James Baldwin’s piece, “My Dungeon Shook: Letter to My Nephew on the One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation” he points out many important topics and arguments. Baldwin focused on the elements of Bitzers “rhetorical situation” to make his point across. The main argument of this letter was the struggles of African Americans created by the white society. When Baldwin wrote these essays and letters it was during 1963, at the time when the African-American Civil Rights Movement was taking place. The goal of the movement was to end discrimination and segregation. Baldwin made sure to write about this movement in his letter. He let his nephew know that there was discrimination still happening even before his time. For example, Baldwin explained that because he was black, he was already given limits as to how far he would go, not only that but where he lived was an important key to his limits. He was placed by the white people to live in the ghetto, Harlem. Living in Harlem it meant little success. Till this day there are still some stereotypes about Harlem being “ghetto,” which means not a lot of great things happen in that area including the people. Baldwin explains that in the white people’s view, they are inferior and worthless human beings. Baldwin himself had experienced this discrimination. He seen discrimination not only in his neighborhood but he describes to us that his past family members and other African Americans lived through even a harder time. In the time where they were ignored and just put to work. But since then they have tried to succeed.

The audience to this piece of writing is not only African-Americans but the white community. He does speak to the African Americans through this letter that yes, they are experiencing a harsh time for who they are, being black but he points out that sooner or later they have to rise above it, until then they have to fight for their freedom. Although the title of this writing piece has the words, “One Hundredth Anniversary of the Emancipation,” African-Americans still have to fight for their freedom, they are still being discriminated till now. His second audience is the white community. He wants to teach them about what its like being African-American and the problems they endure simply because of their identity.

The constraint in his letter is the time African Americans have to reach their goal, to not be discriminated or be seen less than a human being. The audience are skeptical that these group of people won’t be treated equal just as a white person. To relate this letter to the modern time that constraint was reached slowly. Barack Obama is the first African American to become president of the United States. When he was elected to represent the United States, he represented the Black community. He was shown that they are equal as any white person. Of course, there issues that still need to be resolved, those issues go back to the 1960’s that this century still needs to work on.