Notes of a Native Son

Notes of a Native Son, is an essay about hatred. Baldwin was a young man who throughout all his life never had a nice relationship with his father. Baldwin didn’t notice or pay attention to the good things but only what he did not like from his father. From that moment on his only focus was his own life and always carried hate against his father. Baldwin relates his story to Black and White Americans because of the hatred that they had towards each other. There was much violence and many people were hurt because of the bitterness that people held against each other. Baldwin and his father as well as Black and White Americans, never could confront their so called enemies in a social way. They always held their negative feeling towards one another and never tried to fix things.

When Baldwin went to his father’s funeral, he showed no emotions towards his father’s death. This relates to White Americans who hurt Black Americans. They were so ignorant of their ways and of their hatred, that they showed no emotions to the crimes they committed against Blacks. After time, Baldwin realized that he only has one father and he should have never had so much hatred towards him and should have tried to have some kind of close relationship with him. But now his father is dead and Baldwin takes back the long unloved relationship he had. White Americans as well realized the discriminations and crimes that they had committed after so many people were hurt and many of them had died because of their actions.

In conclusion the two different situations in this essay were very much alike in their mistakes but at the end they both realize that their actions were wronged. Baldwin regrets not speaking to his father because of the questions that he needs answers, questions that only his father had the answer to. Most importantly because he never had or will ever have the satisfaction of knowing that he had a close relationship with him.

Respect towards adults

I really enjoy the story “The Code” because it tells how a child was raised that there is much respect to be shown to adults. I believe that this story relates to me a lot because I was raised that same way, there is no way that I could disrespect an adult without being beat by my parents. My parents were always telling me what is acceptable and what was not. I was never allow to go to parties were adults were in and never less give my opinions in adult discussions. I was only allowed to stay quiet and to not dare speak to someone else about what the adults were talking about.

I saw Frankie to be taken advantage in the fact that Auntie Helen’s knew that she could tell her negative opinions on whatever she wanted and Frankie will never reply or answer back to her. I saw Frankie to be a victim of her bitter Auntie Helen’s. From this story I got Auntie Helen’s to have an image of hurting other people in order to make herself feel good and better than the rest of her family and friends. I believe she did that because she was not a pleasant person and in order to get attention she found the easiest way, hurting people feeling.

I found “The Code” to be very interesting. This story made memories of my childhood come to my mind once again. It made me see that it was not only me that was raced in that particular way but also someone else. Most of all I learn that I was not the only one with a mean Auntie that always has something negative coming from their mouth.