Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
"Notes of a Native Son" by James Baldwin is a compelling collection of essays that delves into the complexities of race, identity, and personal struggle in mid-20th century America. Baldwin, renowned for both his fiction and nonfiction, uses this work to navigate his experiences as a Black man in a society marked by deep-seated racism and social tension. The essays cover a range of topics, from Baldwin's reflections on his father's death and the anger it incites, to his observations on the dynamics between Black and Jewish communities in Harlem.
Additionally, Baldwin critiques cultural representations of Black life, such as his review of the film "Carmen Jones," which he argues is condescending. His essays also reflect on his time in Europe, where he contrasts the experiences of Black Americans with those of their counterparts in Paris, highlighting moments of personal insight and the varying perceptions of race. Through his acute observations and personal narratives, Baldwin invites readers to confront the realities of his world, encouraging a deeper understanding of the social and emotional landscapes that shape individual identities. This collection remains a significant exploration of race relations and personal identity, resonating with contemporary discussions on these enduring issues.
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Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
First published: 1955
The Work
James Baldwin is a fine novelist, as such works as Go Tell It on the Mountain (1953) and Giovanni’s Room (1956) prove. Many readers consider his nonfiction to be even finer than his fiction. His essays, which may be found in collections such as Notes of a Native Son (1955) and Nobody Knows My Name: More Notes of a Native Son (1852), which Baldwin considers self-righteous and so sentimental as to be dishonest. “Many Thousands Gone” examines Richard Wright’s Native Son (1940), which Baldwin describes as badly flawed. “Carmen Jones: The Dark Is Light Enough” is another biting review, of the Hollywood motion picture musical Carmen Jones (1955). Baldwin says that the film lacks imagination and is condescending to blacks. Part 2 contains three essays. “The Harlem Ghetto” is one of the most powerful, digging into the physical and emotional turmoil of Harlem, including problems between blacks and Jews. “Journey to Atlanta” looks at an African American singing group’s first trip to the South. It is a humorous, cynical, look at the treatment that the group, which included two of Baldwin’s brothers, received. “Notes of a Native Son” examines Baldwin’s anger and despair after his father’s death.
Part 3 contains four essays. “Encounter on the Seine: Black Meets Brown” and “A Question of Identity” are about the feelings and attitudes of Americans in Paris in the 1940’s and 1950’s. “Equal in Paris” is Baldwin’s account of being arrested and jailed, temporarily, in a case involving some stolen sheets that he did not steal. Baldwin describes the insight he had while in the hands of the French police: that they, in dealing with him, were not engaging in the racist cat-and-mouse game used by police in the United States. Finally, “Stranger in the Village” discusses Baldwin’s time in a Swiss village and the astonished curiosity of people who had never seen a black person before. In all these essays, Baldwin explores his world and himself.
Bibliography
Baldwin, James and Sol Stein. Native Sons: A Friendshipo that Created One of the Greatest Works of the Twentieth Century. New York: One World, 2004. A collection of letters and other documentation exchanged between Baldwin and Stein concerning the creation of Notes of a Native Son.
Bigsby, C. W. E. “The Divided Mind of James Baldwin.” In James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Edited by Therman B. O’Daniel. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1977. A lucid discussion of the major themes of some of the essays in Notes of a Native Son, including the centrality of love and suffering, and Baldwin’s resistance to the protest novel.
Campbell, James. Talking at the Gates: A Life of James Baldwin. New York: Viking, 1991. This full biography, by a man who knew Baldwin personally, is especially interesting because it draws on the Federal Bureau of Investigation files kept on Baldwin. Campbell deals frankly with Baldwin’s bisexuality. Included are sixteen pages of photographs.
Collier, Eugenia W. “Thematic Patterns in Baldwin’s Essays.” In James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Edited by Therman B. O’Daniel. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1977. A perceptive discussion of Baldwin’s concerns with freedom in American life, with problems in relationships, and with the growth of identity.
Hughes, Langston. “From Harlem to Paris.” In James Baldwin: A Collection of Critical Views. Edited by Kenneth Kinnamon. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1974. A short and pungent review of Notes of a Native Son by one of the most important African American writers. Interesting for Hughes’s resistance to some of Baldwin’s stinging commentary on racism.
Jarrett, Hobart. “From a Region in My Mind: The Essays of James Baldwin.” In James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Edited by Therman B. O’Daniel. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1977. An insightful thematic discussion of Notes of a Native Son in the context of Baldwin’s later essays. Creative analysis of Baldwin’s rhetoric in “Stranger in the Village.”
Kinnamon, Kenneth, ed. James Baldwin: A Collection of Critical Essays. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1974. In this selection of twelve essays and Kinnamon’s introduction are discussions of several of Baldwin’s major works. Langston Hughes’s review of Notes of a Native Son praises and criticizes the book. F. W. Dupee’s essay looks at Baldwin’s development from Notes of a Native Son through The Fire Next Time. Also included is Eldridge Cleaver’s discussion of Baldwin’s essays from Soul on Ice (1968).
O’Daniel, Therman B. James Baldwin: A Critical Evaluation. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1977. This volume contains essays on Baldwin as novelist, as essayist, as short-story writer, as playwright, and as scenarist, as well as a section on his raps and dialogues and a bibliography. The secondary bibliography is extensive. There are four pieces on Baldwin’s essays.
Porter, Horace A. Stealing the Fire: The Art and Protest of James Baldwin. Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, 1989. Porter gives considerable attention to Baldwin’s essays in order to study the development of his ideas about relating art and social protest. He devotes one chapter to Baldwin’s relationship with Richard Wright.
Pratt, Louis H. James Baldwin. Boston: Twayne, 1978. A useful introduction to Baldwin’s life and works. Chapters 1, 5, and 6 deal in various ways with Baldwin’s essays, including an examination of their artistry. Contains a chronology and an annotated bibliography. Pratt believes that the essays are Baldwin’s major contribution to American letters.
Standley, Fred L. “James Baldwin.” In Dictionary of Literary Biography Yearbook 1987. Detroit: Gale Research, 1988. This obituary article provides an excellent introduction to Baldwin’s career and writings, laying out concisely his major ideas and achievements and summarizing contemporary opinion about Baldwin’s contributions to American literature.
Standley, Fred L., and Nancy V. Burt, eds. Critical Essays on James Baldwin. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1988. This volume is divided into sections including ones on fiction, nonfiction, and drama. The introduction surveys Baldwin’s literary reputation, and the collection opens with a 1979 interview with Baldwin. There are ten essays in the nonfiction section, including pieces by Langston Hughes, Stephen Spender, and Julius Lester. In the general section appear several more essays on Baldwin’s nonfiction work.