Reviews of Notes of a Native Son Essay - 1238 Words

Reviews of Notes of a Native Son Notes of a Native Son, a widely acclaimed and celebrated book by James Baldwin was subjected to many reviews upon its first publication. There were many opposing views between reviewers but almost all came to the conclusion that Baldwin’s use of words was extremely eloquent and intelligent. Specifically an article titled â€Å"Rage unto Order† by Dachine Rainer was very adamant about Baldwin’s genius as a writer but hardly did anything to explain or exemplify that fact. Another review written by Langston Hughes reflects upon how Baldwin clings to the issue of racial discrimination on Negroes and that if he let go of that fact it would prove him to be a greater writer. In the third article the author tries to†¦show more content†¦Why â€Å"Equal in Paris† should be mentioned as the strongest is not explained. â€Å"Many Thousands Gone† was described as being weak because Baldwin â€Å"psychologically repudiates his blackness to so alarming an extent that the piece reads like a literary schizophrenia.† That however, doesn’t raise much of an explanation or give any detail on the cause for such a statement. One of the most predominant themes in the article mentioned by the author pertains to Baldwin being an exceptional writer. She says, â€Å"His virtues are so great that one can make light of Mr. Baldwin’s weaknesses† (Commonweal 384). The author even goes so far as to say he is the most perceptive Negro writing today and the most eloquent, surpassing even Ralph Ellison and Richard Wright. It is understood Baldwin’s writing skills are great and that he is a Negro but there is never really any point made or any examples given throughout. In all there were one analyses and one comment made upon a particular essay so one might ask themselves of this article, â€Å"What is your point?† Hughes’ review opens with expectations of a fabulous artist mentioning untouchables like William Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Rembrandt. Following the passage, the review compares James Baldwin’s ability to write with the writings of these masters as a way to almost humble the efforts of Baldwin as if to not glorify him. Hughes then counters by saying that the quality of James’ writingShow MoreRelatedThe American Dream By Edgar Allan Poe1476 Words   |  6 Pagesthoughts, then; the second section following mostly his aunt s, then the third is his father s. The fourth follows his mother s thoughts, and then again back to John s. By 1948, he was regularly publishing book reviews essays in periodicals such as New Leader, Commentary, and Partisan Review. When the strain of being a Black man amongst Whites and a homosexual amongst heterosexuals (He was at one point engaged to be married) became too much, Baldwin left the United States to join friends in exile toRead MoreEssay on Clendinnen: Book Review of Ambivalent Conquests1243 Words   |  5 PagesBook Review Ambivalent Conquests: Maya and Spaniard in Yucatan, 1517-1570 Inga Clendinnen book, Ambivalent Conquests: Maya and Spaniard in Yucatan, 1517-1570 is centered on the Spanish incursion of the Yucatan Peninsula, affects on Mayan civilization, and the Spanish struggles in controlling these people. In the beginning, Clendinnen focus here attention on the initial attempts and then eventual success of the Spaniards to solidify themselves within the Yucatan Peninsula. She goes into a detailedRead More Comparing Black Elk Speaks and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fist Fight in Heaven1679 Words   |  7 PagesFistFight in Heaven      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Traditionally, Native American Literature has been an oral genre. Although Native American Literature was the first American literature created, it has been the last to be recognized -and, to some extent, is still waiting for full recognition (www.usc.edu). With the Indian being forced to assimilate, their literature was forced to take on a written form. Although the traditional way of storytelling has changed, Native American Literature has survived. In its writtenRead MoreThe Impact of James Baldwins Writing on the Civil Rights Movement1323 Words   |  5 PagesStates. In a ten year period that also coincides with the most significant changes in the Civil Rights movement Baldwin published three collections of essays that fueled the fire that propelled the movement. These three essay collections: Notes of a Native Son (Baldwin) (1955), Nobody Knows My Name (Baldwin, Nobody Knows My Name) (1961) and The Fire Next Time (Baldwin, The Fire Next Time) (1963) each provided a perspective on the plight of Black Americans that was personal and insightful. BaldwinsRead MoreNotes Of A Native Son By James Baldwin1661 Words   |  7 Pages James Baldwin, Notes of a Native Son (originally appeared in Harper’s, 1955) â€Å"I had never thought of myself as an essayist,† wrote James Baldwin, who was finishing his novel Giovanni’s Room while he worked on what would become one of the great American essays. Against a violent historical background, Baldwin recalls his deeply troubled relationship with his father and explores his growing awareness of himself as a black American. Some today may question the relevance of the essay in our braveRead MoreEssay on Navajo Code Talkers in WW21719 Words   |  7 Pagescode talkers were an influential piece to the success of the United States forces in the Pacific. Thus had it not been for the Native Americans that volunteered to be code talkers, there might not have been such a drastic turn around in the fighting of the Pacific Theatre. Prior to the use of the Navajo language as code there had only been one other instance when a native language had been used as code. It was used once in the First World War but instead of it being the language of the Navajo IndiansRead MoreTalking At The Gates : A Life Of James Baldwin1297 Words   |  6 PagesHoetis, the founding editor of Zero magazine was sitting next to Richard Wright.   They later became friends and Baldwin called him â€Å" the best African American writer in the world.† James Baldwin wrote the book â€Å" Notes of a Native Son† which rooted from Richard Wright’s book â€Å" Native Son.† In the third section â€Å" A Severe Cross,† James Baldwin said he will always consider himself as greatly privileged. Baldwin was present at the first attempt to desegregate Southern schools, but he was only there toRead MoreA Study On Cerritos College793 Words   |  4 Pagesapproximately twenty-three thousand students and graduates app roximately 1330 students annually. The student population is majority minority with an approximately 72 percent of the student body being Hispanic, African American, Pacific Islander, and Native Indian. Also, Cerritos College is accredited by the Western Association of School and Colleges. Interestingly, Cerritos College was in a warning status in April of 2015 but received full accreditation on June 3, 2015, after addressing issues notedRead More Reparations for Slavery and Discrimination - Just Say NO Essay example1018 Words   |  5 PagesReparations for Slavery and Discrimination - Just Say NO If you are the son of a man who had a wealthy estate and you inherit your fathers estate, you have to pay off the debts that your father incurred before he died. The only reason that the present generation of white Americans are in a position of economic strength...is because their fathers worked our fathers for over 400 years with no pay...We were sold from plantation to plantation like you sell a horse, or a cow, or a chicken, or a bushelRead More Bigger Thomas, of Native Son and Tupac Shakur Essay6110 Words   |  25 PagesTimes headline, Rap Performer Who Personified Violence, Dies, suggested Shakur, who was twenty five when he died, deserved his untimely death. - (Pareles, 1996) A product of a fatherless home, raised poor in the ghettos of San Francisco, Shakur, notes Ernest Harding of the L.A. Weekly, lived in a society that still didnt view him a[s] human, that projected his worst fears onto him; [so] he had to decide whether to battle that or embrace it. (Hardy, 1996) As the se fears forced Shakur into a corner