1. If you were asked to describe this book, what words would you use? In one of my goodreads group, I read Giovanni’s Room with a few friends. GradeSaver "If Beale Street Could Talk Essay Questions". 10. 2. In the first scene of the novel, Tish speaks to her lover, Fonny Hunt, who is in jail, and tells him she is pregnant. He doesn't lack in fathers to study, chief among them his Black grandfather, Pop; his absent White father, Michael, who is being released from prison; his absent White grandfather, Big Joseph, who won't acknowledge his existence; and the memories of his dead uncle, Given, who died as a teenager. Fonny, on the other hand, stands in contrast to this conventional beauty, taking after his darker father. Which character or characters are the most changed by what happens in this book? Are the characters convincing? People often say, “Love conquers all.” Do you feel hopeful for Tish and Fonny at the end of the book? resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart. Discussion Question 9/26 Something remarkable about If Beale Street Could Talk is that, though Tish’s family are trapped in an almost hopeless situation, they never allow themselves to … 14. Baldwin was a cousin and close friend of Nobel Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison. Fonny eventually allies much more with Tish and her family who are darker skinned like him. Handy blues song "Beale Street Blues", named after Beale Street in Downtown Memphis, Tennessee.. 11. If Beale Street Could Talk . This creates palpable tensions within the family regarding worth, cleanliness, and belonging. Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House. If Beale Street Could Talk is told from the point-of-view of Tish Rivers, a 19-year-old from Harlem. 13. When Michael is released from prison, Leonie drives north to the heart of Mississippi and Parchman Farm, the State Penitentiary. This novel deals with the impossibility and the possibility, the absolute necessity, to give expression to this legacy. Does this book help us understand why so many African American men are imprisoned? 9. Who do you feel is the most vulnerable person in this book? Fonny's art symbolizes his own self-liberation from the... 2 What importance does location hold for the characters in the novel? 2. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin Discussion questions used at SPL February 9 & 10, 2016 1. Let’s Talk About Race with Paul Rucker Monday, November, 16, 2020 at 7:30 pm Register here. Do you see similarities in today’s America? If you were asked to describe this book, what words would you use? If you were shocked, which parts shocked you? Questions In If Beale Street Could Talk, what theme is stronger, "identity, the influences of family and upbringing on identity formation" or "love and loyalty to overcome adversity"? These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin. Directed by Barry Jenkins. Information about the author and his work is available at https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baldwin. It looks like you're using Internet Explorer 11 or older. Though “If Beale Street Could Talk” is a series of vignettes, it holds together better than most films of this type. Yet this choice has dire consequences as he is later accused of rape by another downtown inhabitant. Multiple Choice Questions. Do you agree with this statement? Does it feel old-fashioned to you in some ways, or does it feel accurate for today? 8. Each separate piece is tethered to the dual running threads of its love story and its tale of injustice. Harlem, and New York more generally, is home to many diverse groups of people: Blacks, Jews, Latinos, and Italians, among others, and Baldwin does not shy away from showing where and when tensions rise between these groups. This book was published in 1974. Discuss the characters in If Beale Street Could Talk in relation to whether or not they help or hinder the main characters. (b) Bathroom. Do you feel that the author, who was African American, showed hatred for black people and black society? Give evidence to support your opinion based on quotes from the novel. If Beale Street Could Talk, which was published in 1974 and follows a young black couple whose lives are torn apart by a false criminal accusation, is a harbinger of Baldwin’s late style. If Beale Street Could Talk is a 1974 novel by American writer James Baldwin.His fifth novel (and 13th book overall), is a love story set in Harlem in the early 1970s. He also tells them that she is probably using her maiden name and that she lives with a young man named Pietro, who is 22. On multiple occasions, his mother is embarrassed or judgmental of his hair and skin and the hostility which she affords him throughout the novel is linked to this colorism. 6. New York, NY. The film follows a young … Readers’ questions about If Beale Street Could Talk. Although the details of her lover’s unfair imprisonment are dispiriting, Tish maintains a sense of hope, thanks to her supportive family members. The story, of a young man wrongly accused of a crime by a racist establishment, has the potential for a powerful novel. This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 4: Pages 121-160. If Beale Street Could Talk. What do you think is the most important idea in this book? (a) Living room. Despite her fond childhood excursions downtown, Tish repeatedly associates the area with fear and danger. This website works best with modern browsers such as the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. 3. Informative, Interesting, Inspiring, BookMovement's reading guide includes discussion questions, plot summary, reviews and ratings and suggested discussion questions from our book clubs, editorial reviews, excerpts and more. Beale Street is our legacy. The Modern Urban Imaginary Discussion Board Assignment: James Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk Instructions Post a 150-word response to the first 75 pages (through the catastrophic meeting between the Rivers and Hunt families) of Baldwin’s If Beale Street Could Talk. Discussion Questions from Ramapo Catskill Library System. … A 28-page viewing guide to the Oscar-nominated film If Beale Street Could Talk starring KiKi Layne and Stephan James for English language students who want to learn English through watching films. How does colorism, a prejudice against people with darker skin within the black community, affect the relationship between characters like Fonny, Tish, and Mrs. Hunt? Sorry, this is only a short-answer space. If Beale Street could talk it would warn you to avoid seeing If Beale Street Could Talk.The acting was good but the story was excruciatingly dull and the music a major distraction. Fonny's art symbolizes his own self-liberation from the oppressive society he lives in, and the sculpture is a manifestation of that self-liberation. Does If Beale Street Could Talk make you angry? If Beale Street Could Talk takes place both in... 3 How does … Yet, Christianity does not automatically unite all characters but also serves as grounds for judgment and tension as evidenced by the division between the religious practices of Tish and Fonny's families. If Beale Street Could Talk Discussion Guide, https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baldwin, If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin. The fact that Fonny gives the sculpture to Sharon communicates his acceptance into the Rivers clan as part of the family. The characters navigate these very different social landscapes throughout the novel and face hardship and conflict in both regions. If Beale Street Could Talk study guide contains a biography of James Baldwin, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. Book Discussion Questions provided by The Hartford Public Library: 1. So I never got to talk about An American Marriage with anyone else, and that’s bothered me for a while.This book is such a great one to open up a dialogue about so many topics: racism, feminism, the justice system in America, marriage, family, responsibility, and so on.I’ve recommended this book to people I hardly know in the hopes that they’ll talk to me about some of these things. 3. 4. The sculpture is of a standing man, with one hand on his forehead and one hand covering his privates. 2. If you were asked to describe this book, what words would you use? Resources for Individual and Group Study: Art to check out: 30 Americans Copyright © 1999 - 2021 GradeSaver LLC. The guide will help students improve their English vocabulary, listening … A characteristically colorful scene in If Beale Street Could Talk. (d) Kitchen. (c) Back porch. The main characters are Tish … If Beale Street Could Talk takes place both in Harlem and in the downtown area of Manhattan. As Roy's time in prison passes, she is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. The title of a novel is a deliberate and important choice that any author must make. How does religion complicate the relations of characters in this work? 7. Who do you see as the hero or heroes of this book? MEMBERS. What role does cross-ethnic solidarity, or the lack thereof, play in the lives of the characters in If Beale Street Could Talk? Does If Beale Street Could Talk make you angry? : "The women characters in If Beale Street Could Talk are portrayed either as saints or villains." I suggested If Beale Street Could Talk based on the title, having no idea that the story was soon to be released as a movie. If Beale Street Could Talk Essay Questions 1 What does the sculpture Fonny gives to Sharon symbolize? Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime Celestial knows he didn't commit. (a) Sharon's sisters. 12. If Beale Street Could Talk James Baldwin Discussion Questions prepared by Anne Farrow, Kate Rushin, and Professor Jacqueline Goldsby 1. With KiKi Layne, Stephan James, Regina King, Teyonah Parris. If Beale Street Could Talk recognized that frank racial discussion is unavoidable. In the eulogy, entitled "Life in His Language," Morrison credits Baldwin as being her literary inspiration and the person who showed her the true potential of writing. The writing was outstanding and the ensuing discussion even better. 4. Every black person born in America was born on Beale Street, born in the back neighborhood of some American city, whether in Jackson, Mississippi, or in Harlem, New York. 2. Who are Adrienne and Shelia? Photo: Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures While TV dramas continue to look … In this honest and stunning novel that inspired the award-winning major motion... read more. (b) Fonny's sisters. Cross-ethnic solidarity refers to the allying of different ethnic groups, usually those which experience some sort of oppression by the white hegemony, in a common goal or purpose. Fonny and Tish are the protagonists of the novel. 3. 5. GradeSaver, Read the Study Guide for If Beale Street Could Talk…, Baldwin's Fiction: Liminal Agency and the Condition of Blackness, What Alexander's "The New Jim Crow" Adds to “If Beale Street Could Talk”, View Wikipedia Entries for If Beale Street Could Talk…. If Beale Street Could Talk would be even richer if Jenkins didn’t photograph the white cop who has in it for Fonny as if he really is the devil (and the devil had bad skin). Why or why not? The role of the rape victim Victoria (Emily Rios) complicates “If Beale Street Could Talk” in ways James Baldwin couldn’t have imagined when he wrote the novel on which it is based. (p65). If Beale Street Could Talk is a 2018 American romantic drama film written and directed by Barry Jenkins, and based on James Baldwin's 1974 novel of the same name. While Harlem may be more like home, Fonny makes the choice to move downtown seeking to escape the Projects. Why do you think Fonny’s father Frank killed himself? by James Baldwin . A young woman embraces her pregnancy while she and her family set out to prove her childhood friend and lover innocent of a crime he didn't commit. The central tension of the novel lies in the false accusation of a Puerto Rican woman against a Black man. I see from the number of reviews and the average rating that the majority of readers have had a different opinion of If Beale Street Could talk than myself. Come with your curiosity, questions, and learnings. In a love story that evokes the blues, where passion and sadness are inevitably intertwined, Baldwin has created two characters so alive and profoundly realized that they are unforgettably ingrained in the American psyche. He is a young executive, and she is an artist on the brink of an exciting career. Book Discussion Questions provided by The Hartford Public Library: 1. Celestial finds herself bereft and unmoored, taking comfort in Andre, her childhood friend, and best man at their wedding. One scene in Barry Jenkins’ 2018 scorching James Baldwin adaptation speaks to the moment Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and openhearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects - a common prison and a shared home. The Question and Answer section for If Beale Street Could Talk is a great When this book was published, some black leaders and activists said that author James Baldwin was showing hatred for black people. The title is a reference to the 1916 W.C. What importance does location hold for the characters in the novel? After five years, Roy's conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together. Fonny is in jail because he was falsely accused by a Puerto Rican woman, Mrs. Rogers, of raping her. Does If Beale Street Could Talk make you … What do you think is the most important idea in this book?
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