"Call to the Sky" - A New Perspective

Author: Harris, T.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: James Baldwin's first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, has been widely read since its publication in 1953 and has received universal acclaim from critics. Although most critics believe the novel primarily focuses on American fundamentalist religious teachings and its impact on characters who grew up in this traditional culture, these scholars have also noted issues such as homosexuality, social identity construction, anthropological understanding of the community, and artistic identity. Trudier-Lynn reevaluates the novel's religious core; Horace R. Porter explores the internal influence of the American South on the writing of the novel; Brian R. Washington argues that the novel's text is closely linked to hidden gender identity; Vivian M. May reveals the gender identity and narrative instability that run through the novel; while Carey K. Clay explores the issue of male characters, connecting it to Baldwin's own parallel inquiries.