Reaction To Stranger In The Village
Racism has been an issue in the past and is still prevailant in many parts of the world. It is sad to think that even with access to all this information, even with human rights and even with knowledge of other cultures through technology, people still choose to be ignorant and racist. Baldwin is an African American who visits Switzerland during the 50s. This was the time when men and women of color had rights in America. He visits a small village which he describes as somewhat backwater. “people are trapped in history and history is trapped in them”. This quote is also about how African Americans were treated badly in the past, and this kind of treatment is still being seen. It is sad to know that someone who seems so intelligent and kind is looked down upon just because of his complexion. He goes on about history and how American and European history involved the mistreatment of the African race. In the past, Africans were treated lower than slaves and were seen as beings not even close to human. They were treated as property, being sold off, traded and what not. Africans suffered much in America, but during the time this was written, change was starting to occur. There were still hints of racism; however it was not as bad as how it was in the past. The view of Africans or men of color being lower than Europeans was still around, and this was obvious in the village that he was in. He claims that the African-American dimension is not seen in Europe where there is still heavy and tense racism. The fact that the children on the street who would see him taunt “neger” like ignorant beings prove that there is no racial tolerance. Their parents probably did not bother to scold them since they also did not know any better. It is not an excuse that the village is far away from other places, that they do not experience any other kind of race. Racism is a social problem that should not be excusable. For an entire town to treat Baldwin like that and be socially accepted is absurd.
Baldwin claims that it is America’s fault that there is a separation between American and African-American history. It does come to a wonder why there is a black history month, when it could be taught or celebrated all year round. There is no need to separate the two since African-Americans are very much part of the entire history of the United States, just like any other Caucasian. Baldwin even says that in America, African-Americans are “an inescapable part of the general social fabric”. You cannot write the history of America without looking at what the African-Americans had to go through. White Americans cannot go back to how they used to be and recover the “European innocence”. This is a painful part of history that cannot be denied. There is an importance in this kind of history, which dictates the thinking of other people from other countries. It is a shame that the Americans made “Negro” into a derogatory term. It is a shame that they did not know what racial tolerance is back then. It is a shame that the rest of the world looks down at men of color just because of their physical appearance. Even though there is more awareness of different cultures, there is still racism around the world. Switzerland was proof that the history of mistreating African-Americans still lives on. Baldwin develops an understanding of the real meaning of racism and how it really is to be an African-American by visiting the small village in Switzerland. No one likes being treated as an outsider. However, he still went back to the same village. If this were me, or someone else, they would know not to do that after all the hate that was experienced. Not Baldwin, though. He just dismissed the awful stares and side comments because it was something that he wanted to do, it was a place he wanted to go to. “But some of the men have accused le sale ne'gre - behind my back- of stealing wood and there is already in the eyes of some of them that peculiar, intent, paranoic malevolence”. Even though he was being accused of stealing wood or being teased by random children in the street, he still went back. Although he was made to feel inferior, he knew better. He knew that he was not inferior, that their looks would not affect him or his heritage.
The Stranger In The Village was hard to read because it was very easy to sympathize with the writer. The entire time while reading the text, feelings of anger were brought up. Baldwin, too was outraged at how he was treated and how people looked at him. He had very valid reasons to do this. Anyone who was made to feel inferior would feel angry and hurt. This is not something that you can let go of just like that. The essay was very interesting because it highlighted how the history of African-Americans affected the entire world. It showed that racism is something that goes around and doesn’t just disappear. Without the right information, cultural or racial tolerance, people will go on hating. There really is no reason for hate, it was just a stigma that people chose to live by. It’s sad, really, to know that there was a village like that during the time. It’s even sadder to think that the said village was supposed to be religious – Catholic, in fact. This is a religion that aims at helping the poor and needy, giving more than taking. However, no one practiced any of that with how they treated Baldwin. Black and white people will never be the same, this is because of the past when the rights of African-Americans were not practiced.
Bibliography
Baldwin, James (1955). “Stranger In The Village”. Notes of a native son.
