Nationality in Giovanni's Room: A Close Reading Mallory Friedman College

James Baldwin’s work is often defined by an intersection of nationality and sexuality. In Giovanni’s Room, the motif of culture and country of origin is prominent, but difficult to interpret. A particularly dense passage occurs part two of this story, on page 292 beginning with “yet” and ending on page 293 with “disconnected.” This excerpt acts as a window into the relationship between these themes and the progress of David’s journey thus far. A keen reading of this passage helps to answer vital questions about the reading as a whole, including how his attachment (and detachment) to America mirrors his rejection of Giovanni and how America’s juxtaposition to images of innocence and childhood can reveal important information about David’s own journey and self-imposed isolation.

In the initial breakdown of this passage, a hidden yet vital detail is the language that David uses to describe his experience in a room of Americans. His vocabulary choices are particularly telling in this situation because they reflect an arrogant dismissal of American culture. From the first sentence, negative language is used: “harshly,” “forced,” “horde,” highlighting David’s disconnection from his home country. Baldwin’s choice of the word “horde”...