Stranger In The Village Analysis

In the short story “Stranger in the Village” by James Baldwin, he talks about being the first black man to ever have stepped foot in the tiny Swiss village. He describes how the villagers make him feel distant and alone despite the numerous conversations and interactions with natives. He talks about the different attitudes toward black people between America and Switzerland because of white supremacy.
As Baldwin arrives in the small town in Switzerland, with a population of roughly six hundred, he learns that they are unaware of the Black history in America. As children would shout “Neger! Neger!” as he walked along the streets, he tried to react in the best way possible, simply smiling. His features were uncommon to them, leaving them wondering about his complexion and facial features, some even touching his hair, others trying to rub the black off …show more content…
I have always been raised that friendship has no color. Some of my closest friends are Haitian and African-American. They grew to love my parents and travel places with us. There is always going to be backlash for everything you do. With me being white, many people would make very discriminate statements when they go places with me. People would make comments to me at school, almost as if they put a label on me. There are others who are faced with situations like these. It 's sad that history follows something around for so long. Sometimes history is not what matters, it 's the person that matters.
In James Baldwin’s essay “Stranger in the Village,” he illustrates a picture about the discrimination against African-Americans because of history. He explains it from a cultural standpoint to a historical standpoint. His thoughts are some that we share. His writing allows an in-depth look and an eye-opener for how we treat others based on our culture and upbringing. Racial discrimination is something that we still face today and probably will always