Purpose

The Collection was Baldwin's first non-fiction book and helped cement his reputation as a powerful stylist offering important social commentary. The central concern of all the essays is race. Baldwin offers insight into his experiences as an African American living both in New York and Europe. Essays like "Everybody's Protest Novel," "Notes of a Native Son," and "Stranger in the Village" are still widely read today because they shed light on how racism functions in America, the psychological and social effects of white supremacy, and possible solutions to these thoroughly ingrained problems.