The New Negro, The Warmth of Other Suns

When reading the many different stories in the Warmth of Other Suns, one of the main themes I recognized was this idea of escaping.  The story of George Swanson Starling depicts a man who is sick of the world that he knows in Wildwood, Florida and will leave at any cost.  He expresses this sentiment through a dismissal of certain setbacks that he must face while on the train.  Starling is dismissive of the segregation on the train as well as unpleasant conditions of sitting in the segregated section of the train.  These conditions usually can be seen as a part of the times and the culture of the south in the 1940s, however, Wilkerson states that “he didn’t let it bother him,” inviting the idea of micro-aggressions or a racial battle fatigue that comes with having to deal with the same things daily.  Getting to his destination was the only thing on Starling’s mind and there was nothing that could be put in his way as a road block, not even his wife.

            It is through this lens that I compare this story to the poem Baptism.  In Baptism, you have a person entering a furnace alone.  The concept of being alone I feel is important to note because Starling is making this trip by himself in hopes of sending for his wife.  There is no aid to him, only a will to protest the injustices of the south via migration.  Baptism also states that this person will enter the “depths of the hottest zone” and “not quiver in the frailest bone”.  I compare this to the part of the story where Starling is noted as being “on the run” and not being able to rest until he’s far away from Lake County.  He’s encountered the depths of the south and lived it and what’s created from that is a man that is not afraid to seek his freedom.  Lastly, Baptism states that the person in this fire will come back a “stronger soul with a finer frame”.  When Starling is headed to New York, he does not know what is ahead of him.  Instead, he realizes that whatever is there, is better for him and will more than likely be better for him and his wife.  Not only is he gaining more opportunity and freedom, but also the dignity that he lost while wrestling for it in the Wildwood.