In order to complete the book, Baldwin went to Switzerland and lived a fairly isolated life for three months, writing and revising material that had been taking shape in his mind since his early teens. Like Baldwin, John experiences some homosexual urges, has to deal with family issues and abuse at home, and undergoes a radical transformation where he becomes a Christian. The book deals with 14-year-old John Grimes, whose intellect seems to him the way to escape the strictures of his unloving father (whom we later find out is his stepfather) Gabriel, a Pentecostal preacher. Semi-autobiographical, the book mirrors the troubled relationship Baldwin had with his own stepfather accordingly, troubled relationships, guilt, bitterness, racism, and (perhaps most important) religion are the major themes of the book. Go Tell It on the Mountain is Baldwin's first major work as an author and skyrocketed him into literary stardom upon publication in 1952.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |