James Baldwin: "Notes of a Native Son"

In the story, "Notes of a Native Son", written by James Baldwin is about a father and son relationship towards the hatred of race relations in midcentury America. James Baldwin was born in Harlem of 1942 and he was a preacher. He and his father had an odd relationship. They did not get along and the only spoken words that he could remember were when his father had asked him, you would rather write than preach?" His father was also a preacher who knew everything from Louis Armstrong to Sodom and Gamorrah. His father hated the way things were going in Harlem because he grew up where violence and hatred between blacks and whites took place. His father always had his guard up especially when it came to the Whites. He could not trust or surround himself around them because he had felt they could not be trusted. He also told the narrator that his white friends are not his true friends and that they would do anything to keep a black person down. Coming from this, the narrator could not believe his words because he thought they were descent people. However, one day after the fourth visit of a restaurant, he had noticed that Black or Negros were not to be served. From this he realized, that the Whites were no longer descent people.

Though the narrator did not have a good memory about his father, he wished he knew his father the way others felt about him. Living in Harlem and his father saying hatred things on Whites that were true were difficult between their relationships. It made it difficult for them to agree on things and to really have a father and son relationship. His father was born in New Orleans and was of the first generation of free men so he knew the result of violence toward hatred between blacks and whites. The narrator concluded that even if he and his father had their differences, he had learned to abide to his actions and to have found the reasons why people cling on to their hates. It is because they sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with the pain. He had realized that his father wanted to show him off before the members of the church and that he had not been cruel. This relates to his relationship towards his father because the blacks and whites will always have their differences and that hatred will continue to grow. Also, the most important thing is mankind; to appreciate the things that are in front of you because once it is gone, it is gone forever. His father had died of Tuberculosis and for the sake of the narrator; it was hard seeing his father lying in the casket because he knew they did not have a close relationship. The narrator wished that he could have known his father so that he could get answers but now it is in the hands of his future.

Reflection: The Code

In the story, “The Code” by Frankie Lennon, I liked how the narrator had a lot of aunts and how she was respected by “The Code.” The Code was based on living through customs, rules, and values. My family had our own customs, rules, and values that was restricted on me until the day I die. Since, the narrator had an aunt who she disliked, I had an aunt who I loved but disapproved of my actions. I had an aunt who did not mind taking care of me while my mom was at work. However, she tried to do things her way but she was also respected by our family customs, rules, and values. Things changed dramatically when I started attending high school.

I was a sophomore in high school and I was already under the influence in going out and coming home late. My friends were always at my house during the weekdays and these actions made my aunt think that I was a bad girl or someone who was not respecting the customs, rules, and values made upon the household I was living in. At that time, I did not care what was going through her mind because who was she to judge me. One day, I was frustrated because I had heard news coming from my younger brother that she was talking garbage behind my back. I felt that I was disrespected because coming from an aunt in whom I adored and respected were saying things to random people such as our neighbors about my business. I decided to tell my mom about it and she had a talk with my aunt. My aunt denied the whole thing but my mom had believed me because there were similar stories in the past due to this type of situation. I had wanted to confront her about it and I wanted to tell her that I wasn't someone who was sleeping around and not care about my family customs. But since I was brought up by my family’s customs, rules, and values, I was learned to stick with it and keep it in the back of my head. Some customs, rules, and values that I had to abide were to act as a mature young woman at all times, respect my elders, appreciate things from my elders and to not talk back in any circumstance.

In the story, “The Code”, the narrator’s aunt in which she disliked was still living under a bitter end of the code, though she was living a good life. My aunt was strict and she wanted things her way. As of today, my aunt is in the same exact place, but she got other things to worry about besides me living each day as a lesson. I still adore and respect her because of the things she has done for me but by the end of the day, it is about her who I have to worry about.