"Notes of a Native Son"

Paper Summary:

The contact zone has been described as a social place where cultures meet, clash and grapple with each other. This occurs when two different cultures with different amounts of power clash. One good example of this is the clash between white and black people, which has been an ongoing struggle from the days of slavery to the present. The paper shows that while this struggle is a difficult one, it should be recognized that there are also benefits to the contact zone. The struggle that occurs allows for growth and for people to come to terms with the world and adjust themselves to it. In "Notes of a Native Son", James Baldwin describes his clash of cultures. An analysis of this work shows the benefits that come from the contact zone. One of the important things shown is that Baldwin is not only clashing with the white society of the time, he is also clashing with the past history of the black person and what it means to be black. The paper shows that through these two struggles, Baldwin is able to integrate himself with his identity as a black person and his place in the society of the time. This awareness and personal growth is a good example of how the contact zone is beneficial. It may cause conflict, as cultures clash, but through dealing with this conflict, cultural growth becomes possible.

From the Paper:

"Baldwin's struggle against his black culture is only part of the story because he is also struggling against the white culture. In the beginning, he is not even aware that a cultural conflict exists. As he notes, "I knew about the south, of course, and about how southerners treated Negroes and how they expected them to behave, but it never entered my mind that anyone would look at me and expect me to behave that way" (56). Baldwin then becomes aware that he is naive in thinking there is no conflict between whites and blacks. In New Jersey he finally realizes that he is defined by the color of his skin and not welcome in the same places that black people are. His initial reaction is to reject the unspoken rules and go to all the places he knows he is not welcome. This is the beginnings of his realization that he is not considered equal and the start of the sense of anger toward the situation."

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