Baldwin & England Your England
England Your England while poking fun at the English way of life, also prides the quirky nature of England. In a way, Orwell tries to reach out to the English people by telling them what makes them unique and why they ought to stand up against an enemy trying to threaten its sovereignty. He elucidates English patriotism by stating “the tendency of nearly all its inhabitants to feel alike and act together in moments of supreme crisis” (Orwell III). He mentions the points of view of the different classes in England, thereby providing a neutral perspective.
He neither commends blind loyalty to the Royal family nor does he agree with the far too pacifist views of the intellectual elite. He also mentions that business class was actually too ignorant to understand that fascism does not necessarily equate to anti-communism. Although Orwell did not entirely support England’s War with Germany, he felt that it was essential to curb the spread of Fascism at any cost. He even feels that the anti-war sentiment of the English majority is viewed as hypocrisy by rest of the world, since the English Empire was built by waging wars.
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He also states that “this war, unless we are defeated, will wipe out most of the existing class privileges”, thereby appealing to the common man about the importance of England winning the War against Germany (Orwell VI). James Baldwin shows appreciation for the Nation of Islam (NOI) movement for having united a lot of African-Americans. However, he does not entirely agree with the NOI, instead of spreading the ideal of race equality, tried to instill feelings of black superiority and hatred of the White race.
He states that the Nation of Islam propagated “historical and divine proof that all white people are cursed, and are devils, and are about to be brought down” (Baldwin 315). Moreover, the Nation of Islam demanded absolute control over the society, rather than sharing equal rights. Baldwin felt that love for one another was much more significant than racial identity and could never concur with the ideals of the NOI. He stood for mutual co-existence of all races, rather than the separation of society into whites and blacks and therefore did not join the NOI movement.
Baldwin condemns the White society for debasing all the other communities including African-Americans. He states that White America is afraid of being “judged by those who are not white" and therefore fails to love others. He also believes that White America is scared of African-Americans bringing “new life to the Western achievements and transform them. " He felt that American society had to treat everyone equally and renounce the craving for White superiority, if they wish to avoid facing the same plight.
He feels that Whites have gotten used to being superior and racial equality will never occur until White America overcomes the fear of sharing power. In Act One, Hamlet witnesses the ghost of his father telling him that the newly crowned King Claudius actually murdered him to capture the throne. The ghost asks Hamlet to avenge his death and forgive his mother for remarrying Claudius. Horatio, a friend of Hamlet, says “tis but our fantasy" when he sees the ghost. This suggests that the ghost is actually nothing but an inner feeling that manifests as a mental image.
Hence, it would not have been justified if Hamlet killed Claudius immediately after seeing the ghost of his father. It would have meant that the rage of losing his father had blinded Hamlet’s moral judgment. However, Hamlet bound by his principles does not kill Claudius until Polonius’ son Laertes finally confesses that the Claudius murdered his father. Works Cited Baldwin, James. “Down at the Cross. ” 1955. James Baldwin: Collected Essays. New York: Library of America, 1998. 296-347. Orwell, George. 1941. England Your England. I-VI.
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