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 m