Ready Reference Treatise: Giovanni's Room

By Raja Sharma

"Giovanni's Room" is basically about the complex representations of homosexuality and bisexuality. It is said that when Baldwin completed the manuscript and brought it to the publisher, the publisher told Baldwin to burn the book because it was primarily about homosexuality, a romantic relationship between two men. It is said that during that period, the author was already fighting against the racial prejudices. Having written a book on homosexuality, he was supposed to anger his readers both black and white. The publisher thought that the author would be further alienated from his audience.

Ready Reference Treatise: Giovanni's Room
Copyright
Chapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Plot Overview
Chapter Three: Characters
Chapter Four: Complete Summary
Chapter Five: Critical Analysis

• Language: English
• Publisher: Raja Sharma
• Release date: Sep 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311362773

Raja Sharma

Raja Sharma is a retired college lecturer.He has taught English Literature to University students for more than two decades.His students are scattered all over the world, and it is noticeable that he is in contact with more than ninety thousand of his students.

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Ready Reference Treatise: Giovanni's Room

Copyright

Ready Reference Treatise: Giovanni's Room

Raja Sharma

Copyright@2015 Raja Sharma

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Chapter One: Introduction

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin was first published in 1956. The story revolves around the events that take place in the life of an American man who happens to be living in Paris. There are other men in his life, but he is frustrated with them. He happens to be particularly frustrated with an Italian bartender named Giovanni whom the American man meets in a gay bar in Paris.

The novel is basically about the complex representations of homosexuality and bisexuality.

It is said that when Baldwin completed the manuscript and brought it to the publisher, the publisher told Baldwin to burn the book because it was primarily about homosexuality, a romantic relationship between two men.

It is said that during that period, the author was already fighting against the racial prejudices. Having written a book on homosexuality, he was supposed to anger his readers both black and white. The publisher thought that the author would be further alienated from his audience.

When the book was published, it obviously created a lot of controversy. However, the response from the critics was highly positive, for they declared that Giovanni’s Room was a masterpiece.

Even today, the book is considered to be a literary masterpiece. It is remarkable that Giovanni’s Room is one of the few publicly accepted books on homosexuality.

Chapter Two: Plot Overview

The book is divided into two parts. Most of the story is in lengthy flashbacks. As the book opens, David, the protagonist of the novel, happens to be in the South of Paris. He is about to get onto a train that is going to Paris.

It transpires that David’s girlfriend Hella has gone back to the United States. He had proposed to Hella before she had gone to Spain.

It transpires that the titular character Giovanni is about to be guillotined. David goes back into his past and remembers his first experience with a boy named Joey. He used to live in Brooklyn. During a sleepover David and Joey had a sexual encounter.

They had started kissing and making love during the sleepover. The following morning, David left, but later on he began to bully Joey to show him that he was a real man.

The narrative shifts to David and his father. He lives with his father. His father is habitual to drinking. His aunt, Ellen, also lives with them. Aunt Ellen keeps scolding David’s father that he is not becoming a good example for his son. David’s father tells his sister that all he wants his son to be a real man.

Later, David begins to drink too. Once he drives while drunk. Eventually, there is an accident. When he comes back home he and his father talk about David’s future. David tries to convince his father that he wants to skip college to get a job. Eventually, David leaves home and goes to France to find himself.

He spends a year in Paris. When he is without any money, he calls a former homosexual friend named Jacques. David invites him for supper so that he could ask Jacques for money.

During their meeting, David and Jacques talk about Giovanni’s fall. They visit Guillaume’s gay bar. Giovanni is the new bartender. Jacques tries to make a pass at him. In the meantime, David and Giovanni become friends.

David and Jacques visit a restaurant in Les Halles. They have oysters and drink white wine there. Giovanni remembers how he had first met Guillaume in a cinema and they had dinner together because Giovanni was looking for a free meal. He tells them that Guillaume is prone to making trouble.

After the meal, Giovanni and Guillaume go to Giovanni’s room and have sex.

Second part of the story brings us back to David. He moves into Giovanni’s small room. When they talk about Hella, Giovanni declares that he is not interested in women and he declares his need for men. He is obviously a misogynist.

At this point in the story, David describes Giovanni’s room. It is always dark because they do not have curtains and they need privacy so they keep the room dark. David reads a letter sent by his father. His father has asked David to come back to America. David does not want to go back.

One day, David comes across a sailor. David is sure that