If Beale Street Could Talk
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Troubled About My Soul Zion
Themes
All Themes Love, Support, and Hope Racism, Fear, and Isolation Shame, Judgment, and Morality Time and Anticipation
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Tish (Clementine) Fonny (Alonzo Hunt) Sharon Joseph Ernestine (Sis) Frank Hunt Victoria Rogers Daniel Carty Officer Bell Mrs. Hunt Adrienne Hunt Sheila Hunt Arnold Hayward Pedrocito Levy Geneva
Symbols
All Symbols The Baby
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Allusions Flashbacks Genre Hyperbole Idioms Imagery Irony Metaphors Mood Motifs Oxymorons Setting Similes Style Tone Unreliable Narrator Verbal Irony
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If Beale Street Could Talk

by

James Baldwin

Upgrade to A+
Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis
  • Troubled About My Soul
  • Zion
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Love, Support, and Hope Theme Icon
    Love, Support, and Hope
  • Racism, Fear, and Isolation Theme Icon
    Racism, Fear, and Isolation
  • Shame, Judgment, and Morality Theme Icon
    Shame, Judgment, and Morality
  • Time and Anticipation Theme Icon
    Time and Anticipation
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Tish (Clementine)
  • Fonny (Alonzo Hunt)
  • Sharon
  • Joseph
  • Ernestine (Sis)
  • Frank Hunt
  • Victoria Rogers
  • Daniel Carty
  • Officer Bell
  • Mrs. Hunt
  • Adrienne Hunt
  • Sheila Hunt
  • Arnold Hayward
  • Pedrocito
  • Levy
  • Geneva
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • The Baby Symbol Icon
    The Baby
Lit Devices
  • All Literary Devices
  • Allusions
  • Flashbacks
  • Genre
  • Hyperbole
  • Idioms
  • Imagery
  • Irony
  • Metaphors
  • Mood
  • Motifs
  • Oxymorons
  • Setting
  • Similes
  • Style
  • Tone
  • Unreliable Narrator
  • Verbal Irony
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
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Geneva

If Beale Street Could Talk Symbols

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The Baby

The Baby

Because the mere idea of Tish’s pregnancy gives her and Fonny the strength to embrace a sense of hope about their difficult situation, their baby itself comes to represent the importance of finding slivers…

read analysis of The Baby

The Baby Symbol Icon
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Geneva
Previous
Geneva
Next
The Baby
Next
The Baby

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