Major Themes
- autobiography : James Baldwin grew up in Harlem and never knew his biological father. His stepfather was a Baptist minister and Baldwin said he was abusive and strict. Also like John, Baldwin underwent a religious awakening at the age of 14, the age when Baldwin became a Pentecostal preacher. He later became disillusioned with church life and expressed this in his later novels. He began to feature homosexual and bisexual themes in his later works. His novel Giovanni's Room, serves as an example of these themes and is taken as an indicator of Baldwin's sexuality.
There are some hints of homosexual themes in Go Tell It On The Mountain; as for example John's fascination and attraction for Elisha.
Read more about this topic: Go Tell It On The Mountain (novel)
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