Notes of a Native Son Chapter Summary & Analysis - A Question of Identity Summary

A Question of Identity Summary

In this essay, Baldwin addresses the phenomenon of those Americans who chose to remain in Paris after World War II. While they stayed to study on the G.I. Bill, many of them did not see active duty, and the only thing they have in common is that they wore a uniform at some point. There is a common bond, however, among this group that touches something deeper than studies. That is the fascination with everything French, from the food to the culture.

Baldwin contends that the romanticism associated with Paris is not the reality, and that, when this realization hits, many of the students make their way back to America. Very few of the Americans studying in Paris have any real knowledge of France or its culture. Even the language becomes less charming after awhile. Combine this tarnished romanticism with the fact that most Parisians have no interest in engaging...
(read more)