Freemen and the Chimeras: Abstract Thought from a Passage Written in the Book The Fire Next Time By James Baldwin

Why is death inevitable? Why do people struggle and love? The world is full of questions but the answers we get to these questions can be like Chimeras (illusionary). Chimeras are an illusionary monster, and men that believe in such illusions, such as power and money, lose the possibility of being free.

"Freemen have a responsibility to trust and celebrate things constant, such as death, struggle and love: Apprehend the nature of change, and be able and willing to change" (92). In the Fire Next Time, James Baldwin proposes that all men can be freemen, but only when their freedom is not betrayed by illusions. James Baldwin does not refer to freedom as one would when enslaved or imprisoned. Freedom means the right to know the truth, to believe in what is true, and most importantly the destruction of ignorance.

Freemen, as James writes have the responsibility to celebrate things constant; birth, struggle, death and love are constant. What makes these things constant, and why should they be celebrated? Things that are constant are real in life and in the world. When we are born into this world, it becomes a fact of our existence. Struggle is faced by everyone, and is evidence that we exist and that we are aware of our own existence.

Death too is constant, everyone soon will die and although a memory of us may linger, our existence in the world comes to an end. Love on the other hand is more constant than the first three. Love is constant not only as a form related to ourselves, but as a form of acknowledging another person. When we truly love the feelings, the emotions we have are real. Love can be even constant beyond death; many religions believe in a life after death, a life full of love with God. Even though we are not sure if there is life after death, the faith (love) that we have of it existing is real.

James does not actually mean to have parties for birth, struggle, death and love. He means that we should be aware and enjoy life, love with all our hearts, and struggle for the things we want in our lives. We should be aware that death comes to everyone, and know that we each have a limit, but in knowing that limit, we can challenge it. If we put things that are not constant things that are illusions, then we would never be free, we would be living in a world where only monsters reign, and where we believe there is no limit, when in fact there is.

Things that are not constant, James writes are safety, money or power. These are the main things that take away our freedom. What defines power? In our society power is thought as wealth, influence, and physical strength. Yet, seeking out power gives a sense of someone needing protection, or looking to protect. Money gives power, the more money you have the more protection you can buy. Money is just paper, but again there is this illusion that money is power, and when you have the power you are safe, or can provide safety. How can someone be safe when no one is ever safe from death? Safety, in The Fire Next Time, has a double and with one being false.

First in religion; Safety in church is a way to escape the reality of the "evils" in the world, such as becoming a drug dealers, prostitutes, or robber. James finds safety in the church as a teen. James however, knew that there was falseness in believing in a church just for safety: Especially, when the church was corrupt and preached things contrary to that of the Bible. Safety in the church can not be to hide from the world or to only accept those of that certain church. Safety as James suggests should be freedom.

The Second form of safety, the way that safety should be, is a form of trust, more importantly Love. How can a church be safe when the members are afraid to or forced to love? The church should promote a sense of loving everyone no matter what their race or their skin color, James clearly states that point. Safety also can not be the means to an end, safety can not be constant because we should not need or seek safety all our lives. Safety should not be an illusion, but it when you make things constant that should not be, then it becomes impossible for change to occur and you will be stuck in an illusionary world.

The nature of change is change over time. We get older, and our minds get wiser. However, if we get older, but our minds remain and do not change, then illusions become us. James refers to change as renewal; in each point in our lives there should be a constant renewal. Our ideas, or minds, should renew from the transition from adolescents to adulthood. Renewal is does not just concern age, but also events in our lives that drastically change our lives.

The death of a loved one for example, could make you aware how precious life is. Renewal as James insists helps us become freer. With each change/renewal moment in our lives, we become more aware, no longer ignorant of illusions, and no longer betrayed by the chimeras that we once cling to.

Yes all men are born free, we all do face struggles and difficulties, but instead of relying on false things or illusions, we should rely on the things that are true. Money and power corrupt many people, but we many times need money or power, even safety. Does that mean that we are enslaved in an illusionary world? No, it does not'. We will remain free, only as long as you don't consume yourself and believe that money, power and safety is everything that thing world has to offer. James wants all of us to be aware that the constant things in life are more important, love is more important.

Believing in illusions is in fact being ignorant. Ignorance, not knowing what truly matters in life will keep you from change, renewal, love, and freedom. All men are born free, we are born without illusions. Although illusions are too inevitable, because as humans we do like to dream and have hope; we shouldn't make them our world, we should not cling on to them, because then "The entire possibility-of freedom disappears" (92).