Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son

How does Baldwin depict self-examination and its political importance? What role does self-examination have in current political and social movements? How might individuals engage in self-examination?

Describe the history of James Baldwin and Richard Wright’s relationship. How did their writing and philosophies differ from one another? How were they similar?

Analyze the way Baldwin navigates the various aspects of his identity in his essays: Black, gay, intellectual, American. What role do these aspects play in forming his sense of identity? How do Baldwin’s ideas about identity formation influence his approach to racial and social issues?

Baldwin argues that the North must begin to see the South as a reflection of its own values and state of being before America can heal itself. What aspects of American society are ignored today? What do these elements say about the state of American values and identity?

Examine Baldwin’s discussion of colonialism. How does Baldwin depict the legacy of colonialism in the America of his own day? What is the relationship between colonialism and ideas of white supremacy more generally?

Baldwin sometimes discusses Europe in general, and France more specifically, in some of his essays. How do his conceptions of Europe compare or contrast with his conceptions of America? How do his discussions of European places and issues inform his views on American issues? 

Research the civil rights movement and/or some of the specific protest movements Baldwin mentions. How does the civil rights movement inform his work and outlook? What ideas or insights did he contribute to the movement?

Do a close analysis of William Faulkner’s “Letter to a Northern Editor.” How does Faulkner’s “Letter” reflect some of Baldwin’s key ideas about White Colonialism and Racism? Do attitudes like Faulkner’s still persist in some form today? If so, how? If not, why not?