Dead father
In one of the essays, Baldwin mentions the day when his father died and when he went to see his body at the funeral. Baldwin describes him lying in a coffin, "all shriveled and still, like a little black monkey.” This memorable imagery contrasts with previous descriptions of his father as king-like and both very dark-skinned and beautiful.
Harlem riot of 1943
On the day of his father's funeral, Baldwin sees the aftermath of the Harlem race riot. He describes a "wilderness of smashed plate glass." The image of sheets, glass, cereal, and sardines in the street is described as apocalyptic, both like and unlike the Christian apocalypse in which his father believed.
Bitterness
At several points across the essays, Baldwin describes the "bitterness" that racism in America causes for black people. This is also related to the imagery of "sickness" and "fever" that these experiences create.
Prison
In "Equal in Paris," Baldwin offers long descriptions of the conditions in the French prison where he spent a week after being accused of stealing a bedsheet. The cold, dark, lice-filled, prison cell Baldwin shared with other prisoners has a pit toilet in the center and straw pallets for sleeping. The grimness of these surroundings illustrates the despair Baldwin feels over being suddenly trapped.
