James Baldwins Giovannis Room Essay -- James Baldwin Giovannis room

James Baldwins Giovannis RoomJames Baldwins novel Giovannis Room is titled such for the purpose of accentuating the symbolism of Giovannis room. Within the novel Giovannis room is portrayed with such characteristics as being Giovannis prison, exemplary of Giovannis life, holding the relationship in the midst of Giovanni and David, being a metaphor of quirkiness for David and being a tomb underwater. These different portrayals of Giovannis room are combined within the novel to piddle an overall negative metaphor of homosexuality as perpetuated by society. These different portrayals of Giovannis room are dirty, suffocating and restricting Baldwin is showing the reader that homosexuality can be understood as all of these things, detrimental as they are. The novel is a reflection upon the common belief in society that homosexuality is unnatural and wrong, causing homosexual men to turn societal negativity into self hatred. One of the metaphors for Giovannis room is the pa rallel created linking his room to his jail cell. When Giovanni is in jail, David wonders about the jail cell he is in and says, I wonder about the size of Giovannis cell. I wonder if it is bigger than his room (113). In Davids thought he creates the definition of Giovannis room being a cell. The prison cell is close in size to his room, and it is also untold like the room in that he is stuck there as a prisoner. Giovannis permanence in his room, as in the jail cell, is further exemplified when David is talking about the room Im talking about that room, that hideous room. Why have you buried yourself there so long? (117). David is directly canvas Giovannis room to a tomb, which, like a cell, is an imprisonment. David is say... ...rget it. This negative view of homosexuality is enforced by society, which David absorbs into himself.Through David and his perception of the many metaphors contained within Giovannis room, James Baldwin is showing a negative interpretation of ho mosexuality as identified in society. The metaphors within Giovannis room are Giovannis prison, symbolic of Giovannis life, holding the relationship between Giovanni and David, being a metaphor of homosexuality for David and being a tomb underwater. These metaphors are negative and exist to butt to the reader that homosexuality is restricting, punishing, dirty and suffocating. These negative connotations of homosexuality are brought from society and internalized by the characters and builds into self hate.Works CitedBaldwin, James, and Caryl Phillips. Giovannis Room. London Penguin, 2001. Print.