Notes of A Native Son by James Baldwin

               Authors often use writing as a way to cope with painful aspects within their lives. In the essay, Notes of A Native Son, American novelist James Baldwin recounts his complex relationship between himself and his recently deceased father. Growing up in Harlem during the racially charged 1950’s, Baldwin had resented his father from an early age. A strict, fire and brimstone preacher, his dad showed little appreciation for him and others including his family. It is only at his funeral in which he attempts to reevaluate his father does Baldwin realizes the effect of racial discrimination on both their lives and interactions.
               Baldwin's depiction of his relationship with his father while he was alive is full of loathing and detest for him. Using anecdotes, he is able to share with the defining moments of both his and his fathers past. One story of his father’s relationship with his teacher gave much insight into the origins of their problems. Despite Baldwin’s teacher helping him in school and getting him engaged in drama, his father, “Never trusted her Baldwin, 224)” due to her being Caucasian.  His lack of acceptance of different races and his un-resolving anger was critical in leading the author discussing his father’s personal struggle with racism.
               The stories also revealed some of the heartwarming aspects of their relationship. As a child, the only time Baldwin’s dad was ever was proud of him was he sang at church. His usual cold, distant persona changed and, “he had always grinned with pleasure when my solo’s ended (Baldwin, 234.)” Baldwin cannot help but feel that his father was imposing his thoughts on him. On the other hand, moments like these show how father does have genuine love for him. Without these stories, readers would not have the tools needed to fully understand the complexity of their relationship. While it may not be the most exciting, the essay provides the audience with thoughtful material that can capture the anger, fear, and ultimately, forgiveness that occurs in their relationship.


Book- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Robert Atwan. The Best American Essays of the Century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Print.
Image- http://www.splicetoday.com/politics-and-media/james-baldwin-and-ferguson

Family is  forever.  Social injustice isn't.

No Name Women by Maxine Hong Kingston

The first chapter of Professor Maxine Hong Kingston novel, No Name Women is a powerful memoir of centered on the author’s own experience growing up as a Chinese-American women in 20th century.  Told as a cautionary tale, Kingston’s mother tells her the story of her aunt from China—who is referred to only as ‘No-Name Woman.’ When she was about to give birth to an illegitimate child, the people of the Chinese village ransacked the aunt’s home. Disowned and shamed by her family, Kingston’s aunt left the village and gave birth alone in a pigsty. The next morning, Kingston mother goes to collect water only to find her sister-in-law has committed suicide by throwing herself and her child down into the well.

Confused by the stories lack of details, Kingston rewrites her mother’s original tale, creating the impetus for why No-Name Woman committed adultery. At first she claims that, “Some man had her to lie with him and be his secret evil (Kingston. 386)” Later, Kingston goes on to say her aunt could of, “liked his the question-mark line of a long torso curbing at the shoulder (Kingston. 387)” and thus gave up her honor for lust. In either situation, this use of juxtaposition allows the reader to gain a deeper understand of who the aunt may have been and what Chinese society was like.

In addition, the essay is written in narrative form. It jumps back forth between past and present, fact and fiction, Kingston's life and the village in which her aunt lived. While her aunt lived in a strict, stark household, the author “did frivolous things (Kingston. 385.)” and had a typical American childhood. It allows us gain perspective. We not only learn of the authors struggle between the world of Chinese customs and her new, permissive American environment- but we gain empathy for the nameless relative engulfed in a society focused on survival. All in all, the No Name Women does a successful job at capturing both the attention, as well as the sympathy, from any reader.

Book- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Robert Atwan. The Best American Essays of the Century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Print.

Image- http://kellymaryonette.deviantart.com/art/No-Name-Woman-141688627

Gone but never forgotten?

Insert Flap “A” and Throw Away by S.J Perelman

Celebrated author, S. J. Perelman is one of the most defining humorists in American literature and film. Often featured in The New Yorker, Perelman published numerous satirical essays during the chaotic war-torn 1940’s, one of them being Insert Flap A and Throw Away. Perfecting capturing the frustration every adult faces when trying to put furniture together, the essay follows the turbulent and seemingly ridiculous struggle a grown faces as he tries to assemble a simple child toy- a ‘Self Running 10 Inch Scale Model Delivery Kit’.
Throughout the essay, Perelman adopted a sarcastic tone as a way to mock the situation. While he builds a shelf, he describes it as, “ procurable at any department superstore or neighborhood insane asylum (Perelman, 186.)” Later, as he attempts to build a train, he goes on to tell the reader the greatly exaggerated process he faced. “The theory of the kit was simplicity itself, easily intelligible to Jettering of General Motors, Professor Millikan, or any first rate physicist (Perelman, 187.)”
In his use of humor, Perelman often incorporates wit as a way to tie everything together and show the fathers devolving. As the father begins getting more and more frustrated about the children’s toy, he begins devolving to the point where he destroys the toy. Despite his erratic behavior, he refers to his kids as “monomaniacs (Perelman 189)” and continues smashing the train. Another example is in the end, when the father wakes up in mental institution. The doctor tells the wife to get him, “a nice soothing picture puzzle- or something he can do with his hands (Perelman, 189.)” This use of wit ironically wraps the story up, since it was the process of working with his hands that initiated the panic attack in the first place. It can be said without a doubt that the use of tone and wit allows the essay to become bother entertaining and relatable. As a result of both, Perelman transforms this typically mundane task into an entertaining battle of wills- making it relevant for years to come.

Sarcasam was alive and well in the 20th century.

Sources

Text- Oates, Joyce Carol, and Robert Atwan. The Best American Essays of the Century. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Print.

Image-http://nedstuckeyfrench.com/essays-in-america/insert-flap-a/