Baldwin's Relationship With His Father In The Native Son By James Baldwin

James Baldwin was a great African American essayist. In the story he wrote called “The Native Son” he talked about his father and his relationship with his father. He lived with his family and moves out a year before his father passed. When Baldwin talked about his father he talked about his father being this bitter man that no one liked no even his kids because of the way he handled himself. Although he was a minister and tried to seem like a saint in person his personal life was a different story. On the day his father died which was July 29, 1943 his last child was born she was a girl.

After his father died Baldwin realized that he had no real connection with his father. As a matter of fact he had no with none of his kids all …show more content…
He told him although his white friends could be nice they couldn 't be trusted. There was a diner that baldwin would go to but was never served not only because it was self served but because there was no blacks allowed. All the places were the same they didn 't allow blacks to be there and eventually began to be scared to go anywhere. His last night in Jersey him and a white friend went to the movies and to get a few drinks. They entered a diner and tried to order a burger but the diner did not serve blacks, after making a smart comment about the name of the restaurant he and his friend went on the the streets of harlem and he was attacked by a bunch of whites and they sliced his neck. Although his friend called his name he knew not to touch him for his …show more content…
She began to cry the minute she saw him because she knew he was going to die after the doctor came back they left and in the morning a telegram came saying that he died. Baldwin quickly left after the death of his father and when he returned his baby sister was already born. On the day of his father 's funeral he had nothing to wear he infact he celebrated his birthday with a female friend drinking and contemplating what he would wear that night. He really didn 't want to go to the funeral him or his siblings but they were forced to go. The only one crying was his sister because she would miss him and she generally loved him. The minister that preached at his father 's funeral was one of his friends and he spoke of their father like his father was the best man ever it was hard for the actual family to believe it was the man lying in the casket that they were talking about. Before Baldwins father died he wanted him to become a preacher but he didn 't want to be that, he wanted to be a writer. He remembered that his father asking him that question was the most they ever talked and said that was something awful to remember. After the casket was open the kids were forced one by one to go see their dead father although he felt that was unnecessary his thoughts were overruled. After the funeral he still went