第1部分(第5/7 頁)

　interested　at　this　point　in　corruption　at　the　first　level　of　legislativepower　–　the　family。

Baldwin　wrote　about　black　people。　He　did　not　write　novels　which　understood　the　lives　ofblack　people　only　in　terms　of　white　subjugation。　At　the　same　time　he　recognized　every　terror　ofsegregation；　and　Go　Tell　It　on　the　Mountain　is　a　shocking；　and　shockingly　quiet；　dramatization　ofwhat　segregation　meant　in　the　years　when　the　novel　is　set。　Early　on　we　see　John　contemplating　the　forbidden　world　inside　the　New　York　Public　Library；　a　world　of　corridors　and　marble　steps　and　noplace　for　a　boy　from　Harlem。　‘And　then　everyone；’　Baldwin　writes；　‘all　the　white　people　inside；would　know　that　he　was　not　used　to　great　buildings；　or　to　many　books；　and　they　would　look　at　himwith　pity。’　This　is　a　strong　thing　for　a　writer　to　remember；　or　to　imagine；　and　Baldwin　brings　it　tothe　page　with　a　sense　of　anger；　and　regret。　The　novel　is　marked　by　the　dark　presence　of　‘downhome’；　the　Old　South；　where　all　of　John’s　family　came　from　in　search　of　a　new　life。　This　wasBaldwin’s　primary　milieu：　the　Harlem　of　migrant　black　Americans；　bringing　with　them　the　storiesof　their　fathers　and　mothers；　one　generation　away　from　slavery。

This　Northerness　was　important　to　Baldwin。　It　was　the　world　he　knew　from　his　childhoodand　the　world　he　cared　most　about。　He　had　a　feeling　for　the　hopes　that　were　invested　in　the　journeyNorth　–　‘North；’　where；　as　Gabriel’s　mother　says；　‘wickedness　dwelt　and　Death　rode　mightythrough　the　streets’。　In　one　of　his　essays；　‘A　Fly　in　the　Buttermilk’；　Baldwin　wrote　of　anotherSoutherner’s　contempt　for　the　North；　a　man　he　tried　to　interview　for　a　piece　on　the　progress　ofCivil　Rights：　‘He　forced　me　to　admit；　at　once；　that　I　had　never　been　to　college；　that　NorthernNegroes　lived　herded　togeth