James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation

Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	Holloway, Clayton G.
Language:	English
Published:	Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK 1975
Subjects:	American Literature
Online Access:	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566297715173645

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spelling	ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-bgsu15662977151736452021-08-03T07:12:35Z James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation Holloway, Clayton G. American Literature Well known as a brilliant essayist and gifted novelist, James Baldwin has received little critical attention as short story writer. This dissertation analyzes his short fiction, concentrating on character, theme and technique, with some attention to biographical parallels. The first three chapters establish a background for the analysis and criticism sections. Chapter 1 provides a biographical sketch, and places each story in relation to Baldwin's novels, plays and essays. Chapter 2 summarizes the author's theory of fiction and presents his image of the creative writer. Chapter 3 surveys critical opinions of Baldwin as an artist. The survey concludes that the author is a superior essayist, but is uneven as a creator of imaginative literature. Critics, in general, have not judged Baldwin's fiction by his own aesthetic criteria. The next three chapters provide a close thematic analysis of Baldwin's short stories. Chapter 4 discusses "The Rockpile," "The Outing," "Roy's Wound," and "The Death of the Prophet," a Bildungsroman about the tension and ambivalence between a black minister-father and his sons. In contrast, Chapter 5 treats the theme of affection between white fathers and sons and their ambivalence toward social outcasts--the white homosexual and black demonstrator--in "The Man Child" and "Going to Meet the Man." Chapter 6 explores the theme of escape from the black community and the consequences of estrangement and identity crises in "Previous Condition," "Sonny's Blues," "Come Out the Wilderness" and "This Morning, This Evening, So Soon." The last chapter attempts to apply Baldwin's aesthetic principles to his short fiction. Following his own artistic standards, Baldwin has created broadly sympathetic characters and realistic events in each story except "The Death of the Prophet," an undeveloped fragment. Many of his stories show fidelity to black folk expression and brilliantly reflect the psyche of oppressed people. Almost all of his stories abound in flashbacks, which establish adequate character motivation. In short, Baldwin's aesthetic intentions announced in his essays and interviews have been effectively illustrated and firmly justified by his short fiction. 1975 English text Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566297715173645 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566297715173645 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws.
collection	NDLTD
language	English
sources	NDLTD
topic	American Literature
spellingShingle	American Literature Holloway, Clayton G. James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation
author	Holloway, Clayton G.
author_facet	Holloway, Clayton G.
author_sort	Holloway, Clayton G.
title	James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation
title_short	James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation
title_full	James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation
title_fullStr	James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation
title_full_unstemmed	James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation
title_sort	james baldwin as a writer of short fiction: an evaluation
publisher	Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK
publishDate	1975
url	http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1566297715173645
work_keys_str_mv	AT hollowayclaytong jamesbaldwinasawriterofshortfictionanevaluation
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James Baldwin as a Writer of Short Fiction: An Evaluation

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