Go Tell It on the Mountain (Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition)
At a glance:
- Author: James Baldwin
- First Published: 1953
- Type of Work: Novel
- Genres: Long fiction, Psychological fiction, Bildungsroman, Novel
- Subjects: African Americans, Maturation or coming of age, Family or family life, New York, North America or North Americans, Northeast, U.S., United States or Americans, Parents and children, Racism, Sex or sexuality, Suicide, New York City, Sin or Original sin, Religion, 1930’s, Spiritual life or spirituality, Ministry or ministers, Inner cities or inner-city life, Oppression, Fathers, Adultery, Christianity, Faith
- Locales: Harlem, NY, South (U.S.)
Go Tell It on the Mountain, Baldwin's first published novel, tells a passionate story closely paralleling the author's own family background. It focuses on John Grimes, a black boy growing up in a religious home in Harlem under the stern hand of his preacher father, Gabriel. The action of the novel takes place in 1936, on John's fourteenth birthday, with sections detailing previous events in the lives of John's aunt Florence, his father, and his mother, Elizabeth.
Florence is a strident and bitter woman who left her ailing mother and irresponsible younger brother to come...
[The entire page is 1200 words long]
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