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.
4 comments:
This sounds like an interesting essay about how they held their negative feeling towards one another.I enjoyed reading your blog.
I agree, Baldwin and his father were both not able to confront each other. Like the "whites" they both had to much pride. I really enjoyed reading your essay.
I really like the way you gave details and examples about the story, and how you compare the relationships between the Whites and Blacks and the relationship between Baldwin and his father. I agree how Baldwin’s father impressions were on the Whites and how Baldwin realized that having to view society in his father’s point of view wasn’t worried it and he had to view it in his own vision. I really like the story and your essay.
Though Baldwin, did not have a close relationship with his father, he knew in the end why, his father had told him that the Whites could not be trusted. His father knew about the violece of hatred between the blacks and whites but Baldwin did not see it coming until he was exposed as he got older. I also enjoyed reading your blog.
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