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James Baldwin’s speech “The Negro Child--His Self-Image”, delivers a true insight on what seemed to be the reasoning and reality of schooling in the year 1963. The speech originally delivered to a panel of teachers in October 1963, was later published in Saturday Review that December, during the peak of the American Civil Rights Movement. The speech was later renamed “A Talk to Teachers.” Baldwin, being a black writer and playwright, perfectly captivated to the audience the self-image of a child, in particular a black child, in society and the education system.
Parts of Baldwin’s argument about education’s effect on society and how racism is viewed and indirectly taught, still occurs today. In “A Talk to Teachers,” James Baldwin presents the logical argument, through rhetoric, of education having the ability to shape a person’s understanding of their placement in society, ultimately affecting their self-image, from childhood through the rest of their life.
Setting the scene by beginning with the current brokenness of society, Baldwin progresses to establish his reason for his speech.
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He describes how education is the way children are able to learn about the world, which surrounds them, and eventually learns to connect the dots of the injustices that come with life. Baldwin alludes to his personal experiences of being an African American child growing up in Harlem. This is simply one way Baldwin creates ethos, or builds credibility with the audience to defend his argument. It shows that he is able to relate to his argument because he has lived through it firsthand, as an African American man living through the Civil Rights Movement.
In the beginning of the speech he quotes, “Since I am talking to schoolteachers and I am not a teacher myself, and in some ways am fairly easily intimidated,” (Baldwin, 1).
This particular opening immediately allows the audience of teachers to become familiar with the idea that Baldwin is establishing the fact that he is not a teacher, so he cannot tell them how to do their job, but simply suggesting ideas from a different perspective. He is trying to show that his purpose is not to talk down to his audience, and his intention is to build a common ground with them. Furthermore, this introduction to the remainder of the speech sets up the original tone of the author. The direct openness from Baldwin to the audience establishes the tone right off the bat, and how he will continue to be upfront with his audience throughout. To correspond with the directness coming from Baldwin, the immediate tone he gives off is strongly concerned with the current situation of society. However, he can speak with such ease that he makes the reader not as worried and feels more calm and casual about the topic, then they really should be.
Baldwin’s immediate tone of urgency coincides with one of his claims regarding racism in schools. The racism in schools is one of the factors that he argues that diminishes the self-image of a black child. He uses the appeal of pathos to build an emotional connection with the audience and to help strengthen his side of the argument that schools should be equal for children of all races. In his description, Baldwin writes, “Every street boy -- and I was a street boy so I would know -- looking at the society which has produced him, looking at the standards of that society, which are not honored by anybody, looking at your churches and the government and the politicians, understand that this structure is operated for someone else’s benefit -- not for his,” (Baldwin, 3). In this quote, Baldwin clearly depicts the image of the possible isolationist feeling of the black children growing up in America. He is suggesting that this feeling of displacement beginnings in the school systems of American society. For example, Baldwin mentions that African Americans may never have the ability to learn about their real history, due to the lack of willingness to teach about their history rather than focus on the triumph of the white Americans of the nation.. Baldwin indirect states this when he says, “If one managed to change the curriculum in all schools so that Negros learned more about themselves and their real contribution to this culture, you would be liberating not only Negros, you’d be liberating whote people who know nothing about their own history,” (Baldwin 4). The use of this example of pathos is fulfilling because it is profoundly effective in different ways to the different members of the audience, possibly making them reflect on the way that history and background of their own race or races were perceived when they were in school. In particular, members of the audience who are African American may sadden or angered with the continuous problem of constant overpoweringness of one race and how this can cause children to perceive people of other races and their own.
In continuance of issues mentioned by Baldwin, one of the most important ones is the “crucial paradox” of education. Baldwin explains the paradox as, “The whole process of education occurs within a social framework and is designed to perpetuate the aims of society. [...] The paradox of education is precisely this - that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated,” (Baldwin, 1) The true paradoxical portion of this theory is how education is supposed to be a stepping stone in the process of people form their own individualist views, and to fight for they believe could be wrong society. However, just because education prompts this, does not mean that society wishes for people to take action. In fact, Baldwin argues that children are somewhat pressured to do the opposite, which is to console their individualism and obey the rules of society already set in place by the previous generations. Baldwin proposes that without simple changes being made, starting in the classroom, it can be assumed that the prejudices at the time will stay in tact.
Baldwin’s compelling argument addresses a seriously controversial topic, especially at the time of writing this speech. At the end of the essay, he follows through with his claim stating how everyone is responsible for the future of the nation, and
On the 21st of December, James Baldwin issued a “Talk to teachers” essay. It was a genuine and brave attempt to change the views of the society concerning the racial discrimination. It was a courageous and very criticizing message to the community emphasizing the weaknesses of the society and uncovering its gaps.
Making a Talk to Teachers summary, primarily the author appeals to a teacher, endeavoring to evoke the realizing of the fact that the history that they teach is wrong. The visions of African American as a cluster of society are old and need to reconsider information, which they deliver to their pupils, being on lectures. He tries to evoke the understanding of their wrong perception of the history. Moreover, he tries to deliver the idea that it is improper to raise the seeds of evil in the souls of schoolchildren.
The author claims that the school is a significant institution greatly influencing the formation of personalities from their childhood to the youth period. In case, when a person is raised in the atmosphere of abuse, the Afro American child from the early years feels the inferiority, knowing one’s position in the society and the status of his family as well.
Baldwin claims that the primary aim of education is to enable a person to interact with the external world and the society as well as identification one’s position in that society. He considers that schooling lacked progress and was stuck on the same level as it was many years ago. Nowadays, the education distorts the people’s understanding of themselves from that one available in the society. It makes them try to change it; however, people do not accept those individuals, who have a strong desire to implements changes. The reality is harsh, and authors manage to illustrate this point.
Baldwin manages to depict the cruel picture of reality. He illustrates the attitude of the society towards individuals, which are always victims of the prejudice imposed by the schoolteachers from their early years. He enhances his claims with plenty of real-life examples. He tells a story about an Afro American, who from the early years realize why his parents work so hard and why they are always stressed. He knows the reason why he is not allowed to sit in front of the bus. The next wave of bullying he faces at school. He provides the rude and harsh facts to the reader to make him removing rose-tinted glasses. At this point, the tone of the essay reaches the peak of reflectiveness and sadness.
Children, who constantly faced such attitude at school and later at other places, where they had contact with the society, become unable to live in harmony with themselves. The surrounding made them feel vulnerable and unsaved. Moreover, other people influenced the distorting of their personal understanding of who are they and what their position in this life is.
Moving to the next sense section of the essay, the author enhances the text with the facts of his personal life and tells about himself being a boy. He makes an emphasis on the several trades of character, making a man being a criminal aiming to survive in a harsh society. He enhances the text with plenty of adjectives, as severe, ruthless, and cunning. Baldwin managed to render the contrast between the lives of blacks and whites. Moreover, the writer emphasizes that “Because if I am no what I’ve told I am, then it means that you’re not what you thought you were either!” It is the turning point of the whole message.
Baldwin manages to illustrate his position clearly. He proves that all people are equal. If you dare to think that someone understanding of his personality differs from the real position in the society, you face the same risk. At any point, it may turn out that you are not the person, whom you consider yourself to be.
The crisis is the section, where the author recognizes the gaps and drawbacks of the educational system and prepares the audience to perceive his personal views concerning this question. Then goes the truth. The writer told that if you are lying about one aspect of the history, it means that you probably distort the truth about the whole past. In this very passage, the author appeals to a target audience using the pronoun “you” to make the message more personalized.
His main appeal to the people working in educational sphere is to reshape the history written many years ago. The times have changed and the prejudice towards “Negros” that was present in that period is not relevant today. It was a wrong strategy to impose upon children the oddly established beliefs, which may influence self-perception of other people.
Ending an essay, the writer claims that it is the personal responsibility of everyone to influence the course of education and implements changes. The composition ends with the upbeat and inspiring tone, applies plenty of repetitions. What is more, he describes his model of behavior in case he was a teacher. The most influential part of the composition is the ending. The author appeals to the humanity applying both logos and pathos. Baldwin described the right way of educating the society. The position of the writer is clear. He dared to uncover the blunt truth about the education and tackled upon the myths of history that are still being used. James Baldwin essays imply many inspiring words, which author uses to render his thoughts clearly.
The writer issued a powerful and inspiring piece and using a few words managed to dwell upon the significant problem needing an urgent solution. He illustrated the root of the problem as well the consequences, which arose. His tone is strict, but outright. James Baldwin uncovers the truth that is overlooked and ignored by people. He issued a manifest endeavoring to imply changes. He was brave enough to announce the fact, which was silenced for many centuries. By this radical message, he tries tom appeal to the humanity. The writer wants to persuade people that such attitude is the old relic.
James Baldwin turns to every person with a message that it is the personal responsibility of everyone considering oneself an educated person to change the society. Everything starts with the mentality of people and their level of perception of the external world, its rules and beliefs. Is we are not sheep following the shepherd, we have to think globally and turn off the stereotypes created by people with a limited worldview. By uncovering the ugly truth, he tries to change the minds of readers and influence the situation that needs urgent change.
A Talk To Teachers Rhetorical Analysis. (2016, Jul 23). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/a-talk-to-teachers-rhetorical-analysis-essay
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