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Ernestine (Sis)
Fonny’s father. Frank is quite unlike his wife, Mrs. Hunt, especially since he isn’t religious. Whereas Mrs. Hunt is a “sanctified woman,” he spends his time getting drunk, though things haven’t always been this way. In fact, Frank used to own a tailoring shop, but that eventually went out of business. In the years since this happened, there has been a stark divide in the Hunt family, as Frank’s daughters Adrienne and Sheila have taken after their mother and Fonny has taken after Frank. Mrs. Hunt and her daughters judge Frank and Fonny for their unreligious lifestyles, and so Frank is the only member of the family who truly comes to Fonny’s aid after he’s arrested. However, Frank has a quick temper and isn’t the most reliable person, which becomes all too clear when he slaps Mrs. Hunt across the face as she berates Tish after learning about her pregnancy. Luckily, Frank and Joseph are good friends, so Joseph takes him away from the apartment, promising they’ll get drunk to celebrate the fact that they’re both going to become grandfathers. Later, Frank agrees with Joseph’s idea to start stealing from work to make extra money for Fonny’s legal fees. Going about this plan, he filches goods from where he works in the garment district, successful selling them in Harlem and Brooklyn until he’s eventually caught by his employer and promptly fired. Feeling distraught about Fonny’s situation and unsupported by his own family, Frank drives out of the city and commits suicide.
Frank Hunt Quotes in If Beale Street Could Talk
The If Beale Street Could Talk quotes below are all either spoken by Frank Hunt or refer to Frank Hunt. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Troubled About My Soul
Quotes
I guess you call your lustful action love […]. I don’t. I always knew that you would be the destruction of my son. You have a demon in you—I always knew it. My God caused me to know it many a year ago. The Holy Ghost will cause that child to shrivel in your womb. But my son will be forgiven. My prayers will save him.
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I know you worried about the money. But you let me worry about that. I got more experience. Anyway, you ain’t making no damn money. All you doing is wearing yourself out, and driving Fonny crazy. You keep on like you going, you going to lose that baby. You lose that baby, and Fonny won’t want to live no more, and you’ll be lost and then I’ll be lost, everything is lost.
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My presence, which is of no practical value whatever, which can even be considered, from a practical point of view, as a betrayal, is vastly more important than any practical thing I might be doing. Every day, when he sees my face, he knows, again, that I love him—and God knows I do, more and more, deeper and deeper, with every hour. But it isn’t only that. It means that others love him, too, love him so much that they have set me free to be there. He is not alone; we are not alone.
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Zion
Quotes
I opened my mouth to say—I don’t know what. When I opened my mouth, I couldn’t catch my breath. Everything disappeared, except my mother’s eyes. An incredible intelligence charged the air between us. Then, all I could see was Fonny. And then I screamed, and my time had come.
Fonny is working on the wood, on the stone, whistling, smiling. And, from far away, but coming nearer, the baby cries and cries and cries and cries and cries and cries and cries and cries, cries like it means to wake the dead.
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Frank Hunt Quotes in If Beale Street Could Talk
The If Beale Street Could Talk quotes below are all either spoken by Frank Hunt or refer to Frank Hunt. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Troubled About My Soul
Quotes
I guess you call your lustful action love […]. I don’t. I always knew that you would be the destruction of my son. You have a demon in you—I always knew it. My God caused me to know it many a year ago. The Holy Ghost will cause that child to shrivel in your womb. But my son will be forgiven. My prayers will save him.
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I know you worried about the money. But you let me worry about that. I got more experience. Anyway, you ain’t making no damn money. All you doing is wearing yourself out, and driving Fonny crazy. You keep on like you going, you going to lose that baby. You lose that baby, and Fonny won’t want to live no more, and you’ll be lost and then I’ll be lost, everything is lost.
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My presence, which is of no practical value whatever, which can even be considered, from a practical point of view, as a betrayal, is vastly more important than any practical thing I might be doing. Every day, when he sees my face, he knows, again, that I love him—and God knows I do, more and more, deeper and deeper, with every hour. But it isn’t only that. It means that others love him, too, love him so much that they have set me free to be there. He is not alone; we are not alone.
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Zion
Quotes
I opened my mouth to say—I don’t know what. When I opened my mouth, I couldn’t catch my breath. Everything disappeared, except my mother’s eyes. An incredible intelligence charged the air between us. Then, all I could see was Fonny. And then I screamed, and my time had come.
Fonny is working on the wood, on the stone, whistling, smiling. And, from far away, but coming nearer, the baby cries and cries and cries and cries and cries and cries and cries and cries, cries like it means to wake the dead.
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