Royal. Similarities also present themselves when Gabrielle leaves the family, he so dearly wanted. In Genesis, Sarah banishes Hagar and Ishmael but go on to create the religious sect of the Muslims. Baldwin is both critical to ultraconservative Christians as well as towards Abraham about the topic of adultery and its harmful ripple effects. It implores the question of whether Gabrielle is a good Christian or one who abuses his powers for his own well-being. Another example of the biblical allusions of the novel is in the story of the prodigal son as it relates to Gabrielle. Gabrielle is the devout spiritual preacher who has witnessed the racial profiling and tension between Blacks and Whites. His opinions of racial damnation are ultra conservative and he wishes to spread these down to a worthy protégé, his son. However, John is the only child of his who fully accepts the faith but this exasperates Gabrielle. He reveres his “own” children, but his sons either double cross him or he betrays them. Roy is the prodigal son who is reluctant to come back to his father. He also uses his position to get into strife and cause tension in his kindred. An additional implication of biblical allusions is in the Threshing Floor.
The Threshing Floor is the area where a farmer sunders the wheat from the chaff. There are multitudes of references of the threshing floor in both Baldwin’s book and the bible. “ The Chaff symbolizes the worthless evil or wicked persons that are about to be destroyed” In both the new and old testament, the threshing floor is a symbol of pronouncement. John the Baptist uses threshing floor symbolism to separate the true believers from the Janus-faced. John acts as a true believer who enters into the kingdom of God like wheat in a grange. However, Gabrielle uses Christianity for his own self-interests and will burn in a covetous
fire. Baldwin’s use of biblical allusions adds an extra layer of complexity to his writings. With each biblical allusion hinted in the novel, there is a moral teaching that Baldwin is presenting to the readers. Old and Testament as well as the threshing floor add onto the writing of Baldwin to present an easier way to look at complex themes of morality.
David L. Chappell. A Stone of Hope: Prophetic Religion and the Death of Jim Crow
Baldwin, James. “Down at the Cross.” 1962. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347.
To begin with, the dual narratives of the text here present a unique mixture of chronology and perspective. Moreover, noteworthy is also McBride’s usage of the rhetorical strategy of alternate chapters and parallelism. This can be seen when McBride remarkably places related chapters together to juxtapose the life of his mother and that of himself. This allows one to observe the parallelism in the two lives; and perhaps more importantly, understand the significance Ruth’s life has had on McBride. For example, McBride places the chapters “Shul” and “School” next to each other. Here, both Ruth and James are struggling and are trying to fit in but are rejected due to racial and social conflicts. Another example is, “The New Testament” and “The Old Testament.” Both of these chapters revolve around the embarrassment Ruth and James feel for their circumstances. In “The Ne...
The irony exposed in Jacobs’ writings serves to show how desperate the slaveholders are to maintain their power, and how this desperation reveals the depravity of slavery. They are fully cognizant that having the word of God on their side affords them even more power over their slaves, and they use this knowledge as a channel through which slave behavior may be controlled. “After the alarm caused by Nat Turner’s insurrection had subsided, the slaveholders came to the conclusion that it would be well to give the slaves enough religious instruction to keep them from murdering their masters” (Jacobs 57). This passage is the first to demonstrate whites using religion as an oppressive force.
It has played a major role in history, persecution, church, wars and most importantly in slavery. in this essay i have focus in how hypocrisy was use in race relations using the slave narrative Equiano. In Equiano 's slave narrative examines Christianity and how it allows hypocrisy in slavery. As Equiano travels he sees and learns how whites use religion as a pocketbook, whites pretended to be holy and virtue by attending church and being thrilled of their practice when in reality they were unjustly treating African slaves and not living up to the tenets outlined in the bible. Equiano studies the bible carefully; despite of the hypocrisy Equianos faces he remains loyal to god and always kept his faith in god. Once his convince of the authenticity of his spiritual transformation and studies of the bible then Equiano convert to Methodist
This paper elaborates on the diverse contributions peoples of African descent have made to the pluralistic religious landscape of America and replicates various passages from our textbook. It focuses on the personal narratives of non-religious to religious leaders—exemplifying their influence on the African American religious movement during slavery and the reconstruction of America. Each section represents different historical periods, regional variations, and non-Christian expressions of African-American religion.
Baldwin, James. “Down at the Cross.” 1963. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998: 296-347.
Born in Harlem in 1924, James Baldwin grew to be a complex man with many aspects. As an avid reader as a child, Baldwin soon developed the skills to become one of the most talented and strong writers of his time. His first novel was written in 1953 and was called “Go Tell it On the Mountain” and received critical acclaim. More great work from this novelist, essayist, and playwright were to come, one of which was “Notes of a Native Son,” which was first published in Harper’s Magazine in 1955 and was also first known as “Me and My House.” In “Notes of a Native Son,” Baldwin exercises his many talents as an essayist in how he manages to weave narratives and arguments throughout the essay. He is also able to use many of his experiences to prove his points. Baldwin effectively interlaces his narratives, arguments, and experiences so as to reach his central idea and to advocate the overall moral that he has learned to his audience. This is what makes Baldwin so unique in his work: his ability to successfully moralize all people he comes in contact with.
James Baldwin is one of the premier essayists of his time. He draws on his experiences in a straightforward, unapologetic manner, which helps achieve his purpose in The Fire Next Time. His style elucidates his arguments for racial harmony and for the understanding of other religions.
Baldwin, James. “Down at the Cross.” 1995. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. Ed. Toni Morrison. New York: Library of America, 1998:296-347.
When identifying the common theme of Baldwin’s short stories “Sonny’s Blues” and “Going to Meet the Man”, it is clever to first distinguish the writing style of this creative author. Baldwin was a famous writer of his period because of the way he interpreted reality into a story. Around this point in America, racial tension and self-identity between cultures were at a peak and sparked many different ideas towards Baldwin’s writings. Baldwin intentionally expresses himself through his writings to create a realistic voice to his audience, making the story easy to capture a visual of. In one story in particular, “Go Tell It on the Mountain” Baldwin creates a novel
He thought that going to the church will protect him, and shield him against what he feared. Instead of freeing the community from discrimination between Blacks and Whites, the Bible supported the existence of racial barriers by teaching one should behave. Realizing the hypprocarcy involved with Christianity, the author broke away from the congressional church, to search his own way of liberating the society. Baldwin emphasizes that liberation is love, and "love is more important than color."
In James Baldwin’s 1952 novel “Go Tell It On The Mountain” the characters in the novel each embark on a spiritual journey. Baldwin has dedicated a chapter to each member of the Grimes family, detailing their trails and tribulations, hopes and aspirations, as each one’s quest to get closer to God becomes a battle. I have chosen the character John because I admire the fierce struggle he endured to find his spirituality. I will examine how he’s embarked on his quest and prove that he has done it with integrity and dignity.
Being abroad gave Baldwin a perspective on the life he’d left behind and a solitary freedom to pursue his craft. “Once you find yourself in another civilization,” he notes, “you’re forced to examine your own.” In a sense, Baldwin’s travels brought him even closer to the social concerns of contemporary America. In the early 1960s, overwhelmed by a sense of responsibility to the times, Baldwin returned to take part in the civil rights movement. Traveling throughout the South, he began work on an explosive work about black identity and the state of racial struggle, The Fire Next Time (1963). This, too, was a bestseller: so incendiary that it put Baldwin on the cover of TIME Magazine. For many, Baldwin’s clarion call for human equality – in the essays of Notes of a Native Son, Nobody Knows My Name and The Fire Next Time – became an early and essential voice in the civil rights movement. Though at times criticized for his pacifist stance, Baldwin remained an important figure in that struggle throughout the 1960s.
White, Brian. "In The Humble Fashion Of A Scripture Woman": The Bible As Besieging Tool In