The Fire Next Time
Charlie Carlisle
Main Arguments
1.) Religion:
Religious faith is something Baldwin touches on a lot. He points out how having faith can save you or kill you depending on what you've been through and what you've seen.
2.) Race:
Baldwin points out how others see being black as a downfall in society and how being black changes the way one is viewed in America but he views being black as a superior thing that strengthens ones quality of life.
3.) "American Dream":
Though Baldwin acknowledges the progress made in the past hundred years since the emancipation proclamation, he points out the little advancements that have yet to help those who aren't white. He makes the reader feel as if America isn't at all more of a warm, welcoming place for blacks. Baldwin thinks America should be getting better when in reality nothing is changing.
Media Connection
Rhetorical Devices
Page 39: "Was heaven, then, to be merely another ghetto?"
This rhetorical question hits the reader hard with painful wondering.
Page 86: "One can give nothing whatsoever without giving themselves- that is to say, risking oneself."
The use of pathos makes the reader feel upset over the neglect of the blacks and for the tiny bit of help they could've- but didn't- receive.