James Baldwin’s Quest for Ethics Echoing Leo Tolstoy

Abstract

The paper deals with the ethical principles of James Arthur Baldwin, an outstanding US writer of the mid-20th century, which echo the moral imperatives of Leo Tolstoy. African American writers traditionally displayed great interest in Russian literature, which is connected with the figure of A.S. Pushkin who along with A. Dumas was regarded as a symbol of talent of a person with African roots; visits to Soviet Russia of African American writers, especially of Langston Hughes who significantly influenced Baldwin’s worldview; and their search for creative ideas which they found in Russian literature, like Richard Wright, his mentor in literature. James Baldwin knew literature very well, including Russian literature, and through Martin Luther King, Jr., his friend and leader of the Civil Rights movement, was greatly affected by Tolstoy’s theory of non-resistance to evil, which he not only advocated but also tried to put into practice. The analysis of some of his works shows certain similarities with Leo Tolstoy. This is especially characteristic of his essays and the artistic world of his novels. The comparison of the great Russian writer’s views with the ideas of the most popular African American writer of the mid-20th century can help understand Leo Tolstoy’s role in forming the ideological platform of African American literature more deeply, and, on the other hand, get an insight into the creative laboratory of the writer who became a prophet for his generation whose voice was important for millions of his compatriots.

Keywords

• african american novel
• the black revolution
• moral and ethical views
• the concept of love
• moral self-perfection