baldwins a starnger in the village
response to Baldwin’s stranger in the village option 2
James Baldwin paints a picture of the struggle between white men and black men. Baldwin points out that, “the white man prefers to keep the black man at a certain human remove because it is easier for him thus to preserve his simplicity and avoid being called to account for crimes committed by his forefathers, or his neighbors” (p2). At this point Baldwin was contemplating on the idea that “the white man never recognize a black man as an actual human being” (p3). The lack of recognition can cause hate in any human, but Baldwin remains claim.
The idea of white supremacy is based on the idea that white people are superior because they are the creators and guardians. In other words, they like to think that they are the ones that created this country, when in reality it was black slaves that build America. The presence of blacks even threaten whites, leading to white America trying to control blacks. Blacks were controlled in many ways, one of the ways that they were controlled was that they did not receive a proper education. “If you control a man’s thinking then you will not have to worry about their actions” (W.E.B Du Bois). It is obvious that the reason for oppressing blacks in America is fear. Fear will only corrupt one’s mind, “ people who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insist on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster” (p6) . The white men in the village were so afraid of having Baldwin there that they developed hate in their hearts for him which in some cases would cause blacks to develop anger in their hearts towards white America as well. Meeting ignorance with ignorance was not Baldwin’s motto. When the children in the village called him a “neger” he did not call them names back or threaten them, he ignored the ignorance.
Baldwin reaction was intriguing because as an African American, I
James Baldwin paints a picture of the struggle between white men and black men. Baldwin points out that, “the white man prefers to keep the black man at a certain human remove because it is easier for him thus to preserve his simplicity and avoid being called to account for crimes committed by his forefathers, or his neighbors” (p2). At this point Baldwin was contemplating on the idea that “the white man never recognize a black man as an actual human being” (p3). The lack of recognition can cause hate in any human, but Baldwin remains claim.
The idea of white supremacy is based on the idea that white people are superior because they are the creators and guardians. In other words, they like to think that they are the ones that created this country, when in reality it was black slaves that build America. The presence of blacks even threaten whites, leading to white America trying to control blacks. Blacks were controlled in many ways, one of the ways that they were controlled was that they did not receive a proper education. “If you control a man’s thinking then you will not have to worry about their actions” (W.E.B Du Bois). It is obvious that the reason for oppressing blacks in America is fear. Fear will only corrupt one’s mind, “ people who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insist on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster” (p6) . The white men in the village were so afraid of having Baldwin there that they developed hate in their hearts for him which in some cases would cause blacks to develop anger in their hearts towards white America as well. Meeting ignorance with ignorance was not Baldwin’s motto. When the children in the village called him a “neger” he did not call them names back or threaten them, he ignored the ignorance.
Baldwin reaction was intriguing because as an African American, I