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in　Joyce’s　Portrait　of　the　Artist　as　a　Young　Man；　in　Elizabeth　Smart’s　ByGrand　Central　Station　I　Sat　Down　and　Wept；　in　Toni　Morrison’s　Beloved　–　which　is　utterlyessential　to　the　art。　It　may　seem　at　first　overpowering；　to　waft　in　the　air　like　perfume；　or　to　have　thetexture　of　Langston　Hughes’s　velvet　bag；　but　it　is；　in　each　of　the　cases；　and　especially　in　the　caseof　Baldwin’s　first　novel；　a　matter　of　straightforward　literary　integrity。　Every　word　is　necessary。
　　Every　image　runs　clear　in　the　blood　of　the　novel。
　　Take　John’s　mother　Elizabeth。　Look　at　the　shape　of　her　thoughts　on　the　page；　as　broughtout　in　Baldwin’s　third…person　narrative：
　　‘I　sure　don’t　care　what　God　don’t　like；　or　you；　either；’　Elizabeth　heart　replied。　‘I’mgoing　away　from　here。　He’s　going　to　e　and　get　me；　and　I’m　going　away　from　here。’
　　‘He’　was　her　father；　who　never　came。　As　the　years　passed　she　replied　only：　‘I’m　goingaway　from　here。’　And　it　hung；　this　determination；　like　a　heavy　jewel　between　her　breasts；　itwas　written　in　fire　on　the　dark　sky　of　her　mind。　But；　yes　–　there　was　something　she　hadoverlooked。　Pride　goeth　before　destruction；　and　a　haughty　spirit　before　a　fall。　She　had　notknown　this：　she　had　not　imagined　that　she　could　fall。
　　When　reading　this　novel　I　am　always　aware　of　the　charge　that　sex　gives　to　religion；　a　bond　thenovel　explores　and　confirms。　We　think　of　Baldwin　as　a　figure　of　the　1960s；　a　literary　embodimentof　outrage　in　the　face　of　American　segregation；　but　actually；　Baldwin；　in　his　novels；　writes　more　ofsex　and　sin　than　he　does　of　Civil　Rights。　Gabriel；　a　preacher　speaking　fiery　words　from　the　pulpit；is　actually　a　secret　sinner；　fallen　in　ways　that　are　known　to　his　sister　Florence；　and　known　to　hiswife　Elizabeth　too。　When　younger；　‘he　drank　until　hammers　rang　in　his　distant　skull；　he　cursed　hisfriends　and　his　enemies；　and　fought　until　blood　ran　down；　in　the　morning　he　found　himself　in　mud；in　clay；　in　strange　beds；　and　once　or　twice　in　jail；　his　mouth　sour；　his　clothes　in　rags；　from　all　ofhim　rising　the　stink　of　his　corruption’。
　　The　novel　tells　the　story　of　how　John　es　to　know　this。　Gabriel　uses　the　church　not　toraise　but　to　conceal　his　true　character：　his　hypocrisy　is　everywhere　around　him；　and　nowhere　morethan　in　the　minds　of　the　women　who　had　suffered　him；　and　increasingly；　too；　in　the　mind　of　John；his　‘bastard’　son。　Florence’s　lover　Frank　was　similarly　corrupt；　yet　he；　at　least；　in　‘the　brutality　of　his　penitence’；　tried　to　make　it　up　to　Florence。　It　is　John’s　terrible　fate　–　and　everyone　else’s　–　thatGabriel　can　neither　inspire　forgiveness　nor　redeem　himself。　He　goes　on　with　his　lying。　He　inspiredfear。　He　is　hated。
　　Novels　about　the　sins　of　men　often　turn　out　to　be　novels　about　the　courage　of　women。
　　Florence；　Elizabeth；　Deborah；　and　the　tragic　Esther；　who　is　made　pregnant　by　Gabriel　and　sentaway　to　die；　are　the　novel’s　moral　retainers；　keeping　faith　with　humanity；　whilst　all　around　themFaith　rides　on　his　dark　horse；　cutting　down　hope　and　charity。　Florence　says　something　for　all　thewomen　in　the　novel；　and　for　James　Baldwin；　one　suspects；　contemplating　the　fate　of　the　women　inhis　early　life；　when　she　looks　at　the　face　of　Frank。　‘It　sometimes　came　to　her；’　Baldwin　writes；‘that　all　women　had　been　cursed　from　the　cradle’；　all；　in　one　fashion　or　another；　being　given　thesame　cruel　destiny；　born　to　suffer　the　weight　of　men。’　Florence　remembers　the　beginning　of　herown　cruel　destiny。　It　began　with　the　birth　of　Gabriel。　After　this　her　future　was　‘swallowed　up’；　andhe　life　was　over：　‘There　was　only　one　future　in　that　house；　and　it　was　Gabriel’s　–　to　which；　sinceGabriel　was　a　man…child；　all　else　must　be　sacrificed。’
　　Baldwin　is　unusual　–　and　controversial；　for　more　traditional　black　writers；　as　well　as　thecountercultural　ones　ahead　of　him　–　in　making　the　African…American　bid　for　freedom　plicated。
　　For　Florence；　and　for　her　nephew　John　Grimes；　‘free　at　last’　would　have　to　mean　several　things；not　only　free　from　the　Old　South；　or　free　from　the　evils　of　segregation；　but　the　freedom　to　enter　theworld　outside；　and　freedom　from　the　hatreds　of　the　family　kitchen。　‘And　this　because　Florence’sdeep　ambition：　to　walk　out　one　morning　through　the　cabin　door；　never　to　return。’　But　the　novelknows　there　is　a　price　to　be　paid　for　this　too。　Elizabeth；　a　long　time　away　from　the　South；　enjoyedwalking　in　Central　Park；　because　‘it　recreated　something　of　the　landscape　she　had　known’。
　　Baldwin　never　got　over　his　religious　crisis　at　the　age　of　fourteen。　He　didn’t　forget。　‘Thatsummer。’　he　writes　in　The　Fire　Next　Time；　‘all　the　fears　with　which　I　had　grown　up；　and　whichwere　now　a　part　of　me　and　controlled　my　vision　of　the　world；　rose　up　like　a　wall　between　theworld　and　me；　and　drove　me　into　the　church。’　He　surrendered　to　a　spiritual　seduction；　falling　downbefore　the　altar；　and　thereafter　preaching　for　three　years。　Baldwin　recalls　his　father　one　dayslapping　his　face；　‘and　in　that　moment　everything　flooded　back　–　all　the　hatred　and　all　the　fear；　andthe　depth　of　a　merciless　resolve　to　kill　my　father　rather　than　allow　my　father　to　kill　me　–　and　Iknew　that　all　those　sermons　and　tears　and　all　that　repentance　and　rejoicing　had　changed　nothing’。
　　Baldwin　put　the　essence　of　all　of　this　into　Go　Tell　it　on　the　Mountain。　Gabriel　has　thepreacher’s　traditional　love　of　helplessness；　and　traditional　anger　in　the　face　of　self…sufficiency。　Yetthe　central　issues　of　Gabriel’s　life　are　his　hypocrisy；　and　the　sexual　desire　that　acpanies　therejoicing　of　religious　life。　His　treatment　of　Esther　bines　the　two　（‘I　guess　it　takes　a　holy　man　tomake　a　girl　a　real　whore；’　she　say）　but　only　Florence　seems　aware　of　the　truth　after　Ester　is　dead。
　　At　the　close　of　the　novel　she　seeks　to　name　the　tree　by　its　fruit。　And　John；　who　is　not　strange　fruitof　that　tree；　might　live　to　curse　all　lies　and　go　free　into　the　world。
　　Baldwin；　all　his　writing；　insisted　he　wrote　only　from　experience。　That　was　the　kind　ofwriter　he　was：　he　meant　every　word。　There　would　always　be　something　of　the　pulpit　on　Baldwin’swriting；　and　something　too　of　the　threshing　floor。　Go　Tell　It　on　the　Mountain　is　a　beautiful；enduring；　spiritual　song　of　a　novel；　a　gush　of　life　from　a　haunted　American　church。　Like　manywriters　with　a　religious　past；　the　young　man　who　wrote　this　novel　was　stranded　in　the　space　between　his　own　body　and　the　body　of　Christ；　and　strung　between　the　father　he　hated　and　theFather　who　might　offer　him　salvation。　John　Grimes　finds　the　beginning　of　his　redemption　in　thevery　place　where　his　father　lived　out　his　hypocrisy；　the　church；　where　Gabriel　spawned　so　much　ofthe　trouble　in　their　lives。　Here；　at　last；　after　all　is　said　and　done；　John　Grimes　can　go　in　search　ofthe　Everlasting；　‘over　his　father’s　head　to　Heaven　–　to　the　Father　who　loved　him’。
　　Andrew　O’HaganAndrew　O’Hagan　was　born　in　Glasgow　in　1968。　He　is　the　author　of　The　Missing；　a　bookabout　missing　persons；　and　Our　Fathers；　a　novel　shortlisted　for　the　Booker　Prize；　a　WhitbreadAward；　the　John　Llewellyn　Rhys　Prize　and　the　IMPAC　Dublin　International　Literary　Award。　He　isa　contributing　editor　to　the　London　Review　of　Books。
　　For　My　Father　and　Mother　They　that　wait　upon　the　Lord　shall　renew　their　strength；they　shall　mount　up　with　wings　like　eagles；they　shall　turn　and　not　be　weary；they　shall　walk　and　not　faint。
Part　1　The　Seventh　Day
And　the　Spirit　and　the　bride　say；e。　And　let　him　that　heareth　saye。　And　let　him　that　is　athirste。　And　whosoever　will；　let　himtake　the　water　of　life　freely。
　　I　looked　down　the　line；　　　　And　I　wondered　　　Everyone　had　always　said　that　John　would　be　a　preacher　when　he　grew　up；　just　like　his　father。　Ithas　been　so　often　that　John；　without　ever　thinking　about　it；　had　e　to　believe　it　himself。　Notuntil　the　morning　of　his　fourteenth　birthday　did　he　really　begin　to　think　about　it；　and　by　then　it　wasalready　too　late。
　　His　earliest　memories—which　were　in　a　way；　his　only　memories—were　of　the　hurry　andbrightness　of　Sunday　mornings。　They　all　rose　together　on　that　day；　his　father；　who　did　not　have　togo　to　work；　and　led　them　in　prayer　before　breakfast；　his　mother；　who　dressed　up　on　that　day；　andlooked　almost　young；　with　her　hair　straightened；　and　on　her　head　the　close…fitting　white　cap　thatwas　the　uniform　of　holy　women；　his　younger　brother；　Roy；　who　was　silent　that　day　because　hisfather　was　home。　Sarah；　who　wore　a　red　ribbon　in　her　hair　that　day；　and　was　fondled　by　her　father。
　　And　the　baby；　Ruth；　who　was　dressed　in　pink　and　white；　and　rode　in　her　mother’s　arms　to　church。
　　The　church　was　not　very　far　away；　four　block　up　Lenox　Avenue；　on　a　corner　not　far　fromthe　hospital。　It　was　to　this　hospital　that　his　mother　had　gone　when　Roy；　and　Sarah；　and　Ruth　wereborn。　John　did　not　remember　very　clearly　the　first　time　she　had　gone；　to　have　Roy；　folks　said　thathe　had　cried　and　carried　on　the　whole　time　his　mother　was　away；　he　remembered　only　enough　tobe　afraid　every　time　her　belly　began　to　swell；　knowing　that　each　time　the　swelling　began　it　wouldnot　end　until　she　was　taken　from　him；　to　e　back　with　an　stranger。　Each　time　this　happened　shebecame　a　little　more　of　a　stranger　herself。　She　would　soon　be　going　away　again；　Roy　said—heknew　much　more　about　such　things　than　John。　John　had　observed　his　mother　closely；　seeing　no　swelling　yet；　but　his　father　had　prayed　one　morning　for　the　‘little　voyager　soon　to　be　among　them；’
　　and　so　John　knew　that　Roy　spoke　the　truth。
　　Every　Sunday　morning；　then；　since　John　could　remember；　they　had　taken　to　the　Streets；　theGrimes　family　on　their　way　to　church。　Sinners　along　the　avenue　watched　tem—men　still　wearingtheir　Sunday…night　clothes；　wrinkled　and　dusty　now；　muddy…eyed　and　muddy…faced；　and　thewomen　with　harsh　voices　and　tight；　bright　dresses；　cigarettes　between　their　finger　or　held　tightly　inthe　corners　of　their　mouths。　They　talked；　and　laughed；　and　fought　together；　and　the　women　foughtlike　the　men。　John　and　Roy；　passing　these　men　and　women；　looked　at　one　another　briefly；　Johnembarrassed　and　Roy　amused。　Roy　would　be　like　them　when　he　grew　up；　if　the　Lord　did　notchange　his　heart。　These　men　and　women　they　passed　on　Sunday　mornings　had　spent　the　night　inbars；　or　in　cat　houses；　or　on　the　streets；　or　on　the　rooftops；　or　under　the　stairs。　They　had　beendrinking。　They　had　gone　from　cursing　to　laughter；　to　anger；　to　lust。　Once　he　and　Roy　had　watcheda　man　and　woman　in　the　basement　of　a　condemned　house。　They　did　it　standing　up。　The　womanhad　wanted　fifty　cents；　and　the　man　had　flashed　a　razor。
　　John　had　never　watched　again；　he　had　been　afraid。　But　Roy　had　watched　them　many　times；and　he　told　John　he　had　done　it　with　some　girls　down　the　block。
　　And　his　mother　and　father；　who　went　to　church　on　Sundays；　they　did　it　too；　and　sometimesJohn　heard　them　in　the　bedroom　behind　him；　over　the　sound　of　rat’s　feet；　and　rat　screams；　and　themusic　and　cursing　from　the　harlot’s　house　downstairs。
　　Their　church　was　called　the　Temple　of　the　Fire　Baptized。　It　was　not　the　biggest　church　inHarlem；　not　yet　the　smallest；　but　John　had　been　brought　up　to　believe　it　was　the　holiest　and　best。
　　His　father　was　head　deacon　in　this　church—there　were　only　two；　the　other　a　round；　black　mannamed　Deacon　Braithwaite—and　he　took　up　the　collection；　and　sometimes　he　preached。　Thepastor；　Father　James；　was　a　genial；　well…fed　man　with　a　face　like　a　darker　moon。　It　was　he　whopreached　on　Pentecost　Sundays；　and　led　revivals　in　the　summer…time；　and　anointed　and　healed　thesick。
　　On　Sunday　mornings　and　Sunday　nights　the　church　was　always　full；　on　special　Sundays　itwas　full　all　day。　The　Grimes　family　arrived　in　a　body；　always　a　little　late；　usually　in　the　middle　ofSunday　school；　which　began　at　nine　o’clock。　This　lateness　was　always　their　mother’s　fault—atleast　in　the　eyes　of　their　father；　she　could　not　seem　to　get　herself　and　the　children　ready　on　time；ever；　and　sometimes　she　actually　remained　behind；　not　to　appear　until　the　morning　service。　Whenthey　all　arrived　together；　they　separated　upon　entering　the　doors；　father　and　mother　going　to　sit　inthe　Adult　Class；　which　was　taught　by　Sister　McCandless；　Sarah　going　to　the　Infants’　Class；　Johnand　Roy　sitting　in　the　Intermediate；　which　was　taught　by　Brother　Elisha。
　　When　he　was　young；　John　had　paid