Analyzing Notes of a Native Son Essay -- James Baldwin

Analyzing Notes of a Native male childJames Baldwin is a highly renowned African-American essay source who is best known for his ability to interweave narrative and argument into telegraphic well-written essays. He had his first book published at the early progress of 19 and has published some astounding literature during the time of civilised rights activism. He succeeded himself to rise out of his poverty to become an amazing source through self-determination and courage. In his essay entitled, Notes of a Native pass interchange, Baldwin does an excellent job making routine of binaries and repetition of words and phrases as well as switching back and forth from narrative to analysis. He also cleverly connects his progressively raising maturity and understanding of the dry land to the unique style in which Baldwin writes throughout his work. We will now dissect this essay and see how Baldwin uses special writing techniques to make for a real powerful and meaningful compo sition.The essay starts strongly with Baldwin providing insightful narrative in order to set the stage of his writing. By the second page of his essay, Baldwin has already developed his first binary. He emphasizes the benighted/ tweed relationship. He continually refers to the darkness of his father and how his father was a proud, beautiful and powerful black man in his day (Baldwin 64). He then tells of his discovery of how white people helped to kill his father (65). Soon after, Baldwin addresses another binary, this one world aliveness and goal. His mother realizes that it was James father who kept the family alive (66). all(a) the while, Baldwins father is slowly dying. Another example of the life/death binary occurs when Baldwin acknowledges that his father had spent too much of his ener... ...ather really is as a person and is ready to express his inner feelings to his father.At the determination of the essay, a strong message is conveyed. Baldwin learns that love, whic h is synonymous to his constant use of the word hatred, must prevail and that with love, acceptance and equal power can eventually be attained (84). He also says that bitterness is pointless and that life and death are far more important and significant than the black/white power struggle. The end of the essay closes gracefully because Baldwin has now revealed the use of his writing techniques of Notes of the Native Son and he has also fully develop and is now able to see his father in a optimistic light for the very first time in his life.Works CitedBaldwin, James. Notes of a Native Son. 1955. James Baldwin Collected Essays.Ed. Toni Morrison. New York Library of America, 1998. 63-84.