Questions 1-11, Due at Deadline #2
You can read this book for free online
through the MC Library collection.
Here’s a link: Read
The Fire Next Time Online
1) In My Dungeon Shook,
what was Baldwin’s advice for his nephew?
How did he explain the conditions black people faced, in society and in
dealing with white people? Would you
describe this letter as optimistic or pessimistic, and why?
2) In the first 10 or 12 pages of Down at the Cross, how did Baldwin argue white supremacy shaped
black people’s thoughts and conduct? Why
did Baldwin become “afraid” during this period?
3) How did Baldwin wind up in the “church racket”? How was he “saved”? What did he have to say about the church, and
his experiences as a Young Minister?
4) Explain Baldwin’s growing religious doubt. How did he critique, or criticize, the
Christianity of black people, the Christianity of white people, and
Christianity in general? (Up to p. 47.)
5) How did Baldwin describe his first impressions of Elijah
Muhammad and the Nation of Islam, and how did he account for their successes? How, according to Baldwin, did black people
view the Holocaust, and why was World War II such an important turning point?
6) Why did Elijah Muhammad invite Baldwin to dinner? How did he describe his reception at
Muhammad’s residence, and the dinner conversation? In these pages, what did Baldwin have to say
about violence and non-violence, and the appeal of the Nation of Islam’s ideas?
7) How did Baldwin answer when Muhammad asked him “What are
you now?” How did Baldwin describe the
rest of the dinner conversation, and his trip with the driver after
dinner? What did he have to say about
NOI ideas, such as white people’s fate, separatism and “protect your women”?
8) How did Baldwin evaluate the NOI on pp. 82-84? On pp. 85-89, what sort of change did he
argue was necessary?
9) Why did Baldwin argue life was tragic? How did he assess the challenges white and
black people faced? What sort of
compromise, or understanding, did they need to reach?
10) Starting on p. 98, how did Baldwin explain “the Negro’s
past”? How did he argue that past had
shaped black people, and what advantages did it give them? How did he hope that past could be used
productively? How did he end the book?
11) What did you think of this book overall? What did you learn from it? Would you recommend I use it as an option in
this class again? Why?