Black Americans Struggle in Baldwins Stranger in the Village :: Stranger Village Baldwin Essays

Black Americans Struggle in Baldwins Stranger in the Village In ?Stranger in the Village? (1955), James Baldwin, a writer born and raised in Harlem, experiences extreme emotions during his stay in a tiny Swiss village(127). James Baldwin?s feelings of inadequacy and insecurities of being an American black man bring out a rage in him toward the neat mans power all over him. His deep feelings of outrage, bringing back ruinous memories as a black child in America, are resuscitate as he is forced to endure the unintentional cruelties of the villagers. Baldwin asserts that even the some simple-minded white man has more control and history over Baldwin than Baldwins desire to reclaim his culture. As his outrage mounts, Baldwin admits that the black man intends to lead the white man stop acknowledging him as an exotic rarity and recognize him as a human being(131). Baldwin further reveals he is tired of getting looked at with curiosity and deception he desperately yearns to be acce pted as an American man. Furthermore, Baldwins anguish at the loss of the American Negro slaves history, as it was taken away from them, enrages and saddens him, yet he doesnt truly blame the white man because the white Americans were only following in the footsteps of the Europeans of the past. In this context, from Baldwins perspective, Europeans undergo no dilemma of conscience towards the black man, and he just did non exist for Europe(132). Americans, on the other hand, faced a moral divergence to recognize the black man?s identity without poisoning their hold (133). Despite his rage and aggressive support of the black man?s struggle in America, he strove for humane treatment in a racist society. Baldwin sought to bring about acceptance and a divulge future for black Americans and having feelings of inadequacy and insecurity determined him to bring transpose to America ?This world is white no longer, and it will never be white again?(135). This statement is not meant to be taken at face value.