A Great Hatred

James Baldwin’s “Notes on a Native Son” tells the story of his life from childhood up to an adult. Ever since he was a young boy, Baldwin has gone through different stages of development1 just trying to get through his life troubled with racism. I believe Baldwin fully understands the hate that racism has brought him, but just hasn’t found a way to rid such a great hatred from his heart. Baldwin’s …

…is. He knows nothing will ever change; whites will always hate blacks, and blacks will always hate whites. Maybe he feels that he has to carry his father’s great hatred with him, or maybe he just doesn’t know how to rid his heart from such hatred. Either way he accepts that the problem will be there. Works Cited Baldwin, James. “Notes on a Native Son.” Primis: The Accommodating Reader. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. 1-16