Analysis of Baldwins Giovannis Room Essay -- Giovannis Room Baldwin

Baldwin portrays sexual oppression in his new entitled, Giovannis Room. Sexual oppression is exemplified through individual homosexual white manpower who are unable to find happiness or contentment in themselves or in eeryday births. In Baldwins Everybodys Protest sassy he w observances, but our earthly concern is our burden, our life we take in not battle for it we need only to do whatis infinitely more catchy-that is, accept it. Giovannis Room is about eachindividuals need to accept their own benevolence and societies need to embrace theuniversal subject of suffering. Baldwin uses the main character David to exemplify an individuals struggle to accept himself, unfortunately his rite of passage is thwarted by his inability to accept his humanity in a world of socially ascribed sexual categories.One of the main themes show in Giovannis Room is that of societiesloneliness. Baldwin portrays this universal suffering among all of his charactersand he uses this sufferi ng as a means of motivation. Loneliness plagues each of thecharacters, regardless of whether or not they have accepted their humanity. Everyone from David?s father to Jacques to Hella is searching for a admire or ameaningful connection in the world. At the beginning of the novel, when we arefirst introduced to the narrator, David, we learn about his friendship with Joey. This relationship provides David with his first sense of joy and contentment, yet hisfear of falling outdoor(a) of societies sexual definitions overpower these feelings andleads him back into the arms of loneliness. The narrator reflects on his ownand Baldwin writes, ?the power and the promise and the mystery of that body mademe suddenly afraid. That bo... ...revents him from ever grasping his true humanity. Baldwin exemplifies his wordsin ?Everybody?s Protest Novel? through this novel by painting a picture of howdifficult it can actually be to accept our own humanity. Baldwin clearly states amessage which pro motes universal understanding in a world of intricate individuals. He portrays the reality of human beings common suffering, while campaigning forhumanity to accept and not define individual categorizations. Baldwin uses Davidto show the power of love and human connection in society, along with the negativeeffect socially defined roles can have on individuals development.Work CitedBaldwin, James. Giovannis Room. New York hit-or-miss House Inc., 2000. Work ConsultedMengay, Donald H. The Failed Copy Giovannis Room and the (Re)Contextualization of Difference. Genders. No 17, Fall 1993.