第1部分(第6/7 頁)

er；　like　pigs　in　a　pen；　that　the　campus　on　which　we　met　was　a　tribute　tothe　industry　and　determination　of　Southern　Negroes。　“Negroes　in　the　South　form　a　munity。”　’

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