What is
Intent:
To illustrate the gap between American culture and European culture caused by the exposure of black people.
Credit: Aled
^ Aled and I agreed on the same idea, but his phrasing sounds the most concise so I'm stealing it. :)
Example:
There is a dreadful abyss between the streets of this village and the streets of the city in which I was born, between the children who shout Neger! today and those who shouted Nigger! yesterday—the abyss is experience, the American experience.
Interpretation:
I thought that a lot of what Baldwin was saying revolved around the idea that although Americans and Europeans share the same ancestry, being a black in either of those places have very different connotations. Slavery and hopeless oppression in America is part of that American experience, while in Europe black men were simply overlooked, "invisible", and that is the gap of their cultures.
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That was short. XD
I don't agree, though. Sure, there was that one passage, but his ending, his conclusion focuses on the idea that blacks are now a part of American society, a part that cannot be removed. I think that was his intent; to tell the white Americans that no matter what they thought, did, or wished, black Americans were no longer strangers. They are now Americans.
September 25, 2008 at 8:52 PM
I basically have the same idea as you and Aled, but my phrasing is much longer. I also cited paragraph 14 as my support. :P
September 25, 2008 at 9:54 PM
Hehe, *high five*. Yeah, I wrote pretty much exactly the same thing, with the same example too...
September 26, 2008 at 8:22 AM
September 28, 2008 at 3:10 PM
I agree with Cindy. Understanding the essay involves reading and comprehending the whole thing, which is most definitely a difficult task. But the sentence you wrote that starts with "To illustrate..." doesn't really make sense. Do you mean that there is a gap caused by a lack of exposure to black people? Please go into more detail...and if you're going to use a quote, interpret it. Tell me why it's relevant. Want to revise?
September 28, 2008 at 3:12 PM