Blog 3 Baldwin & English Lexicon (go back »)

I believe that James Baldwin's Essay, "Down at the Cross" challenges many of the religious and racial assumptions of lexicon and vocabulary in the English language. First of all, this seems to be a very deep theory that Baldwin has. A theory that is hard for me to comprehend altogether. Baldwin structures his essay like one I've not seen before. The paragraphs are long, sometimes as big as pages. I really like how the structure is, since as a reader I can really get surrounded by the content and just learn --or live what Baldwin writes.

The language that Baldwin uses seems to be very colloquial, and that is very unique and enjoyable about his work. Baldwin uses lexicon that brings in his unique African-American culture. But also, he talks to the reader. Like a story about his life and not a bland non-fiction essay. Speaking about the African-American culture, Baldwin says something that I've never even considered before and really brings out a point from the Nation of Islam. The African-American culture is an ethnic group. But unlike the Israelis, or the Kurds, or the Greeks, or the Danes, this group is lost to perhaps never have their own nation. The African-American population is clearly a unique ethnic group, but unlike those forementioned groups, what are the possibilities that the US government will give Alabama or Northern Florida away to create an African-American Nation ---as pushed by the Nation of Islam.

We really need to focus on what Baldwin focuses on and look at his work through his perspective. As someone who grew up with white American English, just as Baldwin grew up and then found his own voice, I read Baldwin through my lexicon knowledge. The proposal of an African-American nation through secession of US States sounds crazy to me. But to see it through Baldwin's words, when he explains Elijah Mohammad's views for example, actually has a strength to it. Why should a nation of people be denied a state of land when in today so many advocates out there are demanding all ethnic groups have a state. This is perhaps the most important understanding from Baldwin, since it really is a gateway in understanding the African-American struggle that can't be seen through conventional English but needs poetic and colloquial translation in order to be comprehended.