Notes Of A Native Son Essay

Within East of Eden and “Notes of a Native Son” by James Baldwin we examine complex family dynamics existent between father and son. In both examples the relationships carry a bitter and heavy weight for the children; for Cal Trask in East of Eden a determination to prove worthiness of his father’s acceptance fuels the story. In contrast “Notes of a Native Son” tells a tale of understanding and acknowledgment. Baldwin writes “We had got on, partly because we shared, in our different fashions, the vice of stubborn pride”, establishing a feeling of attunement between father and son. A theme which is prevalent throughout the essay. The son describes his father with an eloquent level of acceptance. He asserts his predilection to be contemptuous of [his] father for the conditions of his life, for the condition of [their lives]”. However, Baldwin goes on to explain that while his father was the “most bitter man he had
Trask attempts to gain his father’s love and acceptance through a business venture. He believes that his success will show his father his value and resolve what he perceives to be displacement of love (due to his extreme jealousy of his brother). When he fails he is overwhelmed with bitterness just like his father was. Both Trask and Baldwin turned into their fathers despite their desperate attempts otherwise. Baldwin writes “In his outrageously demanding way he loved his children”. The son knows that his father loves him whereas Cal Trask believes his father does not. Both Baldwin and Trask receive understanding of their fathers bitterness once thrust into the real world. They both experience adversity which molds them into what their fathers had become. The thesis of the movie is that you become who you are from the way you are raised in conjunction with real world experiences. You reach an understanding of others behavior once you have been through it