Funny I re read Baldwin “Everyone’s protest novel” a couple of days ago with the idea of using it for an essay that didn’t pan out. As you know Baldwin criticizes Native Son. I think Native Son works big time. One of my favorite questions to ask literally folks is “how many people did Bigger kill?”
I agree toi with you on Native Son. It always works for me. The Man Who Lived Underground is pretty good too. He just has a lot of good stuff. Baldwin was just trying to slay the father. Kill the king. Ellison and John A Williams all was like Wright's sons. Brooks and Margaret Walker all said Wright changed the whole game of Black literature in the US and how writers wrote. I am cool with what Baldwin did. He didn't owe Wright anything even though Wright basically helped him survive and grow in Paris. Baldwin might still blow up as he did but Wright helped him make it early to keep his lights on. Some people don't like the long testimony by the white lawyer at the end. But, that is also the part where Wright basically breaks it all apart. Even his own lawyer, a righteous Communist, is using racist tropes to try to save Bigger. And Bigger don't want to be fucking saved. Please kill me now is Bigger's take. Wasn't that the goal all along?
Wow, Brian - what a fabulous post. Entertaining and enlightening. And your poem? Just magnificent. Very, very impresseive.
thanks, bruh.
Funny I re read Baldwin “Everyone’s protest novel” a couple of days ago with the idea of using it for an essay that didn’t pan out. As you know Baldwin criticizes Native Son. I think Native Son works big time. One of my favorite questions to ask literally folks is “how many people did Bigger kill?”
I agree toi with you on Native Son. It always works for me. The Man Who Lived Underground is pretty good too. He just has a lot of good stuff. Baldwin was just trying to slay the father. Kill the king. Ellison and John A Williams all was like Wright's sons. Brooks and Margaret Walker all said Wright changed the whole game of Black literature in the US and how writers wrote. I am cool with what Baldwin did. He didn't owe Wright anything even though Wright basically helped him survive and grow in Paris. Baldwin might still blow up as he did but Wright helped him make it early to keep his lights on. Some people don't like the long testimony by the white lawyer at the end. But, that is also the part where Wright basically breaks it all apart. Even his own lawyer, a righteous Communist, is using racist tropes to try to save Bigger. And Bigger don't want to be fucking saved. Please kill me now is Bigger's take. Wasn't that the goal all along?
A Wright essay that changed my thinking was “The God who failed”
It’s about Communism right?
Yep.
American Hunger, the part 2 to Black Boy, is really good on this.