In Baldwin's Giovanni's Room the concept of home plays a significant role in David's (the main character) life. This idea of home is a separation of David's true sexuality and the one that he portrays to society. Conflict is created between David and Giovanni (David's "boyfriend-) because the meaning of home to each of these men is a barrier to their relationship.
The concept of home is very jaded in this book. Home for David is in America. David fled the US to try to leave behind the memories of his first homosexual encounter. David knows that he is indeed a gay man, but cannot accept that fact. His first experience, with his childhood friend Joey, occurred in the place that he calls home, the place he ran from. David went to Paris to try and escape those homosexual feelings that he was feeling. David didn't realize that wherever he went he would not be able to escape those feelings, that was the person that he was. David's relationship with Giovanni helps to illustrate the idea of home and how it affects David, Giovanni and their relationship.
David grew up in the US when homosexuality was not widely accepted. It in fact was considered by the majority of the people to be wrong. David's childhood was very stressful; his father was a traditional working man, who probably wouldn't have accepted his son as being gay. When David came to Paris and met Giovanni, his homosexual feelings were immediately awakened. -The beast which Giovanni had awakened in me would never go to sleep again;- This is a passage from David in the book. He is describing the beast which was awakened by Giovanni; the beast being his homosexuality. The relationship that David had with Giovanni could have never been something that he could have had back "home-, in the US. David knew that home meant conforming to the traditional heterosexual ideas of the American society or risk being shut out and discriminated against by society.