Baldwin’s father, who is never named in the book, is a preacher. Born in New Orleans, he is unsure of his birth date but knows that his mother was alive during slavery. He is a difficult man, consumed by bitterness, anger, and resentment of white people. He has nine children but does not have a particularly close relationship to them. Toward the end of his life, David’s family discovers that he suffers from paranoid delusions, and he is committed to a mental hospital. Convinced that people are trying to poison him, he refuses to eat and dies.
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David Baldwin Sr. (Baldwin’s Father) Character Timeline in Notes of a Native Son
The timeline below shows where the character David Baldwin Sr. (Baldwin’s Father) appears in Notes of a Native Son. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Notes of a Native Son
Baldwin’s father died in 1943, a few hours before his last child was born. After his father’s...
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Baldwin was frightened by his father’s bitterness and frightened of inheriting it. When his father died, Baldwin had newly discovered the...
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Baldwin’s father had nine children, and the family lived in terrible poverty. When white welfare workers and...
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The year before his father’s death, Baldwin had been living in New Jersey, where he had been living among both...
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Baldwin rushed home, not wanting to miss the birth of his sibling or his father’s death. He felt that all of Harlem was “infected by waiting.” During this time, the...
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Baldwin visited his father only once during his illness. He had avoided seeing his father because he wanted to...
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...a black shirt. At the church, Baldwin reflected that his aunt, who fought with his father throughout his life, was one of the only people who had a real connection with...
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Baldwin’s father used to preach: “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”...
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