29 pages • 58 minutes read
James BaldwinIf Black English Isn't a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?
Nonfiction | Essay / Speech | Adult | Published in 1979A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Literary Devices
Titling
Titling is the first tool that a writer can use, especially in the context of a persuasive essay (an essay that presents a situation, takes a stand, and intends to convince readers to take the same stand). A primary goal of a title is to give readers a taste of the work’s subject and themes while also intriguing readers enough to make them want to read the work. Baldwin uses a rhetorical question as a title to draw in the reader and provoke them to consider an answer before he dispels myths and oppressive ideas associated with language.
With the title “If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?” James Baldwin communicates his thesis, the tenor of his argument, and his conclusion. His thesis is that Black English must be a language because it does what other languages do. His argument will present evidence that shows how Black English fills all the requirements of a language. His conclusion is that Black English is a language and, if it’s not, neither is anything else.
Varied Sentence Structure
In this essay, Baldwin eloquently expresses himself through conspicuously long, expository sentences and short, pithy sentences—often within a single paragraph. The essay’s first paragraph is a prime example of the mix. The paragraph begins and ends with long, discursive sentences that bookend two short, declarative sentences that are presented as statements of fact. It encloses pithy argumentation with more fluid thought to draw in the reader before conveying the essay’s argumentative force.
The bulk of the essay, however, shows Baldwin’s characteristic discursive style, in which he constructs long, winding sentences. The essay features three individual paragraphs that comprise a single sentence: Paragraphs 6, 9, and 12. Contrasting this with short, pithy sentences draws attention to the content of each: The long sentences often elaborate on complex argumentative points (as is the case in Paragraph 6) while pithy sentences forcefully communicate facts that Baldwin uses to back up his arguments; for example, “[h]e cannot afford to understand it” (Paragraph 8).
Symbolism
A symbol is something such as a word, object, or character that stands for something else and represents something broader than literal meaning. A significant symbol in this essay is Congo Square.
Congo Square is currently an area within Louis Armstrong Park in New Orleans, Louisiana, near the French Quarter. From 1796-1803, it was where thousands of enslaved Black people (many of them with ethnic Kongo heritage) were baptized into the Christian church. For a time, Congo Square served as the only New Orleans location where enslaved Black people were allowed to congregate. It was also where enslaved and, later, free Black people often gathered to dance and play music.
Baldwin chooses Congo Square as one of his two symbolic pillars (along with the Bible) that led to the formation of the Black American church (and Black English) because of the location’s layered associations: to the US slave trade, to Christianity, to music and dancing, to jazz.
Musicality
The musicality of Baldwin’s voice is most apparent in the rhythms and cadence of his writing. The lilting rhythm of the essay’s opening sentence is especially clear with the phrase, “the use, or the status, or the reality” (Paragraph 1), in which he augments the syllables of each clause. This draws immediate attention to the aural qualities of language to underscore Baldwin’s ensuing points about the sounds and structures that make Black English a language. The musicality of the essay shows up in phrases such as “supposes itself to be posing,” with its internal rhyme of “supposes/posing” (Paragraph 1); “criminal mediocrities,” with its alliteration (Paragraph 12); and “range (and reign),” with its play between the half rhyme of the two words. Baldwin explicitly refers to the “musical” nature of Provençal and the “music” of Black English, reinforcing the essay’s sense that musicality is a vital element of language. The musicality of his essay therefore makes a metareferential point about the expressive role of language.
Related Titles
By James Baldwin
