Stuck
This character finds temporary freedom in Paris but fears returning to America, where his relationship may not be accepted.
Eric
“He was a white man in a world that loved white men, yet he had never felt so helpless.”
quote, that highlights Vivaldo’s internal conflict about race and power?
"I love you, Ida." / "Do you? Or do you love what I mean to you?"
Vivaldo tries to comfort Ida, but his words reveal his own need to be validated as a “good” white man.
“Nothing is forever. We pretend that it is, but we know that nothing is.”
quote that highlights Baldwin’s theme of impermanence, particularly in Eric and Yves’ relationship
"He did not want to be one of those white men who took a black woman as proof of his courage."
Vivaldo
"Going home. What a strange phrase. What was home, anyway?"
Eric is caught between two worlds—one where he is free and one where he is expected to conform.
"Love was simple, once you let yourself have it. But the world never let you."
Eric and Yves’ love is shaped by the ever-present threat of homophobia.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be colored and be a woman and be alone.”
quote, that captures Ida’s frustration with Vivaldo’s inability to fully understand her struggles?