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Isolation In James Baldwin's Stranger In The Village

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In James Baldwin’s essay, Stranger in the Village, he depicts a distant village that has become isolated from outsiders, however, strangers are welcome into the village. Having little distractions, Baldwin finds an ease at mind for focusing on his writing. However, being isolated does have fallbacks. For instance, upon visiting the village, the residents were so unfamiliar with African Americans, which caused many people to stop and view him. Some would put their “hand on my hand, astonished that the color did not rub off” (65). However, as some may see this to be offensive, Baldwin exclaims that how he is a stranger to them, and how they are viewing him through curiosity, as expressed in this quote, “The children who shout Neger! have no way

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