GIOVANNI’S ROOM By: James Baldwin Katelyn Gardner 30 April 2015

James Baldwin Born: August 2, 1924 Harlem, New York, U.S. Died: December 1, 1987 (aged 63) Saint-Paul de Vence, France  He was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic  Baldwin spoke French fluently and developed friendships with French actor Yves Montand  His 2 nd novel Giovani’s Room, stirred controversy when it was first published in 1956 due to its explicit homoerotic content

 Giovanni’s room is about the experience and heart break of a confused man names David; he’s American  When he was younger he had a boy on boy relationship with his friend named Joey  He’s mother died when he was 5, so he lived with his father and Aunt Ellen(not a good relationship)  His father and him back to have a bad relationship after he got into a car accident while being drunk  After the accident he decided to move to France

 He was engaged to a woman named Hella Lincoln  The story went back and fourth to Past and Present  David meets Giovanni at a bar through a friend named Jacques  Giovanni and David made a strong connection the first time they meet  Giovanni, Jacques, Guillaume are gay, David is confused what he is and what he wants  Giovanni meet Guillaume at a theater and had a relationship until Giovanni didn’t like him anymore, now Giovanni works for him

 David and Giovanni start to have a relationship and David moves in with him, into Giovanni’s room  Giovanni and David start to fall for each other  Giovanni loses his job and gets really upset  Giovanni gets a feeling that David will leave him for his fiancé Hella  Hella went to Spain to find her self and to think about the proposal  Giovanni becomes very open to David but David can’t do the same  David becomes very happy with Giovanni and he becomes the love of his life

CLIMAX  David goes to the American Express Post Office and get 2 letters 1 from his dad that says he wishes he’ll come back home cause he’s wasting his time in Paris 2 from Hella that says she would love to marry David and she will be coming back from Spain  David assumes that Giovanni will understand that their relationship will end

 David visits Giovanni in his room and he’s drunk and upset because Guillaume fired him  Guillaume accuses him of stealing David mentions “It would help if I were able to feel guilty. But the end of innocence is also the end of guilt“  David wants to leave but Giovanni tells him that where ever he goes he will go as well  Hella comes beck and they make love but David doesn’t anything  David doesn’t see Giovanni for a while until they bump into each other  So David feels like he needs to move South of France because he doesn’t want to see Giovanni  Hella says where ever he’ll go she’ll go as well

 David and Hella move  He meets up with an old friend named Yves an tells him information about Giovanni  A week later, Guillaume is found dead above his bar  David is worried about Giovanni and its all he thinks about  Hella is feeling uncomfortable because he isn't the same David that she fell in love with  Hella and David argues about moving to the States and starting a family but David is confused  Hella decides to leave him  Months later David is packed and reads a letter that Jacques writes about Giovanni …

THEME Innocence: David still wants to have a virgin mind since he had it taken away from him when he was younger (Joey). David felt guilty of everything he did and doesn’t want to take the blame for it like a innocent little kid. Sexuality and Identity: David doesn’t know who he is and who he wants to be with. He made love to a woman and a man and ended up with no one. He is confused with his sexuality.

Questions, Comments or Concerns?