Baldwin and Tompkins - Are They Both Right?

After thinking about the guiding questions, and searching for a part of the book that could help answer one of them, I remembered how I felt reading the following quote and knew it was the one. In a letter to one of his friends, George writes “…I have no wish to pass for an American, or to identify myself with them. It is with the oppressed, enslaved African race that I cast in my lot; and, if I wished anything, I would wish myself to be two shades darker, rather than one lighter. The desire and yearning of my soul is for an African nationality.”

After reading this, I tried to figure out whether Baldwin’s or Tompkins’ viewpoint fit this quote better, and I came to the conclusion that they both would use this quote to express their different viewpoints, and I think they could both make a valid point.

For Baldwin, he would make the point that this is as self-righteous sentimentality. Stowe has created an essentially “white” character in every aspect, other than a somewhat dark complexion compared to the average white man. Because he isn’t 100% white, Stowe now uses this to “send” her character back to the home of the “…oppressed, enslaved African race…” When looking at the quote through the lens of Baldwin, it’s easy to see the inherent racism in this sentence, but can be ‘masked’ well by the author. Baldwin would also use this as a prime example that Stowe believes that “black souls and black bodies are …in urgent need of salvation.” Lastly, he could argue that the message she’s sending is that a man, no matter how educated or accepted, can’t live in harmony in America if he’s black.

On the other hand, this quote can be construed in the completely opposite manner. The sentimentality expressed in these quotes, would be expressed by Tompkins as one that really hits home with the reader. A man, who is mostly white, yet is owned as a piece of property just as any other black man would be, says that he would much rather go back to where his roots lie, than to pass for an American and live in what Stowe calls a “Christianized” civilization. Tompkins would make the point that this is a call to action, that the situation here is so bad, and so evil, that a “less civilized” place sounds like a better one to be associated with. Who can change it? The people in this society, the ones who are reading this book.

Although I don’t know if I agree with both, or either of them, it’s important to note that I think in this instance, they could both make a valid point for their argument. So maybe, just maybe, truth lies in both Baldwin’s and Tompkins’ arguments.