If Beale Street Could Talk: Zion Summary & Analysis

Using this brief dream sequence, Baldwin momentarily sets Fonny free, letting him leave the confines of the Tombs and live the life of a sculptor. When Fonny wakes up, though, his reality comes crashing down on him even harder, as he struggles to understand why he’s in jail. Worse, even the good news Tish brings about the trial remains shrouded in uncertainty, since she still doesn’t know when the court will hear his case. His anticipation only mounts, time stretching out before him and continuing to torment him without the promise of an end date.  

Officer Bell’s manipulation of the suspect lineup once again illustrates the extent to which the legal system allows for bigotry, since it’s quite clear that the entire process made it easy for Bell to imprison Fonny simply because of the color of his skin (and because of Bell’s desire to harm him). In spite of this, Tish wants Fonny to focus not on the bleak particulars of his court case, but on the present, since this is the only way he’ll manage to survive the emotional turmoil of living in prison as an innocent man—an experience that is clearly beginning to weigh on him.

It’s worth recalling that Ernestine told Tish that if Mrs. Rogers changed her testimony, she would “go mad.” Of course, Mrs. Rogers isn’t actually changing her testimony, but it does seem that Sharon’s visit has pushed her over some kind of emotional edge, so that now she has to be taken to a far-off place where “she will never be seen again.” In this way, readers see that Ernestine was right when she insisted that trying to force Victoria Rogers into altering her accusation wouldn’t work, since she (Victoria) has to believe in her own testimony to maintain a sense of psychological balance. Indeed, even the mere suggestion of Fonny’s innocence has now caused her to suffer something of a mental breakdown. On another note, Baldwin reveals in this scene that Mrs. Rogers was pregnant. Given the timing of events, it’s quite likely that the baby she ends up miscarrying would have belonged to her rapist—something that would surely also disturb her (understandably) fragile emotional health. Lastly, the fact that Daniel has been moved to a new prison is yet another indication that the legal structures of power are conspiring against Fonny by making it as hard as possible for Daniel to serve as a witness to prove his innocence.

Although Frank’s outburst is obviously unfair, it’s evident that he is taking his anger out on Adrienne. After all, Frank—unlike Joseph and his family members—has very little emotional support, since his wife and daughters don’t seem to care about Fonny’s imprisonment as much as he does. As a result, he is quick to feel hopeless. In this moment, then, this sense of desperation manifests itself as a form of anger.

Beneath the scorn and resentment plaguing the Hunt family, there is love. Unfortunately, though, the animosity that runs between Frank and his daughters makes it impossible for them to come to his aid, since Adrienne doesn’t even know how to “soothe” his pain. As a result, they remain estranged from one another, completely unable to provide support for each other when they need it most.

It’s significant that Fonny “ceases clinging to” hope around the same time that he begins to experience serious violence in jail. It seems the horrors of imprisonment are finally overtaking him, a notion that illustrates the effect that such harrowing experiences have on a person’s soul. What’s more, Fonny now comprehends that it doesn’t matter what he’s done to deserve imprisonment, since this is simply how the corrupt legal system apparently operates, taking away a person’s freedom simply because of the color of his skin. Because of this bleak reality, the only thing he can continue to “cling” to is the imminent arrival of his and Tish’s child.

Although Adrienne’s relationship with her father is strained by the tension and resentment that exists in the Hunt family, she still cares deeply about him. Baldwin suggests that certain bonds—certain kinds of love—are capable of withstanding even the most embattled relationships, though it’s still unfortunate that Adrienne hasn’t found it in herself to support Frank throughout Fonny’s imprisonment, which has clearly taken a terrible toll on him.

Tish’s (and Baldwin’s) use of the phrase, “Until my change comes” is worth examining, since it is a Bible quote that addresses the anticipation she feels in this moment. As Tish sits in her parents’ apartment, she clearly senses that she will soon give birth. This, of course, will fundamentally “change” her life, so it makes sense that she would think about this quote, which is pulled from the Old Testament book of Job. However, the quote also aligns with the fear Tish has about what will happen to Fonny. In the book of Job, the line reads, “If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” Considering the passage’s engagement with death and waiting, it becomes clear that Tish can’t help but think about the fact that Fonny might die in prison. And yet, despite this worry, all she can do is wait for “change,” both in terms of her pregnancy and in terms of Fonny’s freedom.

Without any kind of genuine familial support, Frank has committed suicide. With this tragic fact, Baldwin stresses the importance of love, demonstrating that a person isolated from his own family might find it insurmountably difficult to cope with life’s various hardships. Tish, for her part, can only stop to consider this tragedy for a moment before she goes into labor. It’s worth noting that everything dims but her “mother’s eyes,” which hover before her as she begins the process of giving birth. This, it seems, is an indication of how vital Sharon’s role is in Tish’s life. Indeed, the only thing Tish can see is her mother, who represents love, kindness, acceptance, and support. Her mother’s face then yields to an image of Fonny, who is yet another loving presence in her life. In these ways, Baldwin shows readers that Tish, unlike Frank, has people to help her make it through difficult times.

The final scene of If Beale Street Could Talk is ambiguous, as Baldwin avoids providing readers with a conclusive ending. Under one interpretation, this snapshot of Fonny working on a sculpture can be read as yet another one of his dreams. After all, the scene begins with the phrase, “Fonny is working on the wood,” which is the exact same sentence that Tish uses earlier in the novel, when she’s narrating a dream Fonny has while in prison. If this is the case, then this brief moment is simply an indication that Fonny senses the birth of his child even from the confines of jail, thereby tying him to his family and suggesting that the baby will perhaps provide him with emotional strength even if he remains a prisoner. There is, however, another (bleaker) way of reading this moment, one that hinges upon the novel’s final phrase, which asserts that the baby is crying “like it means to wake the dead.” Under this interpretation, readers might argue that Fonny has perished in prison and that Tish’s baby is now crying out for its father, whom it will never meet. Either way, neither ending indicates whether or not Fonny will ever get out of prison, thereby underlining the depressing fact that many innocent black men like Fonny continue to languish in jail without any hope of gaining their freedom.