Learning Racism in Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin Essay

Learning Racism in Going to Meet the Man by James BaldwinJames Baldwin, an African American author born in Harlem, was raised by his violent step-father, David. His father was a lay preacher who hated whites and felt that all whites would be judged as they deserve by a vengeful God. Usually, the fathers anger was directed toward his son through violence. Baldwins history, in part, aids him in his insight of racism within the family. He understands that racists are not born, but rather racist attitudes and behaviors are learned in the early stages of childhood. Baldwins Going to Meet the Man is a perfect exercise of his capability to analyze the growth of a innocent child to a racist. Every child is born with innocence. During the flashback to Jesses childhood, where he witnesses the mutilation and torture of a blackman, Jesses innocence is apparent. Jesse has a black friend named Otis who he hasnt seen for a few days. When he asks his father where Otis is, the father replies, I rec kon Otiss folks was afrad to let him install himself this morning(Baldwin, p. 2006). Jesse naturally responds, But Otis aint do nothing. His father explains, We just wanna make sure Otis dont do nothing, and you tell him what your Daddy said(Baldwin, p. 2006). This argument implies that because Otis is black, he is eventually going to do something wrong. The father has subconsciously put negative thoughts inside of Jesses head. Baldwins own father also acted in this way when he stereotyped all whites as being bad and claimed they would be punished by God.In the midst of all the commotion, Jesse is unable to sleep the night before the lynching. Within another flashback to that night, Jesse feels a strong need to have his ... ...se toward the father has replaced the longing for the mother. Jesse love his father more than he had ever loved him(Baldwin, p. 2010). He feels like a man because, his father had carried throught a mighty test, had revealed to him a great secret which w ould be the key to his life forever. He subconsciously traded his innocence for closness to his father. Going to Meet the Man allows readers to recongnize how a racist is built through ingnorance. Baldwin ends his story with Jesse in bed with his wife. The memories of the mutilation of the negro arise in his estimation and he feels arrounsed. He turns to his wife and says, Come on sugar, Im going to do you like a nigger. Jesse cannot recognize that these memories of the lynching have made him sexually arroused by violence. As a result, he has become a violent man with a disturbed idea of love, sex and blacks.