James Baldwin’s Critique of the Social Condition Essay -- James Baldwi

James Baldwins Critique of the Social Condition James Baldwin was an Afri stub American writer who, through his own person-to-person experiences and life, addressed issues such as race, sexuality, and the American identity. Notes of a Native Son is one of many essays that Baldwin wrote during his lifetime. Within this essay, Baldwin talks about when his father died and the events that roll outd rough it. His fathers death occurs in the early 1940s, where oppression and racism were still fairly prevalent in many cities across the nation. So amidst the events that revolve around Baldwins fathers death, there are many riots and beatings taking place. This essay is simply not a recollection of what Baldwin experienced in the past, but it challenges, critiques, and tries to understand the current social condition of the time. He does this by recalling his personal experiences to draw the reader in and as a result of that, can begin to construct an analysis of the so cial condition. Baldwin weaves in and out of his personal experiences and private reasons to give the reader both a small and large office of what is going on at the time. Its important for the reader to have a small, personal perspective so they can connect with the emotions Baldwin expresses. At the equal time a large general perspective is needed because it shows the reader that Baldwins experiences, although unique, is connected to a larger group of people, that in one dash or another, his plight is the plight of many. Baldwin effectively implements this method when he says All of Harlem, indeed, seemed to be infected by waiting (73). This sentence is placed in amid two moments. Prior to this sentence, Baldw... ...bat the poison with it, perhaps poison should be fought with poison (78). Through his own experiences, Baldwin is able to highlight the social condition that he was surround with during that period. Through skillful use of w ords and transition, Baldwin was able to indirectly question and analyze the social condition without losing the interest of the reader. By moving back and away from a personal experience to a public condition, Baldwin makes the essay very powerful and very effective in getting his points across. What is also successful about Baldwins method is that it captures the readers attention and forces them to look deeper and understand what it is he truly is talking about.Works CitedBaldwin, James. Notes of a Native Son. 1955. James Baldwin Collected Essays. Ed.Toni Morrison. New York program library of America, 1998. 63-84.