"Notes of a Native Son" is an essay written by James Baldwin in 1955. The essay is a reflection on Baldwin's relationship with his father and the events leading up to his father's death. It is also a commentary on race relations in America and the systemic racism that black Americans have faced.
In the essay, Baldwin discusses his childhood and the strained relationship he had with his father. His father was a stern, authoritarian figure who was deeply religious and expected his children to adhere to strict rules and expectations. Baldwin writes about how he rebelled against his father's expectations and how this strained their relationship.
Baldwin also writes about the racism and discrimination that he and other black Americans faced. He talks about the violence and brutality that black people were subjected to, including lynchings and police brutality. He writes about the fear and anger that this racism instilled in him and how it shaped his worldview.
One of the main themes of "Notes of a Native Son" is the idea of identity. Baldwin writes about how he struggled to understand his own identity as a black man in America. He writes about the difficulties of trying to fit into a society that sees him as inferior and how he struggled to find his own sense of self-worth.
Another theme of the essay is the idea of fatherhood and the relationship between fathers and sons. Baldwin writes about the difficulties he faced in trying to understand and connect with his own father and how this shaped his own understanding of fatherhood. He writes about the importance of understanding and forgiveness in the relationship between fathers and sons.
In conclusion, "Notes of a Native Son" is a powerful and thought-provoking essay that addresses issues of race, identity, and fatherhood. It is a poignant reflection on Baldwin's own experiences and a commentary on the racism and discrimination that black Americans have faced throughout history.
Racism And Hatred In James Baldwin's Notes Of A Native Son: [Essay Example], 882 words GradesFixer
I don't know what was going on in my mind, either; I certainly had no conscious plan. One saw it most clearly when he was facing new people and hoping to impress them. Once this disease is contracted, one can never be really carefree again, for the fever, without an instant's warning, can recur at any moment. Baldwin regrets not having chances to talk to his father when alive. The server, practically sounding regretful, disclosed to him that Negroes were not served at this café. So I pretended not to have understood her, hoping to draw her closer.
James Baldwin's Notes of a Native Son Essay example
Music becomes a flow of pure emotion, therefore leaving him satisfied with his mode of transmitting his emotions to an audience. I saw nothing very dearly but I did see this: that my life, my real life, was in danger, and not from anything other people might do but from the hatred that I carried in my own heart. The best thing was to have as little to do with them as possible. But he looked to me, as I grew older, like pictures I had seen of African tribal chieftains: he really should have been naked, with war paint on and barbaric mementos, standing among spears. Here, he experiences an awakening.
James Baldwin's Notes Of A Native Son
At the outset, Baldwin accepts the fact that his father was only trying to look out for him, but deep down, he cannot help but feel that his father was imposing his thoughts and experiences on him. Given scrambled pieces of evidence, we arrange them like puzzle pieces… into a narrative. Even the confused of souls serve the purpose of design; spiritually speaking. This is where the problem begins. Writing gave him a tool to find ways to express the unthinkable and unsayable. Baldwin spoke with the frankness of a man who knew that he had nothing to lose by simply being himself.
James Baldwin and His Notes of a Native Son
Reading some passages, it seemed impossible for people to behave that way. It was bigotry and it was a truly horrible ignorance. I did not know what I had done, and I shortly began to wonder what anyone could possibly do, to bring about such unanimous, active, and unbearably vocal hostility. However, after the loss of the father, Baldwin explored locations where a waitress denied him service due to the color of his skin, forcing him to convey his exasperation by throwing water on her. If it ever entered his head to bring a surprise home for his children, it was, almost unfailingly, the wrong surprise.
