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in Joyce’s Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man； in Elizabeth Smart’s ByGrand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept； in Toni Morrison’s Beloved – which is utterlyessential to the art。 It may seem at first overpowering； to waft in the air like perfume； or to have thetexture of Langston Hughes’s velvet bag； but it is； in each of the cases； and especially in the caseof Baldwin’s first novel； a matter of straightforward literary integrity。 Every word is necessary。
Every image runs clear in the blood of the novel。
Take John’s mother Elizabeth。 Look at the shape of her thoughts on the page； as broughtout in Baldwin’s third…person narrative：
‘I sure don’t care what God don’t like； or you； either；’ Elizabeth heart replied。 ‘I’mgoing away from here。 He’s going to e and get me； and I’m going away from here。’
‘He’ was her father； who never came。 As the years passed she replied only： ‘I’m goingaway from here。’ And it hung； this determination； like a heavy jewel between her breasts； itwas written in fire on the dark sky of her mind。 But； yes – there was something she hadoverlooked。 Pride goeth before destruction； and a haughty spirit before a fall。 She had notknown this： she had not imagined that she could fall。
When reading this novel I am always aware of the charge that sex gives to religion； a bond thenovel explores and confirms。 We think of Baldwin as a figure of the 1960s； a literary embodimentof outrage in the face of American segregation； but actually； Baldwin； in his novels； writes more ofsex and sin than he does of Civil Rights。 Gabriel； a preacher speaking fiery words from the pulpit；is actually a secret sinner； fallen in ways that are known to his sister Florence； and known to hiswife Elizabeth too。 When younger； ‘he drank until hammers rang in his distant skull； he cursed hisfriends and his enemies； and fought until blood ran down； in the morning he found himself in mud；in clay； in strange beds； and once or twice in jail； his mouth sour； his clothes in rags； from all ofhim rising the stink of his corruption’。
The novel tells the story of how John es to know this。 Gabriel uses the church not toraise but to conceal his true character： his hypocrisy is everywhere around him； and nowhere morethan in the minds of the women who had suffered him； and increasingly； too； in the mind of John；his ‘bastard’ son。 Florence’s lover Frank was similarly corrupt； yet he； at least； in ‘the brutality of his penitence’； tried to make it up to Florence。 It is John’s terrible fate – and everyone else’s – thatGabriel can neither inspire forgiveness nor redeem himself。 He goes on with his lying。 He inspiredfear。 He is hated。
Novels about the sins of men often turn out to be novels about the courage of women。
Florence； Elizabeth； Deborah； and the tragic Esther； who is made pregnant by Gabriel and sentaway to die； are the novel’s moral retainers； keeping faith with humanity； whilst all around themFaith rides on his dark horse； cutting down hope and charity。 Florence says something for all thewomen in the novel； and for James Baldwin； one suspects； contemplating the fate of the women inhis early life； when she looks at the face of Frank。 ‘It sometimes came to her；’ Baldwin writes；‘that all women had been cursed from the cradle’； all； in one fashion or another； being given thesame cruel destiny； born to suffer the weight of men。’ Florence remembers the beginning of herown cruel destiny。 It began with the birth of Gabriel。 After this her future was ‘swallowed up’； andhe life was over： ‘There was only one future in that house； and it was Gabriel’s – to which； sinceGabriel was a man…child； all else must be sacrificed。’
Baldwin is unusual – and controversial； for more traditional black writers； as well as thecountercultural ones ahead of him – in making the African…American bid for freedom plicated。
For Florence； and for her nephew John Grimes； ‘free at last’ would have to mean several things；not only free from the Old South； or free from the evils of segregation； but the freedom to enter theworld outside； and freedom from the hatreds of the family kitchen。 ‘And this because Florence’sdeep ambition： to walk out one morning through the cabin door； never to return。’ But the novelknows there is a price to be paid for this too。 Elizabeth； a long time away from the South； enjoyedwalking in Central Park； because ‘it recreated something of the landscape she had known’。
Baldwin never got over his religious crisis at the age of fourteen。 He didn’t forget。 ‘Thatsummer。’ he writes in The Fire Next Time； ‘all the fears with which I had grown up； and whichwere now a part of me and controlled my vision of the world； rose up like a wall between theworld and me； and drove me into the church。’ He surrendered to a spiritual seduction； falling downbefore the altar； and thereafter preaching for three years。 Baldwin recalls his father one dayslapping his face； ‘and in that moment everything flooded back – all the hatred and all the fear； andthe depth of a merciless resolve to kill my father rather than allow my father to kill me – and Iknew that all those sermons and tears and all that repentance and rejoicing had changed nothing’。
Baldwin put the essence of all of this into Go Tell it on the Mountain。 Gabriel has thepreacher’s traditional love of helplessness； and traditional anger in the face of self…sufficiency。 Yetthe central issues of Gabriel’s life are his hypocrisy； and the sexual desire that acpanies therejoicing of religious life。 His treatment of Esther bines the two （‘I guess it takes a holy man tomake a girl a real whore；’ she say） but only Florence seems aware of the truth after Ester is dead。
At the close of the novel she seeks to name the tree by its fruit。 And John； who is not strange fruitof that tree； might live to curse all lies and go free into the world。
Baldwin； all his writing； insisted he wrote only from experience。 That was the kind ofwriter he was： he meant every word。 There would always be something of the pulpit on Baldwin’swriting； and something too of the threshing floor。 Go Tell It on the Mountain is a beautiful；en