One of the last short narratives in James Baldwin’s essay “Notes of a Native Son” is his reflection of his father’s funeral. While at the service, Baldwin studies the people in attendance and pays attention to the eulogy that the preacher gives for his father. His aunt’s mourning and the image of his father presented in the eulogy contrast with his previous views of them and their relationship. Although Baldwin expresses unfamiliarity with what occurs around him, he does recognize that the behavior and sermon are not false, but rather shows a person’s complexity in their behaviors and emotions. During the funeral, Baldwin notices his father’s sister’s behavior conflicts with how she interacted with her brother. Like many in attendance, she was consumed with emotions regarding…show more content… The image the preacher presents in his father’s eulogy is not one that Baldwin or others know. He states that “he presented to us in his sermon a man whom none of us had ever seen— a man thoughtful, patient, and forbearing, a Christian inspiration to all who knew him, and a model for his children” (Baldwin 106). Similar to his aunt’s mourning, the eulogy provides an alternate view of Baldwin’s father. Instead of writing this off as an embellishment by the preacher, Baldwin contends that this could have been his father. Baldwin and his siblings were familiar with “indescribably cruel” and a “bitter man,” he possessed “a tremendous power and, even a rather crushing charm” (Baldwin 89). However, “the man they had not known may have been the real one” (Baldwin 107). Thus, Baldwin does accept or deny the image that is presented to him in the eulogy. Instead, he recognizes that how his father is described in the eulogy could have been his true self that others were able to witness. His father, like his aunt, was a complex individual who possessed varying personalities and
