"Notes of a Native Son" is James Baldwin's true account of his experience as an African American. Written in 1943, it describes what society was like at that time and what place the African American person had at that time. Most notably, the society of the time was one where African Americans were separated from white people. Baldwin's essay describes his process of realizing his place in society and coming to terms with it. In short, it is an essay about a man realizing that he lives in a racist society and how this impacts him. As well as showing Baldwin's own experience, the essay also shows the experience of his father. It is also seen that there is a significant gap between Baldwin and his father, with this representing a division in the black community. By the combination of these three issues, "Notes of a Native Son" becomes an in-depth look at the psychological effects of racism. This includes the effect on Baldwin, his father, and the black community as a whole. Each of these issues will now be considered in turn.

             One of the main factors that impacts on James Baldwin's experience is that he is initially unaware that he lives in a racist society. He describes this in his essay saying,.

             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 (Baldwin 56). .

             This shows that Baldwin did not initially have any idea that he would be the subject of racism. Instead, he viewed racism as something of the past that had no direct link to his own life. The most important point in regards to the psychological effects of racism is that Baldwin's response is based not just on dealing with racism, but on realizing that he is not considered equal. Baldwin's first response to the realization that he is being discriminated against is to challenge the situation in an act of defiance.