Stranger in the Village

Baldwin makes his argument in a prose essay. An argumentative essay, like Baldwin’s, is a text in which the author takes a certain position and attempts to establish their claim (usually against contrary evidence). In the case of “Stranger in the Village,” Baldwin makes numerous claims that contribute to his concluding argument: “This world is white no longer, and it will never be white again” (129). The naïveté with which Baldwin was met in the Swiss village at the beginning of the essay no longer applies to American society. Baldwin supports his claims using critical analysis, experiential evidence, historical facts, and personal anecdote. Argumentative essays often begin by stating the thesis, whereas Baldwin opts for a more personal initial anecdote that leads into his argument. Baldwin’s effective use of argumentation in this essay suggests that the American context has changed both Black people and white people; all of his evidence can be understood in terms of his concluding paragraph.