How Identity Is Shaped By Its Surroundings
The roots of religion dwell deep within the history of mankind, and today religion continues to stand as a pillar in many cultures around the world. Each individual within their respected culture can have a various experience when confronted with religion. People can experience self-enlightenment and true community, or some can be severely deprived of forming an identity and even be intensely oppressed for expressing ideas or actions that contradict the doctrine represented by the religion that confronts them. James Baldwin is one of the most influential African-American writers in the 20th century. Born in Harlem, New York, Baldwin was raised under the influence of Christianity. Later in his life he recanted his conversion experience, and …show more content…
This critical fundamental of who a person is will be the driving force that determines the relationship that a person has with the community. James Baldwin is able to construct this theme with the setting and characters, John and Gabriel, throughout Go Tell It On The Mountain. Although the novel is fiction it reflects most scenarios from Baldwin 's actual life as he grew up, which opens the door for readers to fully imagine what living in emotional, intellectual, and physical suppression is like. The relationship Gabriel and John have with one another barely holds together by a strand of fear that cannot be broken with mere rebellion. John presents a lack of commitment to choose whether he will live under the reign of Gabriel 's hand or live from the desires of his flesh with no regret. The conclusion of Baldwin 's novel reveals that coercion from the community pushes John into confessing his darkest demons with the church resulting in a conversion, however a part of John still identifies with his homoerotic desires; these desires prevent an authentic relationship between him and the community to
The roots of religion dwell deep within the history of mankind, and today religion continues to stand as a pillar in many cultures around the world. Each individual within their respected culture can have a various experience when confronted with religion. People can experience self-enlightenment and true community, or some can be severely deprived of forming an identity and even be intensely oppressed for expressing ideas or actions that contradict the doctrine represented by the religion that confronts them. James Baldwin is one of the most influential African-American writers in the 20th century. Born in Harlem, New York, Baldwin was raised under the influence of Christianity. Later in his life he recanted his conversion experience, and …show more content…
This critical fundamental of who a person is will be the driving force that determines the relationship that a person has with the community. James Baldwin is able to construct this theme with the setting and characters, John and Gabriel, throughout Go Tell It On The Mountain. Although the novel is fiction it reflects most scenarios from Baldwin 's actual life as he grew up, which opens the door for readers to fully imagine what living in emotional, intellectual, and physical suppression is like. The relationship Gabriel and John have with one another barely holds together by a strand of fear that cannot be broken with mere rebellion. John presents a lack of commitment to choose whether he will live under the reign of Gabriel 's hand or live from the desires of his flesh with no regret. The conclusion of Baldwin 's novel reveals that coercion from the community pushes John into confessing his darkest demons with the church resulting in a conversion, however a part of John still identifies with his homoerotic desires; these desires prevent an authentic relationship between him and the community to