Analysis Of James Baldwin s The Great Gatsby

After reading and analyzing two essays written by African-American males and their encounters with their Caucasian counter parts, I have carefully dissected the two essays in an attempt to compare and contrast the papers. Although the environments of both men are different the treatment is not all that different. While we expect whites in America to be openly racial and degrading towards African-Americans, it was eye opening to have a European view like the one described by James Baldwin. After reading over the essays multiple times I have constructed a type of main focus for each essay and also a thesis of my own. I believe that James Baldwin’s main focus was â€Å"People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them.† (pg. 2). On the other hand I believe that Fredrick Douglas was trying to convey that in his situation the knowledge that he acquired was a blessing as well as a curse. In my own words I would say that knowledge is the biggest bridge between the past and the present. To compare and contrast â€Å"Stranger in the village† by James Baldwin and â€Å"Learning to read and write† by Frederick Douglas, I will focus mainly on the environment they were in, the people they were around, and the way they were treated by the people. In â€Å"Stranger in the village† James Baldwin immediately introduces the fact that he is in a foreign country, and automatically describes how he is out casted. Douglas on the other hand reassures us that he is indeed in the good old south inShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of James Baldwin s The Great Gatsby 913 Words   |  4 PagesWhen individuals’ hold hatred in their minds, they will be more aggressive to others, especially to the higher level authority. In James Baldwin’s story, he is not happy with the white people’s power. He is full of the hatred. When he purposely went to the â€Å"non-colour† restaurant, he tries to challenge the higher levels. Baldwi n writes, â€Å"I pretended not to have understood her, hoping to draw her closer †¦ I realized that she would never come any closer and that I would have to strike from a distance