Analysis Of If Beale Street Could Talk By James Baldwin

Analysis Essay

Just because it is the right thing to do something doesn't mean that it is always done. James Baldwin makes a point of this in his novel If Beale Street Could Talk when the narrator Tish’s Fiance gets arrested for a rape that he didn’t commit. The police framed Fonny for the rape do to an already existing did like they help towards him after he beat a white man who was sextually harrasing Tish. Everyone knew Fonny was innocent and they had evidence to prove it, but the courts and police decredited all of their sources then strategically hide key fact about people and even let the woman who pressed charges on him leave the country making poor Fonny rot in jail for no reason. Baldwin’s main purpose of writing this book was to show how racism is still affecting the culture of people and how although darker skinned people are free they are nowhere near being equal. Baldwin makes this purpose clear by telling

the story from the point of view of a young, pregnant, black woman, revealing different pieces of the story at different times through time jumps, and with the explicit diction he used to help define the culture.

Women are never listened to and dark skinned people are never trusted and young people haven't lived long enough to know what they are talking about. This is why Baldwin chose this to share his story and to promote his purpose. Baldwin wants people to know that their are more people in the would then just white men. Those are the people who are being oppressed and it is not only by another race. Fonny denotes Tish after she protected him, he was mad that she stood up and spoke for herself and her love (pg.140). The fact that she was shamed for being a normal human being and defending herself is ridiculous and is not right in any sort or fashion. The point of view is third person omniscient, but is seems as though Tish was telling the whole story to someone. Getting to see what everyone was doing and how they were handling things was an important part of understanding how the community works as a whole. An example of this is when Tish’s mom goes to Puerto Rico and confronts the woman who accused Fonny of raping her (pgs. 167-171). This is an important part in the book to see because it helps show how some people are just heartless and won’t do the right thing and because of that will knowingly affect large groups of peoples in ways they don't deserve to be affected in. People dont always to the right things when they should and this is something that everyone should be aware of and try to help improve.

Baldwin told his story through flashbacks.

This not only kept readers interested, but it also linked idea that at one time seemed okay and good to others that explained how wrong it is that it happened. The was fairly clear with the reason why Fonny was in jail. At the beginning we are told he is in jail, then we discovered it is for rape, then we learn that it was just a cop framing him out of spite (pg. 143). This is where readers learn that the police there are really corrupt and punishing the innocent people. No story is ever told in the perfect order so it is true that at some points readers were confused with the jumping around, but in the end it all made since. The most clear spot to see this is in the beginning. Readers are told alot of information they don't yet understand, but as the book goes on it all gets clarified (pg. 3-9). Baldwin tested people's wills with this, but given the proper time everything does end up working out. These flashbacks helped to emphasize on the mixed sense of justice and how things are not always

fair.

What people don’t understand is how important a culture shock can be. This changes people's minds on the way they see people. This can be seen through the heavily violent diction that was used in the scean where Fonny’s parents were having sextual intercourse (pgs. 15-17). It set up Frank to be hard and mean and it allowed readers to see his wife as a woman who only pretends to be good. Diction holds in importance in the way life works. This can be seen in Fonny and Tish’s sex scene. The reader needed to understand everything that happened in extreme detail to understand the reason why Tish and Fonny were together and to see the fierce feeling they truly have for one another (pgs. 79-80). Reader knew the love they shared after the the clever wording that had been used to describe every detail in that scene. The love they share is important to the purpose because this shows just how unfair it is to rip lovers and a family apart for no real reason.

Minorities aren’t getting the respect that they deserve. This is the problem that our country still faces and Baldwin does everything in his power to make it clear that this is something that needs to change. Everyone deserves to have equal rights, not just the white males who think they are better than everyone else.