Scan barcode
A review by unladylike
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
4.0
First and foremost this short collection of essays is a scathing review of the white liberal. He is witnessing behaviors leading up to the mid 1950s, but almost everything still applies today to the average liberal American's notions and subsequent ideals or dreams of Blacks.
Secondly, it is an explanation and description of several dilemmas or conundrums for the Black American. I was not familiar with the particular books and films Baldwin reviews in this text, so it ended up not being my favorite of his writings. I am particularly interested in his thoughts on the dynamics between Black and Jewish Americans, which reflects upon the U.S.'s history of oppression tactics more broadly. He states that he does not believe people who are oppressed naturally gain some wisdom or empathy regarding another class of oppressed people (to paraphrase).
Secondly, it is an explanation and description of several dilemmas or conundrums for the Black American. I was not familiar with the particular books and films Baldwin reviews in this text, so it ended up not being my favorite of his writings. I am particularly interested in his thoughts on the dynamics between Black and Jewish Americans, which reflects upon the U.S.'s history of oppression tactics more broadly. He states that he does not believe people who are oppressed naturally gain some wisdom or empathy regarding another class of oppressed people (to paraphrase).