In Baldwin’s novel “Giovanni’s Room” us readers begin to sense the David has some sexual conflict with both female and males partners. Although he does not mention him feeling any sort of compassion towards  Joey, the first person he makes love with, he does mention how frightening yet joyful his experience was yet chooses to ignore this side of him and overlook the incident. The acceptance of homosexuality was not a favorite topic during the time of the novel which brings us to him reflecting on his decision “I had decided to allow no room in the universe for something which shamed and frightened me”. Although he tried to move along and get with a female, things do not work out for them not because he cheated with another female, but with a man, Giovanni. David’s character began to develop after speaking, or what seemed to be like flittering with Giovanni and was feeling a “ferocious excitement” finally bringing out his true shade on the matters of his hidden desires towards men.
Professor Laura Westengard
Email: lwestengard@citytech.cuny.edu
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I do believe that David has conflict between both genders, and in my opinion I believe it was the lack of parental unit love. He never had a mother that could love him and show him what it is he is looking for in a woman and the same with his dad, his dad was mostly drunk and if not going around with women. David only received the negative side of love and in that it may have given him the toughest choice of his life. At the same time it seems like David is receive attention from me from a lack of love from his father.