The Fire Next Time Reading Guide and Glossary
1. As you read, think about why James Baldwin entitled the book, "The Fire Next Time." What does the title
mean? (As you read, note whenever Baldwin mentions "fire" to help you think about this question.)
2. Early in the first essay, Baldwin describes white people as "innocents." He uses that word multiple times on
pages 6-9. How is Baldwin defining that word? What point is he making for his nephew?
3. On page 7, Baldwin writes that black people survive by love and survive because of love. On page 8, he
writes that blacks need to accept whites with love. On page 22, he talks about how important it is to love
yourself. On page 95, Baldwin claims love is a state of being. What is Baldwin saying about the power of
love? The necessity of love? How are these variations on love the same? How are they different?
4. On page 10 of the first essay, Baldwin tells his nephew, "We can make America what America must
become." In light of the entire essay, what does Baldwin mean by this?
5. The first essay is addressed to Baldwin's 14-year-old nephew. The second essay begins when Baldwin is 14.
Why is that age so important in terms of growing up? What ideas, concerns, and decisions happen around
this age?
6. On page 16, Baldwin claims that becoming a Christian forced him to re-see his world and that he then
became afraid. What is he afraid of? Why is he afraid?
7. On page 19, Baldwin describes how he has been treated as a black boy, age 10, and young man, age 13.
What are his feelings about how he is treated? What were your feelings when you read that passage?
8. On page 31, Baldwin claims that churches should operate under the principles of Faith, Hope, and Charity,
but in his opinion they instead operate under the principles of Blindness, Loneliness, and Terror. Track
these principles as he discusses them later — Blindness (p. 33), Loneliness (p. 38), and Terror (p. 42), and
think about the merit and limitations of his claims.
9. Early on in essay two (p. 20), Baldwin discusses the options for escape from poverty that people in Harlem
had. In the following several pages, Baldwin challenges the idea of the American Dream — that working
hard leads to success. Later in the same essay (p. 89), Baldwin makes further challenges to the American
Dream. Consider your definition of the American Dream and compare it to his definition. Is it possible to
achieve?
10. Baldwin describes his experience of meeting and talking with Elijah Muhammad on pages 60-82. In this
section, he shares what Elijah Muhammad thinks and believes. In pages 82 and beyond, Baldwin questions
Muhammad's idea of racial separation and points out the problems of treating any person, white or black,
differently because of skin color. What does he suggest is a better solution to racial discrimination instead
of separation?
11. Baldwin quotes spirituals and hymns and refers to Lead Belly (p. 33) and Big Bill Broonzy (p. 42). He
mentions jazz, the blues, and gospel songs. He begins the second essay with an epigraph that is part of a
hymn and ends the essay with a line from another gospel song. Consider which songs he is quoting and
how those songs add to his argument.
12. The first epigraph for the second essay is part of a poem by Rudyard Kipling, whom you may recognize as
the author of children's books such as "The Jungle Book," "Kim," "Captains Courageous" and more. This
poem, "The White Man's Burden," written in 1899, takes a pro-imperialism stance with a tone of racial
superiority. Consider why Baldwin has part of this poem and part of a hymn as the epigraph to this essay.
What is he foreshadowing that his essay will be about?
13. Baldwin sees people with power in his life — power gained through education, age, social position,
money, violence, religion. What does he see as some of the problems of having power and of not having
power?
14. On page 103, Baldwin quotes W.E.B. Du Bois who said, "The problem of the twentieth century is the
problem of the color line." Du Bois said that in 1890, and he got the phrase from Frederick Douglass who
wrote an article with that title in 1881. Baldwin quoted Du Bois in 1962, nearly 70 years later. Now that you
have read the book, consider the problems and challenges that we have in America today in terms of the
color line. How is this book, written over 50 years ago, still relevant and applicable to our lives in America
today? Where can we still see a "color line" in terms of the economy, education, healthcare, employment,
the arts, politics, and other areas of American society? Try to connect what you have just read to what you
have experienced in your life, seen in the news, or learned in school.
Glossary
1. The opening epigraph and the last line of the book: "God gave Noah the rainbow sign, No more water, the
fire next time!" is from an old, important spiritual from before the Civil War. The tune was used was an
important Civil Rights song. The song was first recorded in 1915, but re-recorded in 1958 and 1959.
2. The title of the first essay refers to the "One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation" — the January 1,
1863, Emancipation Proclamation from President Abraham Lincoln that proclaimed all slaves were free.
3. Page 4, E. Franklin Frazier is quoted. He was an African American sociologist (1894-1962) who studied and
wrote about black culture and the effect of racial tension on black people. He wrote an essay, "The
Pathology of Race and Prejudice," in which he said that "prejudice was a form of insanity." He had to
resign from his position at Morehouse College because of this statement, but moved on to teach at the
University of Chicago and then Howard University.
4. Page 6, Charles Dickens (1812-1870)-author of "Bleak House," "Tale of Two Cities," "A Christmas Carol"
and more, showing the economic challenges of the lower class in England.
5. Page 10, Homer, author of "The Odyssey" and "The Iliad."
6. Page 10, "The very time I thought I was lost, My dungeon shook and my chains fell off." From the spiritual
"You Got A Right.” Singing about their lives helped slaves endure horrific experiences.
7. The title of essay #2, "Down at the Cross," is the title of a hymn about being saved from sin and being made
complete by faith.
8. Page 18, St. Paul, apostle of Jesus, author of many books in the New Testament.
9. Page 28, "One doesn't, in Harlem, long remain standing on any auction block." One of many references to
slavery and being treated like a slave still.
10. Page 33, "as Leadbelly and so many others have testified, to ‘rock.'" Huddie Ledbetter, known in the music
world as Lead Belly, was an amazing guitarist who quit school in eighth grade to travel and do music. He
is known as the "King of the 12 string guitar."
11. Page 34, Dostoevski, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian writer, author of "Crime and Punishment" and "The
Brothers Karamazov."
12. Page 38, Elmer Gantry is a film about a con man who poses as a charismatic preacher to be part of a revival
tent group and make money.
13. Page 41, Ham, from the Bible, son of Noah, who steals Noah's blessing meant for his brother; Cain, son of
Adam and Eve, who killed his brother, Abel.
14. Page 41, "waistline parties" were live jazz parties in the 1950s where the entrance fee was based on the size
of the waistline of the woman in the couple.
15. Page 42, "Big Bill Broonzy" (1893-1958), African-American blues singer and songwriter.
16. Page 44, "God is on our side," says Dr. (Hendrick) Verwoerd. Verwoerd was the seventh prime minister of
South Africa and conceived and implemented apartheid, the policy of segregation based on race.
17. Page 47, Honorable Elijah Muhammad (1897-1975). African-American religious leader who led the Nation
of Islam from 1934-1975. Nation of Islam, according to the dictionary, "an organization composed chiefly of
African-Americans, advocating the teachings of Islam and originally favoring the separation of black and
white racial groups in the United States: members are known as Black Muslims."
18. Page 51, "The Tunisians were quite right in 1956" refers to the people of Tunisia achieving independence
from France in 1956.
19. Page 54, "dance at the U.S.O" Stands for United Service Organization, a nonprofit organization that
supports military troops.
20. Page 58, Malcolm X (1925, assassinated in 1965) Civil Rights activist, preacher in Nation of Islam.
21. Page 59, NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, an African-American civil
rights organization.
22. Page 64, Take your burdens to the Lord and leave them there — a gospel song.
23. Page 97, Senator Byrd opposed desegregation and civil rights and was in the Ku Klux Klan. Later changed
his mind.
24. Page 105, "most improbable water wheel the world has ever seen." A metaphor... a waterwheel is an
apparatus to raise water from one level to a higher level.