The Fire Next Time
By James Baldwin
Main Arguments
1.) Religion - Baldwin throughout The Fire Next Time alludes and directly talks about religion, discussing what turned him towards the church and what he believes in. His beliefs of which, develop throughout the text.
2.) Oppression/ Segregation - Baldwin expresses his childhood thoughts and his more mature thoughts on black oppression, and comes to terms with himself on the racial inequalities
Video Connection
This powerful song performed by Nina Simone, describes many similar feelings Baldwin had expressed of segregation/ oppression,
Nina Simone-I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free + Lyrics
Rhetorical Devices
Baldwin uses
1.) Word Choice/ Diction- Baldwin uses great word choice and diction to demonstrate his credibility as an educated African American, as well as using poetic writing in order to set the tone.
2.) Allusion- Throughout the text Baldwin often has underlying religious and racial allusions which effectively help the reader to understand.
3.) Personification- Baldwin often uses personification throughout the text in order to give a deeper meaning to objects so that the reader understands the meaning.