Identity In Giovanni's Room

For my essay, I would like to write about Giovanni’s room. Throughout Baldwin’s novel Giovanni’s Room, he conveys the ideas of self-discovery and identity within each of the characters that David encounters. As a model for my essay I would like to devote each paragraph to discussing the affect that characters have on David.
For my first paragraph, I think I will discuss the affect that David’s father has on his identity. Although he was not in the novel for long David’s father was present in David’s mind. David used the idea of him to represent money as well as a sense of dis-belonging. David viewed home as America; yet, he never acknowledged the idea that his father could have the capability to miss him while he was away in Europe. David also formed the idea of a family in his childhood from his father. Although he had no mother David grew up with a female figure in his life who would reprimand his father. This was the formation of a nuclear family in David’s mind which was …show more content…
Along with David’s father Hella is the only character who represents the worldly image of a nuclear family. David’s shallow desires are foreseen in Hella because she presents the possibility to remain a family. Logically David knows that he cannot have a family with Giovanni; therefore, David uses the idea of Hella to achieve this desire. Hella is not is the novel for the most part; however, David seems to show just as much concern for Hella as he shows Giovanni, the only character who seems to care for David in the way a person deserves to be cared for. Though Hella and David’s distance apart David was supposed to discover himself; yet, Hella is the only one who took time to figure herself out. Hella shows David that there is beauty in solitude and you can find yourself is the quietest of places. Hella is also able to reach self-discovery in her experiences while David is experiencing new things, but not learning from his