Talk:Go Tell It on the Mountain (novel)

message: Where does the title come from? Is it biblical?--Shtove 20:10, 1 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: it comes from the negro spiritual song, based on the biblical practice of go out on mountains and possibly alluding to the "Sermon on the Mount". :: Kevinalewis : (Talk Page)/(Desk) 08:35, 12 September 2006 (UTC)
thread_title:  Title 

message: My reading of the climactic scene is that John is attracted to the church because he has a crush on Elisha though he does not admit this even to himself (ie. he is still closeted).  He does not expect to be taken over by 'the spirit' because he does not really believe but only subconsciously desires to be close to Elisha.  When he does find himself writhing at Elisha's feet he is amazed and finally admits to himself that he is attracted to men and that Elisha is not going to meet his meeds because he is straight and a 'Saint.'  Of course this provides Baldwin with a rich comparison between religious and sexual ecstasy.
After this climactic scene, John comes into his own power, he rejects religion and he sees the behaviour of the 'Saints' as an expression of various subconscious desires.  This changes the whole theme of the book from pro- to almost anti-religion and makes it a major turning point in both LGBT and African American literature.  It makes this novel much more 'gay' than Giovanni's Room and certainly more that Another Country.  This theme is actually revisited in a later novel about a male gospel group (forgot the name).  You could even say it explains where Baldwin got the power to be the person he became in culture and politics.
I am surprised to find myself to be the person who is promoting Go Tell It.. as a gay coming out novel.  If you thought Giovanni's Room was cutting edge, this is a revelation in that the intention of the author, which I see as conscious though discreet, has still not even been given recognition all these years later.  Please reread the novel with this perspective and let me know if I am dreaming this 
interpretation which I have held since I read the book twenty years ago.  Thanks  —Preceding unsigned comment added by 142.110.227.98 (talk) 18:51, 27 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Coming Out 

message: Add your sources below, by author's last name. --168.16.180.157 (talk) 16:27, 21 January 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Annotated Bibliography 

message: Throughout Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain there are notions of exile African Americans relating to the Israelites exile in the Bible. John's father, Gabriel is a Pentecostal preacher who does not always practice what he preaches. The father takes the slavery of Jewish people in the Bible and relates it to the oppression and slavery of Africans. Ivy.sapp (talk) 01:13, 25 April 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  Community and Exile 

message: I am planning to give this page a refresh as I have time over the next few days/weeks.  I have initially restructured the article into more coherent sections and plan to give each section a re-working for a more encyclopedic style.  I've read the book but am not a subject matter expert and am not particularly familiar with the secondary literature, so I will try to retain and enhance the material that is already here.   -- InspectorTiger (talk) 16:30, 1 February 2022 (UTC)
replies: text: Basically done with what I'm going to do.  I hope to give it a good copy edit in the near future but doubt i will make more substantive changes.  -- InspectorTiger (talk) 15:35, 15 February 2022 (UTC)
thread_title:  February 2022 Refresh 

message: Why in the world do we need to explain the plot in such detail? Is it really encyclopedic to do so? What encyclopedic necessity is being fulfilled with that? Seriously.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.226.162.58 (talk) 03:11, 12 May 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  What is this? Cliff Notes?