How does James Baldwin's "The Creative Process" connect to American literature's authors?

Any American literature authors, such as Smith, Bradford, Edwards, Jefferson, Franklin, Irving, Hawthorn, Melvillle, Poe, Oates, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Hurston, etc... thank you!

How does James Baldwin's "The Creative Process" connect to American literature's authors?
I don't know which quote works best for your essay, but one that stood out for me was where Baldwin wrote; "The artist cannot and must not take anything for granted, but must drive to the heart of every answer and expose the question the answer hides. We know, in the case of the person, that whoever cannot tell himself the truth about his past is trapped in it, is immobilized in the prison of his undiscovered self. This is also true of nations. " It is that last sentence in particular, which makes the connection for your question here, I think. Which American authors for you, stand out as either telling the truth about the nation's past or leave it shrouded in undiscovery? What questions do they seek to drive to the heart of, and which do they leave unturned and why? Which American authors do you see as most strongly contributing to telling the truth about the nation's past or which do you see as helping to keep the nation trapped in the past? I think you can probably find a connection with every author you list. It's just a matter of choosing. I'll give you one brief example:


At a time where America is just coming into nationhood, Franklin seeks to answer the questions of a growing country through his autobigraphy. His writing is epistolary, wherein he writes to the young men as up and coming citizens of the country, instructing them on what they can do to become good citizens. He contrasts his own positive examples with negative ones and in doing so, sets himself up as a paternal figure to be emulated in replacement for the maternal ( mother country- England) they must war against and reject in order to claim independence. Depending on your take on Franklin, you can end your claim either way. If you agree he answered questions about America's past and got to the heart of the issues, then you show how and where and give more examples. If you disagree, you claim the maternal/ paternal set up was a false dichotomy and neglected to answer the questions for all peoples and future citizens of America and show how and where it neglected to answer questions about their past. Give specific examples. Good luck!

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