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Analysis: The Outing By James Baldwin

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Thomas Toler Dr. Damai ENG-221-201: Postcolonial Literature 9 March 2023 Analytical Paper #2 After reading “The Outing” by James Baldwin, it is evident that the story serves as a prime example of what a colonial environment looks like. One particular aspect of the story that stands out is the way that two characters who are unsaved, David and Johnnie, are treated by characters who are saved. To provide an example, consider the following statement that Sylvia, a character who is saved, says to David, “You black-eyed demon, if I don’t see you at revival services I’ll never speak to you again” (Baldwin 55). Additionally, the following remark made by Brother Elisha, a character who is saved, when addressing David and Johnnie reveals how the boys …show more content…

It has already been established that the environment and othering present in Baldwin’s story is colonial in nature. Therefore, with both the story and the concept in mind, the conclusion that a postcolonial society would consist of an environment that is opposite of the environment present in “The Outing” can be drawn. To expand, the environment that would be present in a postcolonial society would be one that concerns itself with moving on after this othering and control. To provide more elaboration, consider the following quote about the postcolonial concept of post-colonial state from Postcolonial Studies: The Key Concepts: “The task facing contemporary postcolonial states, then, is to construct an effective unity while avoiding the oppression of minority groups whose practices clash with those of the dominant national mythology, whether over religion, language or cultural mores” (Tiffin et al. 211). In other words, postcolonial societies attempt to strive for justice and equity and fight marginalization. When thinking about the setting in Baldwin’s story, it is evident that this aspect is not present. So, the assertion made earlier that it is possible to visualize what a postcolonial society looks like by imagining an environment that is the opposite of one that is colonial and plagued with othering like the one present in Baldwin’s story is

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