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Symbolism In James Baldwin's Go Tell It On The Mountain

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In this novel called Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin, we start to learned that John wants to be saved by God. He feels like he’s being held down from rising to reach the rest of his family who are angels of God. James Baldwin uses symbolism in the final section of this novel to drive towards the idea that dedication and perseverance through challenges can lead to a positive outcome.
James Baldwin uses symbolism during John’s journey to be “saved” by God to reveal the idea that dedication and perseverance through challenges can lead to a positive outcome. Johnny felt as if he was being pulled downward to hell instead of upward to heaven, “Only the ironic voice insisted yet once more that he rise from that filthy floor if he did not want to become like all the other niggers” (Baldwin 228). Here, the symbol of “filthy floor” represents the sins that have been committed …show more content…

But he wants to “rise” and go to heaven while leaving all the sins behind him. Baldwin uses this symbolism to highlight that people are going to have to face challenges to get what they truly want. Johnny felt as his family members were just sitting there watching him suffer and fight his way upward, “He wanted wings to fly upward and meet them in that morning, that morning where they were. But his struggles only thrust him downward, his cries did not go upward, but eang in his own skull” (Baldwin 230). Here, the symbol of “struggles” represent the inner conflict between temptation of sins and the Church. The temptations of sins continue to “thrust him downward” or, according to the Bible, closer to hell as he fights to rise “upward” to heaven. Baldwin uses this symbolism to highlight that people have to persevere through challenges despite them holding them back to get that outcome they look for. Johnny and Elisha are talking to one another, “ Rise up, Johnny, said Elisha, again. Are you saved boy? …. Yes, said Jon, oh yes!” (Baldwin 243). Here, the symbolism of “rise up” represents him

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