The Fire Next Time Characters

The Fire Next Time is written from the perspective of the author himself, James Baldwin, an African-American who was born into poverty in Harlem in 1924. Known as a writer of both literary and intellectual… read analysis of James Baldwin

James Baldwin’s fourteen-year-old nephew. James bears a striking resemblance to his father, the author’s brother, and even exhibits, according to Baldwin, a similar personality: a tendency to act aggressively in order to not appear… read analysis of James

James Baldwin’s stepfather, to whom he never refers by name, and with whom he had a contentious and even bitter relationship. As a teenager, Baldwin views his father as a relentless authority figure dominating… read analysis of Baldwin’s Father

The leader of the Nation of Islam, a religious black separatist group. Although Baldwin disagrees with Elijah’s belief that all whites are “devils” and that the future of the world includes only black people, he… read analysis of Elijah Muhammad