“Notes of a Native Son,” by James Baldwin describes the relationship between him and his father. The author also relates their relationship with the relationship between black and white America. Baldwin felt his relationship with his father was frightening. He also felt that being around a society that hates African Americans was also frightening. After reading parts 1 and 2 of the essay I can see how these two relationships were similar.
Baldwin was frightened of his dad’s bitterness. “I had discovered the weight of white people in the world. I saw that this had been for my ancestors and now would be an awful thing to live with, and that bitterness which had helped to kill my father could also kill me.” Baldwin’s relationship with his dad was very frightening because his dad was always bitter. This bitterness came from hating white people all his life. Before the father dies he tells Baldwin to never trust a white person because they would do anything to bring a Negro down. This relates to the relationship between black and white America because later on in the story Baldwin faces this experience. When Baldwin moves to New Jersey he experiences segregation. Baldwin felt that he was living in a nightmare when a mob of white people were chasing after him. He explains in the story that it was a frightening experience to face segregation. Baldwin starts to become very bitter towards white people and starts to have an internal disease just like his father.
The author relates the relationship between what was going on inside his household to what was going on outside his household because they were both frightening. Overall I enjoyed reading parts 1 and 2 of the essay. I am going to continue to read part 3 because I want to know if Baldwin overcomes these challenges that he is facing.
1 comment:
I enjoyed reading you blog about Baldwin’s essay. I liked how you related Baldwin’s relationship with his father and the relationship with black and white Americans as both frightening. I too agree that they were both frightening situations especially during the time this essay took place. I could relate to this essay because my father is also biter and sometimes acts childish. I am happy to say that I do not have a bad relationship with my father and am very luck to not have people judging me. I liked that we both enjoyed the essay and both realized that the relationships were frightening
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