高山上的呼喊-go tell it on the mountain-第2部分

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　　Baldwin’s　sensibility；　his　talent　for　moral　ambivalence；　his　taste　for　the　terrifying　patternsof　life；　the　elegant　force　of　his　disputatious　spirit；　as　much　Henry　James　as　Bessie　Smith；　was　notalways　to　find　favour　with　his　black　contemporaries。　Langston　Hughes　called　Go　Tell　It　to　theMountain　‘a　low…down　story　in　a　velvet　bag’。　‘A　Joan　of　Arc　of　the　cocktail　party’　was　AmiriBaraka’s　ment　on　Baldwin。　Some　of　this　could　be　constructed　as　standard　resentment　–reminiscent　of　the　kind　expressed　by　Gabriel　towards　John　for　not　hating　whites　enough　–　andsome　was　a　reaction　against　Baldwin’s　popularity　with　the　white　literary　establishment。　But　thatwasn’t　all。　By　the　time　he　was　writing　novels；　and　writing　these　essays　–　works　of　magical　powerand　directness　–　Baldwin　had　e　to　feel　that　the　black　‘protest’　novel　was　breathlesslyredundant。　In　a　recent　essay　about　Baldwin’s　writing；　the　novelist　Darryl　Pinckney　ments　onBaldwin’s　rejection　of　Richard　Wright；　the　author　of　Native　Son：
　　In　retrospect　Baldwin　praises　Wright’s　work　for　its　dry；　savage　folkloric　humour　andfor　how　deeply　it　conveys　what　life　was　like　on　Chicago’s　South　Side。　The　climate　that　hadonce　made　Wright’s　work　read　like　a　racial　manifesto　had　gone。　Baldwin　found　whenreading　Wright　again　that　he　did　not　think　of　the　1930s　or　even　of　Negroes；　because　Wright’scharacters　and　situations　had　universal　meanings。
　　In　‘Alas；　Poor　Richard’；　an　essay　in　the　collection　Nobody　Knows　My　Name；　Baldwin　concludesthat　Wright　was　not　the　polemical　firebrand　he　took　himself　to　be。　Many　of　Baldwin’s　blackcontemporaries　hated　this　view。
　　Baldwin’s　first　novel；　in　respect　of　all　this；　demonstrates　a　remarkable　unit　of　form　andcontent；　the　style　of　the　novel　makes　clear　the　extent　to　which　he　was　turning　away　from　hisliterary　forefathers。　It　may　be　sensible　to　see　the　novel　as　a　farewell　not　only　the　Harlem　of　hisfather；　but　to　the　literary　influence　of　Richard　Wright　and　Uncle　Tom’s　Cabin。　Baldwin　was　unremitting　on　this　point；　and　these　several　goodbyes；　offered　from　his　Paris　exile；　became　thecreed　of　his　early　writing。　‘In　most　of　the　novels　written　by　Negroes　until　today；’　he　wrote；　‘thereis　a　great　space　where　sex　ought　to　be；　and　what　usually　fills　this　space　is　violence。’
　　Go　Tell　It　on　the　Mountain　is　a　very　sensual　novel；　a　book　soaked　in　the　Bible　and　theblues。　Spiritual　song　is　there　in　the　sentences；　at　the　head　of　chapters；　and　it　animates　the　voices　onevery　side　during　the　‘ing　through’　of　John　Grimes。　As　he　steps　up　to　the　altar　John　issuddenly　aware　of　the　sound　of　his　own　prayers　–　‘trying　not　to　hear　the　words　that　he　forcedoutwards　from　his　throat’。　Baldwin’s　language　has　the　verbal　simplicity　of　the　Old　Testament；　aswell　as　its　metaphorical　boldness。　The　rhythms　of　the　blues；　a　shade　of　regret；　a　note　of　pain　risingout　of　experience；　are　deeply　inscribed　in　the　novel；　and　they　travel　freely　along　the　lines　ofdialogue。　There　is　a　kind　of　metaphorical；　liturgical　energy　in　some　novels　–　in　Faulkner’s　TheSound　and　the　Fury；　in　Joyce’s　Portrait　of　the　Artist　as　a　Young　Man；　in　Elizabeth　Smart’s　ByGrand　Central　Station　I　Sat　Down　and　Wept；　in　Toni　Morrison’s　Beloved　–　which　is　utterlyessential　to　the　art。　It　may　seem　at　first　overpowering；　to　waft　in　the　air　like　perfume；　or　to　have　thetexture　of　Langston　Hughes’s　velvet　bag；　but　it　is；　in　each　of　the　cases；　and　especially　in　the　caseof　Baldwin’s　first　novel；　a　matter　of　straightforward　literary　integrity。　Every　word　is　necessary。
　　Every　image　runs　clear　in　the　blood　of　the　novel。
　　Take　John’s　mother　Elizabeth。　Look　at　the　shape　of　her　thoughts　on　the　page；　as　broughtout　in　Baldwin’s　third…person　narrative：
　　‘I　sure　don’t　care　what　God　don’t　like；　or　you；　either；’　Elizabeth　heart　replied。　‘I’mgoing　away　from　here。　He’s　going　to　e　and　get　me；　and　I’m　going　away　from　here。’
　　‘He’　was　her　father；　who　never　came。　As　the　years　passed　she　replied　only：　‘I’m　goingaway　from　here。’　And　it　hung；　this　determination；　like　a　heavy　jewel　between　her　breasts；　itwas　written　in　fire　on　the　dark　sky　of　her　mind。　But；　yes　–　there　was　something　she　hadoverlooked。　Pride　goeth　before　destruction；　and　a　haughty　spirit　before　a　fall。　She　had　notknown　this：　she　had　not　imagined　that　she　could　fall。
　　When　reading　this　novel　I　am　always　aware　of　the　charge　that　sex　gives　to　religion；　a　bond　thenovel　explores　and　confirms。　We　think　of　Baldwin　as　a　figure　of　the　1960s；　a　literary　embodimentof　outrage　in　the　face　of　American　segregation；　but　actually；　Baldwin；　in　his　novels；　writes　more　ofsex　and　sin　than　he　does　of　Civil　Rights。　Gabriel；　a　preacher　speaking　fiery　words　from　the　pulpit；is　actually　a　secret　sinner；　fallen　in　ways　that　are　known　to　his　sister　Florence；　and　known　to　hiswife　Elizabeth　too。　When　younger；　‘he　drank　until　hammers　rang　in　his　distant　skull；　he　cursed　hisfriends　and　his　enemies；　and　fought　until　blood　ran　down；　in　the　morning　he　found　himself　in　mud；in　clay；　in　strange　beds；　and　once　or　twice　in　jail；　his　mouth　sour；　his　clothes　in　rags；　from　all　ofhim　rising　the　stink　of　his　corruption’。
　　The　novel　tells　the　story　of　how　John　es　to　know　this。　Gabriel　uses　the　church　not　toraise　but　to　conceal　his　true　character：　his　hypocrisy　is　everywhere　around　him；　and　nowhere　morethan　in　the　minds　of　the　women　who　had　suffered　him；　and　increasingly；　too；　in　the　mind　of　John；his　‘bastard’　son。　Florence’s　lover　Frank　was　similarly　corrupt；　yet　he；　at　least；　in　‘the　brutality　of　his　penitence’；　tried　to　make　it　up　to　Florence。　It　is　John’s　terrible　fate　–　and　everyone　else’s　–　thatGabriel　can　neither　inspire　forgiveness　nor　redeem　himself。　He　goes　on　with　his　lying。　He　inspiredfear。　He　is　hated。
　　Novels　about　the　sins　of　men　often　turn　out　to　be　novels　about　the　courage　of　women。
　　Florence；　Elizabeth；　Deborah；　and　the　tragic　Esther；　who　is　made　pregnant　by　Gabriel　and　sentaway　to　die；　are　the　novel’s　moral　retainers；　keeping　faith　with　humanity；　whilst　all　around　themFaith　rides　on　his　dark　horse；　cutting　down　hope　and　charity。　Florence　says　something　for　all　thewomen　in　the　novel；　and　for　James　Baldwin；　one　suspects；　contemplating　the　fate　of　the　women　inhis　early　life；　when　she　looks　at　the　face　of　Frank。　‘It　sometimes　came　to　her；’　Baldwin　writes；‘that　all　women　had　been　cursed　from　the　cradle’；　all；　in　one　fashion　or　another；　being　given　thesame　cruel　destiny；　born　to　suffer　the　weight　of　men。’　Florence　remembers　the　beginning　of　herown　cruel　destiny。　It　began　with　the　birth　of　Gabriel。　After　this　her　future　was　‘swallowed　up’；　andhe　life　was　over：　‘There　was　only　one　future　in　that　house；　and　it　was　Gabriel’s　–　to　which；　sinceGabriel　was　a　man…child；　all　else　must　be　sacrificed。’
　　Baldwin　is　unusual　–　and　controversial；　for　more　traditional　black　writers；　as　well　as　thecountercultural　ones　ahead　of　him　–　in　making　the　African…American　bid　for　freedom　plicated。
　　For　Florence；　and　for　her　nephew　John　Grimes；　‘free　at　last’　would　have　to　mean　several　things；not　only　free　from　the　Old　South；　or　free　from　the　evils　of　segregation；　but　the　freedom　to　enter　theworld　outside；　and　freedom　from　the　hatreds　of　the　family　kitchen。　‘And　this　because　Florence’sdeep　ambition：　to　walk　out　one　morning　through　the　cabin　door；　never　to　return。’　But　the　novelknows　there　is　a　price　to　be　paid　for　this　too。　Elizabeth；　a　long　time　away　from　the　South；　enjoyedwalking　in　Central　Park；　because　‘it　recreated　something　of　the　landscape　she　had　known’。
　　Baldwin　never　got　over　his　religious　crisis　at　the　age　of　fourteen。　He　didn’t　forget。　‘Thatsummer。’　he　writes　in　The　Fire　Next　Time；　‘all　the　fears　with　which　I　had　grown　up；　and　whichwere　now　a　part　of　me　and　controlled　my　vision　of　the　world；　rose　up　like　a　wall　between　theworld　and　me；　and　drove　me　into　the　church。’　He　surrendered　to　a　spiritual　seduction；　falling　downbefore　the　altar；　and　thereafter　preaching　for　three　years。　Baldwin　recalls　his　father　one　dayslapping　his　face；　‘and　in　that　moment　everything　flooded　back　–　all　the　hatred　and　all　the　fear；　andthe　depth　of　a　merciless　resolve　to　kill　my　father　rather　than　allow　my　father　to　kill　me　–　and　Iknew　that　all　those　sermons　and　tears　and　all　that　repentance　and　rejoicing　had　changed　nothing’。
　　Baldwin　put　the　essence　of　all　of　this　into　Go　Tell　it　on　the　Mountain。　Gabriel　has　thepreacher’s　traditional　love　of　helplessness；　and　traditional　anger　in　the　face　of　self…sufficiency。　Yetthe　central　issues　of　Gabriel’s　life　are　his　hypocrisy；　and　the　sexual　desire　that　acpanies　therejoicing　of　religious　life。　His　treatment　of　Esther　bines　the　two　（‘I　guess　it　takes　a　holy　man　tomake　a　girl　a　real　whore；’　she　say）　but　only　Florence　seems　aware　of　the　truth　after　Ester　is　dead。
　　At　the　close　of　the　novel　she　seeks　to　name　the　tree　by　its　fruit。　And　John；　who　is　not　strange　fruitof　that　tree；　might　live　to　curse　all　lies　and　go　free　into　the　world。
　　Baldwin；　all　his　writing；　insisted　he　wrote　only　from　experience。　That　was　the　kind　ofwriter　he　was：　he　meant　every　word。　There　would　always　be　something　of　the　pulpit　on　Baldwin’swriting；　and　something　too　of　the　threshing　floor。　Go　Tell　It　on　the　Mountain　i