Question 4

Posted on February 5, 2013 by ms.bueno

The theme of entrapment and flight in Giovanni’s Room, starts out with David living with his father and aunt. During which time he feels detached from his father, and convinces him to allow him to skip college and find a job. Taking this opportunity David goes to Paris trying to, as he states “I wanted to find myself”. However, he tries to find himself as well as to lose himself in the process. I believe his real reasons for leaving was that he tried to forget what happened with Joey; David wants to love women but is sexually attracted to men. Also, David seems to be trying to escape the pressure his father placed on him for becoming man. David also feared and avoided his father because he did not want his father or anyone to actually know him for who he is. In the end, however, David does not succeed in his flight for he states, ” I think now that if i had had any intimation that the self I was going to find would turn out to be only the same self from which I had spent so much time in flight, I would have stayed at home”.

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5 Responses to Question 4

  1. TMHOYTE says:
    February 5, 2013 at 9:12 pm

    4. Examine the theme of entrapment and flight in Giovanni’s Room. Why does David go to Paris?
    What are his explicit (stated) reasons, and what do you find to be his underlying reasons? What is he
    running from, and how does this behavior pattern appear throughout the text? Does he succeed in his
    flight?

    Question #4 David goes to paris so that he can escape his father and his ways. Being around his father has made him pick up drinking and he started doing more of the things his father was doing. David figures that if he is in Paris he won’t have to live up to his fathers expectations or do what his father thought he should do. Going to Paris will allow him a fresh start and a way to figure his own life out and what path he thinks he should take rather than what path is father thinks he should take. I also believe that he is trying run away from his past; his experience with joey still plagues him. I don’t think he succeeded in his flight because he needs to face whats going on with it so many times its comes back to haunt him

    • Laura Westengard says:
      February 6, 2013 at 9:44 pm

      “Going to Paris will allow him a fresh start and a way to figure his own life out and what path he thinks he should take rather than what path is father thinks he should take.”
      This is a great point, Taylor. His flight is not only away from his experience with Joey but also simultaneously to find and flea from his father’s expectations.
      -Laura

  2. Josh_the_mayor says:
    February 5, 2013 at 9:15 pm

    i like your supporting details and examples. i also agree with your answer in that he likes woman but is more intimately into men.

  3. Shashe says:
    February 5, 2013 at 10:41 pm

    David is very detached from his father and his relationship( or lack there of) affects his decisions just as much as his conflict with being gay. Even though, he says he wanted to find himself, I’m not 100% sure heleft to find himself. I think he wanted an escape, especially, since after he slept with Joey he decided to never show anyone who he really is. I find it reakky interesting that he states the person he spent so much time trying to find was the person he always was. I like that he does eventaully make that connection that you can’t run or hide from who you truly are.

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