Notes from a Native Son...

I must have to say that I love this reading so much! None of the stories I’ve read so far during the semester have made such an impact on me. “Notes of a Native Son” from James Baldwin is an exquisite piece of art, such a great and detailed essay. I loved it from the first to the last word. The way he relates his relationship with his father, the way death and life came together and his internal fight is exquisite.

I like the way he says “In his outrageously demanding and protective way he loved his children…” This line struck me so much; it reminded me so much of my father. He, just like Baldwin’s dad, was a man of few words. When you grow up with such a father figure you tend to blame his authoritarian attitude to the life experiences he lived before he became a father. You look for a way to justify their hate and resentment.

Having to deal with his father sickness and death without feeling sad about it must have been very difficult to share, but in the end he wished he had one more minute with his dad. His dad died without creating a loving bond with him, that’s the reason why he didn’t feel sad about his death. It must have been so hard to realize he could have had a better relationship with him if his father had different ideals.  “All of my father’s texts and songs, which I had decided were meaningless, were arranged before me at his deathlike empty bottles, waiting to hold the meaning which life would give them to me”  

Like he said, “whiteness and blackness did not matter” it only matter that his dad was dead and with him his hate and resentment died too, the birth of little brother was a new beginning , a new chance to start from zero.