He uses alliteration and repetition to continue his argument throughout. While doing this his word choice is very intellectual with words containing more than two syllables. He uses this word choice to convey the power of language. He does this because as a Black man, he wants the white world to see different context is possible. In this respect, he establishes his argument by applying a strong tone along with his word usage. This style is effective because while it is strong it is also communicating to every person who respects language.
He concludes powerful language can be difficult to attain in a society not made for you and this can halt progress. He brings up a valid point. Yes, language is powerful but it is also segmented. Not just in nationality but in race. He regrets his people have not received adequate education. "The brutal truth is that the bulk of white people in American never had any interest in educating black people, except as this could serve white purposes" (Baldwin, par. 10). Another aspect of style that is unique to this essay is his use of italics and parentheses for emphasis of his thought process. These two techniques also apply a certain amount of stress to the words and this also accents his tone of growing anger.
Still Baldwin structures his argument effectively because he takes his time. Instead of diving right in and being aggressive, he takes the approach of telling the argument like a story. This gains the reader's approval...
It can be difficult to present the issue of
race without coming off as hostile but his tone remains calm and powerful. It is only within the last paragraphs, his tone becomes slightly elevated and this is only because he is discussing difficult issues of Black Language. The argument comes down to the issue of experience. Without experience language cannot be powerful. Where does this leave Black Language? He appeals to the reader by providing an example. He worries that English will remain white even after the
education of black children. Does this halt the emergence of Black English? "A child cannot be taught by anyone whose demand, essentially, is that the child repudiate his experience, and all that gives him sustenance, and enter a limbo in which he will no longer be black" (Baldwin, par. 10). Baldwin argues it does but that Black Language continues to evolve anyway.
Conclusion
This paper looked at the argument presented by James Baldwin in his essay called "If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?." This paper discussed the logical soundness of the author's case by examining his line of reasoning and his use of evidence. Paying attention to
writing style,
structure of the argument, evidence provided and what is inferred by his use of tone; this paper examined Baldwin's message.
Works Cited
Baldwin, James. "If Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?"
New York Times on the Web 29 July 1979. 20 Dec. 2004 http://partners.nytimes.com/books/98/03/29/specials/baldwin-english.html
