Question

At the end of "Notes of a Native Son," what argument does James Baldwin make that resolves one of his central ideas? A.That freedom is only available to those who learn not to fight B.That hatred is only a symptom of a deeper emotion, such as fear C.That hatred or acceptance are choices one must make D.That betrayal is the worst possible sin one can commit

Answer 1

At the end of "Notes of a Native Son", Baldwin's argument that resolves one of his central ideas is C. That hatred or acceptance are choices one must make.

Upon his father's death, Baldwin had a sort of epiphany: he was finally able to understand the meaning behind the words his father had preached for so many years. He comes to the conclusion that to choose to be bitter, to choose to hate, is an unintelligent choice: "But I knew that it was folly, as my father would have said, this bitterness was folly. It was necessary to hold on to the things that mattered."

He then moves on to the last paragraph concerning the two ideas a person can hold in their mind: total acceptance and non-acceptance. Total acceptance means conformity, seeing "injustice as a commonplace" and living as if nothing can or should be done, for things will never change. On the other hand, however, non-acceptance is never taking injustice as commonplace, it is fighting it.

Such fight, however, must not be carried out with hatred, since hatred destroys the one who hates as well. As Baldwin says, "it had now been laid to my charge to keep my own heart free of hatred and despair." No other person could have made that decision but himself. However opposite the ideas may sound, he chose to not accept and to not hate.