James Baldwin’s Go Tell It on the Mountain, focuses on a family living in a conservative community of Harlem that are driven by their connections with God. Gabriel Grimes, a deacon at the Temple of the Fire Baptized, struggles with his religious identity yet projects an image of a virtuous preacher to his community. Through word choice and narration styles, Baldwin unravels this conflicted identity and provides insight into Gabriel’s psychology. This essay will analyze the complex identity of the devoted, yet sinful, Gabriel, to prove that he blames his actions on the manipulation of others, and subverts the responsibilities of his actions through his relationship with God, in order to cope with his sins.
First, Gabriel comes to believe that he has a special relationship with God, through a dream where God tells him that his seed shall be holy (Baldwin 147). From this point onward, Gabriel believes that his offspring will form a “royal line” and that …show more content…
However, Gabriel violently abuses his family and has adulterous affairs throughout the novel. Accepting a life centered on religion, had did not abolish this behaviour. Gabriel had been hesitant to accept when he was young, “but his mother insisted that Gabriel was now of an age to be responsible before God for his sins” (92). This passage is ironic because where his mother thought Gabriel would recognize the weight of his sins, he instead found a scapegoat for his sins. Although he does not blame them on God per say, Baldwin presents Gabriel as an innocent man acting out God’s will by referring to him as God’s “holy handyman” who was treated “with great respect” (61). Likewise, his sins were well hidden to maintain this public projection of a holy preacher. Unfortunately, his acceptance of faith did not meet his mother’s expectations, it merely changed Gabriel’s perspective on sin as he began to hide his sinful
First, Gabriel comes to believe that he has a special relationship with God, through a dream where God tells him that his seed shall be holy (Baldwin 147). From this point onward, Gabriel believes that his offspring will form a “royal line” and that …show more content…
However, Gabriel violently abuses his family and has adulterous affairs throughout the novel. Accepting a life centered on religion, had did not abolish this behaviour. Gabriel had been hesitant to accept when he was young, “but his mother insisted that Gabriel was now of an age to be responsible before God for his sins” (92). This passage is ironic because where his mother thought Gabriel would recognize the weight of his sins, he instead found a scapegoat for his sins. Although he does not blame them on God per say, Baldwin presents Gabriel as an innocent man acting out God’s will by referring to him as God’s “holy handyman” who was treated “with great respect” (61). Likewise, his sins were well hidden to maintain this public projection of a holy preacher. Unfortunately, his acceptance of faith did not meet his mother’s expectations, it merely changed Gabriel’s perspective on sin as he began to hide his sinful