James Baldwin's Letter

“I imagine that one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with pain” (Baldwin, 2012/1955, p. 745). James Baldwin is one of the most thought inducing writers of his time. Marked by his experiences in the realms of racial, sexual, and religious struggles Baldwin’s life and works have opened the eyes of the American people, as well as many others, to these sensitive subjects that we have struggled with.

Throughout Baldwin’s essay, he encourages changes in education for blacks, but he does so using ethos and pathos. For example, he starts of

In the 1960’s the civil rights movement was an ongoing movement that many of today’s african american heroes emerged from like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and James Baldwin. These three men were the head figures for the civil rights movement fighting for black rights. Malcolm X and Martin Luther king both sought to gain rights for african americans but did not always view the same way. James Baldwin was a man that was viewed as a radical and propagandist for his beliefs because he believed the solution was through love and peace.

Upon being imprisoned for marching Dr Martin Luther King wrote a letter to the fellow clergymen of Birmingham, addressing his reasons as to why he committed his “crime”, This letter was widely known as “The Letter of Birmingham”. This letter was very influential and paramount to the cause of civil rights as it spurred up future events that would play essential roles in ending racial segregation in America. Throughout his whole letter, King used Ethos, logos, and pathos to firmly get his message across while adding rhetorical devices such as repetition, metaphors, and biblical references.

What does it mean to be a writer? Who or what defines a writer? Is it up to the critics, the readers, or the author’s original intentions? For Richard Wright and James Baldwin, their own authorial intentions define their work. Baldwin identified with Wright through his literature as he was growing up. He admired Wright’s work and saw him as a literary idol. When the two authors met in Brooklyn, Baldwin was just twenty-years old, and Wright was thirty-six. As they developed a friendship, they discovered that their ideas and intentions for literature were vastly different from one another. This sparked a feud between the two authors. Richard Wright felt that literature should be powerful and political. His goal as an author was to make his make his readers more conscious and aware of the social climate. For James Baldwin, he felt that literature should be an artistic creation, not used for a political agenda. Although

In A Letter to My Nephew, James Baldwin, the now deceased critically acclaimed writer, pens a message to his nephew, also named James. This letter is meant to serve as a caution to him of the harsh realities of being black in the United States. With Baldwin 's rare usage of his nephew 's name in the writing, the letter does not only serve as a letter to his relative, but as a message to black youth that is still needed today.

Martin Luther King Jr. wrote a letter from his jail cell in Birmingham after he was imprisoned during a march for civil rights. This letter was in response to one written by church leaders in Birmingham condemning the actions of Martin Luther King Jr. and his compatriots. They felt the march was “unwise and untimely” and expressed a belief that the problems he was protesting were better fought through the court system. Overall, Dr. King spoke about the necessity and process of non- violent direct action, just and unjust laws, and of his disappointment in the actions of the white moderate. He argued with the words and logic of a well-educated gentlemen to counteract the church’s argument which appealed to white moderates. Dr. King later in the document expresses disappointment in the white moderates and the church for their roundabout methods

One will constantly face temporary conflict throughout life, but ultimately they can overcome through a will to on and pursue what makes oneself happy. Baldwin was able to create a picture in the reader's mind due to his personal relation to his characters, he was able to understand the harsh times for an African-American male. It also reflects on the care that siblings have for one another and how even though they have good intentions, they can't always help their loved one follow a positive

In the essay “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin, he expresses feelings of hate and despair towards his father. His father died when James was 19 years old from tuberculosis; it just so happens that his funeral was on the day of the Harlem Riot of 1943. Baldwin explains that his father isn’t fond of white people due to the racist past. He recalls a time when a white teacher brought him to a theater and that caused nothing but upset with his father, even though it was a kind act. Many events happened to Baldwin as a result of segregation, including a time where a waitress refused to serve him due to his skin color and Baldwin threw a pitcher of water at her. Throughout this essay James Baldwin uses characterization to show his father’s

James Baldwin, a writer from Harlem, New York, is particularly studied because of how he addresses race in the United States. Though he saw himself as a “witness to the truth,” Baldwin becomes a leader in black freedom particularly in his collection of essays, The Fire Next Time (The Chicago Tribune). In the essays explored in class, “My Dungeon Shook” and “ Letter from a Region in My Mind,” religion is a reoccurring theme that played an integral part in Baldwin’s life. Although the streets would usually be seen as a more dangerous and deteriorating lifestyle than the church; chapters from The Fire Next Time demonstrate that the institution of the black church created an equally negative and lasting impression that mirrored the impact of street life.

Civil rights leader, Martin Luther King Jr, in his Letter from Birmingham City Jail, argues against criticism from eight Alabama clergymen, and addresses their concerns. He defends his position, and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), against accusations of disturbing the peace in Birmingham, as well as explaining his values and opinions. Throughout the letter, King adopts a strong logical and credible tone, and reinforces his position through the use of strong emotional justifications, in order to appeal to the clergymen and defend his public image.

In Baldwin’s essay he shows a complex perspective. In the beginning he is optimistic but as it continues he turns more and more pessimistic. He realizes everything isn’t as good as he thought it was and becomes angry and bitter. While the tone remains straightforward and calm, the mood is slightly angry. Baldwin doesn’t want pity either, but he does want the reader to understand the trials and tribulations he had to go through because of racism. Baldwin is a credible author because he grew up during the Jim Crow era. Throughout the essay he uses anecdotal evidence to appeal to the emotions. One example is when he wrote about not getting served at the diner and the scene caused because of it. While Baldwin states this all calmly, the scenario tugs at the

In the text “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, by Martin Luther King Jr., King used the power of pathos and rhetorical questions to enhance his claim about the injustice of segregation along with advocating for civil disobedience. The text reads, “All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality” (King, page 7). One can see from this that the use of pathos persuades the readers opinion in the matter in that pathos allows a writing to appeal to your emotions in evoking an emotional response. The evidence suggests a strong credibility on why segregation is inequitable supporting the authors purpose to validate how segregation vigorously twists the

Do we think about language when thinking about the origin of racism? We most likely don’t think about it since language and racism do not appear to be correlated. But aren’t they associated? Yes, they are associated in the sense that language itself can take the form of racism. It is essential to acknowledge that language is one of the most influential contributors to racism in order to see the correlation between them. Words have the power to create great things just like they have the power to destroy them. Claudia Rankine uses her book, Citizen: An American Lyric, to illustrate the idea that racism has become an everyday component of our society. This book expresses the idea that language normalizes the existence of racism. This particular

His father had so much hatred towards white people that he just was an angry person. The hatred continued until the day his father died. After the death of his father, Baldwin was looking at the religious texts that his father had written. Previously, Baldwin had no emotional connection to the texts, but now, suddenly, they had meaing to Baldwin. While walking to burry his father, he began to notice the broken down streets and the mess that was made by both the whites and blacks. Although it hadn't always been clear to him before, he was now seeing the result of unequal treatment of blacks by whites. Because Baldwin knew blacks and whites should have been treated as equals, he understood where his father's anger had come from. Although it hadn't always been there, Baldwin realized that he was beginning to feel the same anger his dad had felt. Hatred, after all, wasn’t just a poison. It was something that helped him understand his father more and realize that he is now like his