Thoughts on Part One

This is my first time reading Baldwin, but I do have to say that so far I am impressed with his depiction of the main character David. Although I have only read Part One of Giovanni’s Room I have noticed that David, who has many faults, is not someone who elicits any sort of strained emotion. Unlike characters in most novels who the reader may love or hate I find myself being completely undecided towards David. The reason for this was difficult for me to pin down but I’ve decided that it may be because Baldwin himself holds no overt feeling for his character. He writes him as an individual with individual experiences and feelings, and neither condemns nor condones him.

In many ways I believe that Baldwin has created a narrator who is extremely trustworthy. Throughout Part One of the novel we witness David do things that he has feelings towards, but it always seems as if these actions are just a product of individuality. Simply put Baldwin has shaped a character in a story that is apart from the story itself. I find myself unable to associate him with other people because it feels as if he is whole without outside influence. Baldwin has created an amazingly tangible individual in what is an inherently intangible setting in a novel.

However I cannot say that I like David. He seems to be quite selfish in his views of others. For instance he never truly gives a legitimate reason for hating his father, who seems to be pretty accommodating. His reaction to his night with Joey is also troubling. The fact that he decided to hide his homosexuality from himself through completely disregarding, and later bullying Joey does not sit well with me. That sort of transference of emotion can be very annoying. His attitude towards his girlfriend is also strange. I cannot really tell if he loves her or not. Then again it seems David is having a similar problem in that he doesn’t know if she loves him.

I suppose the reason why I dislike Davis so much is because Baldwin did indeed write a character that it is easy to connect with.