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A Compare Contrast Essay: The Fourth of July and Notes of a Native Son

The Fourth of July is an essay that was written by Audre Lorde, whose parents were

Caribbean immigrants. The author delves into the revolutionary times to illustrate the way

colonists treated African Americans in the United States. The text is one of the most fundamental

because it depicts some of the critical moments in the United States. The Fourth Of July was the

date when independence was declared in the country, and for this reason, the first Declaration of

Independence draft was written. On the other hand, Notes of a Native Son is a story that is

conveyed through a collection of dissertations that were published in different periodicals. James

Baldwin authored the non-fiction book in the year 1955. The text denotes the concerns of the

author of the United States racial dilemma resolution and the American identity question. In

principle, the political history of America can be understood better through an analysis of The

Fourth July and Notes of Native Son texts.

Predominantly, one of the issues that are discussed in the two books is the aspect of race

during the revolutionary time. For the African Americans, Lorde indicates that there is a need for

one to be wary of the issue of racism and the way it contributed to a measure of differences

particularly during the fourth of July every year. The writer reveals that the blacks were often not

allowed to attend the celebrations that were held on The Fourth of July. Racism during this time

was at the peak in the United States in the sense that black skinned people were not viewed as

equal to their white counterparts. According to the Lorde, one of the reasons that black
THE FOURTH OF JULY AND NOTES OF A NATIVE SON ANALYSIS 2

Americans were deterred from celebrations was to prevent them from gaining the concept

of freedom lest they applied it to be freemen. Accordingly, the author provides an account of her

experience during the fourth of July when she and her family went to Washington D.C. A

measure of racism is conspicuous when they go to a hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue and a white

waitress denies serving them and instead says that they could only buy and eat elsewhere. The

scenario reflects the extent of hatred and oppression that was directed towards the African

Americans especially during the historical Fourth of July.

In comparison, Notes of a Native Son also focuses on matters of racial injustice in the

United States but from a different stance. Effectively, the oppression of the black Americans is

the central theme of the authors essays. Like Lorde, he seeks to make people wary that there is a

need to respect and treat people of color and the whites equally. The two authors are comparable

in the sense that they confidently express their arguments on the necessity of the black citizens in

America to be free. For instance, Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of the texts that depict the kind of life

that a black American lived in the United States. Accordingly, Baldwin states the way the white

politicians misuse their powers by mistreating the black Americans.

Consequently, it is paramount to note that both authors are perceived to have been born in

backgrounds that viewed racism as a vice that required attention. They are an accurate

representation of black Americans because they present the various challenges that they faced in

their struggle for freedom. All the text plays a pivotal role in introducing distinct aspects of The

Fourth of July although Baldwin's approach is different. Nevertheless, the two authors view the

issue of racism as a hindrance to the black American progress, and for this reason, they exhibit

that there is a need for racism to be eradicated.