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A review by arkwen452
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
Second Baldwin read this year and it was an audiobook again ðŸ˜. Have to remember to get an ebook so I can annotate better. These are my immediate thoughts after reading this book.
Like most people, I always find Baldwin's work to be deeply reflective descriptive and poignant to the time when he writes these pieces and our present day. In the beginning, it felt like he was drawing parallels to not only pieces of literature and society, but also to the Points of his young adulthood, and his time in Paris. I found that he expresses his shifts in perspective and motivations very clearly in this book when it came to how he was realizing, and set instances how the white world perceived him; and also how his father perceived him.
I feel like the relationship between him and his father is a continuous theme in his writing as Baldwin expresses that their relationship wasn't the best, and in some instances is described as if they didn't have a relationship at all.
I liked how described his chapter in Paris, and part three of the book where it was as if he was rediscovering his position in a white society, but it was from the perspective of him being simply an American in Paris, rather than an American black man. As an American black man, he knew the role he played or the role he was expected to play as opposed to being in Paris, and being locked up for the simple small crime of being a possession of a stolen item that he didn't even steal himself.
Part one when he was talking about the parallels between literature, and how black Americans are seen in society, or perceived in society as these devilish, dirty and subhuman categories, he decisively constructs the identity of the black American, as being something so on known to the white American, besides the stereotypes that they made up of them.
And it's clear that those stereotypes still exist today; in the sense that there is a notion that we are certain way, when it comes to how we act how we live, how we talk, how we laugh, and how we perceive situations. Instead of really accepting the fact that our reactions Are usually the results of our environment and how society particularly the white American society perceives us. And something still very powerful and present in today's society when it comes to politics that I really appreciate when drawing attention to was how the black American becomes important when it comes to politics because of our numbers, and if they are allowed or able to influence us to support them, then that gives them , a lead in the polls.
But in the same time they make these false empty promises just to get our vote but it's not in the sense that they actually care for us or that they intend to hold up their end of these promises it is simply the matter of using us to meet their ends.
**A not so book related rant: Especially today in 2024 where I believe more than half the world is going to be at this intense voting when it comes to politics there has been this very strong pool to get that only black American votes but also other minority votes to swing in a specific Direction. It's just that it's clear that politics has not caught up to what society these communities actually want to see from his politicians.
Like most people, I always find Baldwin's work to be deeply reflective descriptive and poignant to the time when he writes these pieces and our present day. In the beginning, it felt like he was drawing parallels to not only pieces of literature and society, but also to the Points of his young adulthood, and his time in Paris. I found that he expresses his shifts in perspective and motivations very clearly in this book when it came to how he was realizing, and set instances how the white world perceived him; and also how his father perceived him.
I feel like the relationship between him and his father is a continuous theme in his writing as Baldwin expresses that their relationship wasn't the best, and in some instances is described as if they didn't have a relationship at all.
I liked how described his chapter in Paris, and part three of the book where it was as if he was rediscovering his position in a white society, but it was from the perspective of him being simply an American in Paris, rather than an American black man. As an American black man, he knew the role he played or the role he was expected to play as opposed to being in Paris, and being locked up for the simple small crime of being a possession of a stolen item that he didn't even steal himself.
Part one when he was talking about the parallels between literature, and how black Americans are seen in society, or perceived in society as these devilish, dirty and subhuman categories, he decisively constructs the identity of the black American, as being something so on known to the white American, besides the stereotypes that they made up of them.
And it's clear that those stereotypes still exist today; in the sense that there is a notion that we are certain way, when it comes to how we act how we live, how we talk, how we laugh, and how we perceive situations. Instead of really accepting the fact that our reactions Are usually the results of our environment and how society particularly the white American society perceives us. And something still very powerful and present in today's society when it comes to politics that I really appreciate when drawing attention to was how the black American becomes important when it comes to politics because of our numbers, and if they are allowed or able to influence us to support them, then that gives them , a lead in the polls.
But in the same time they make these false empty promises just to get our vote but it's not in the sense that they actually care for us or that they intend to hold up their end of these promises it is simply the matter of using us to meet their ends.
**A not so book related rant: Especially today in 2024 where I believe more than half the world is going to be at this intense voting when it comes to politics there has been this very strong pool to get that only black American votes but also other minority votes to swing in a specific Direction. It's just that it's clear that politics has not caught up to what society these communities actually want to see from his politicians.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent