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Sheila Hunt
The white lawyer who takes on Fonny’s case. Although at first Tish is skeptical about whether or not Hayward actually cares about Fonny’s trial, she soon sees he is genuinely concerned about doing the best job he can. Indeed, Hayward is sick of the bigotry that rules the courts, and he’s willing to speak openly about the fact that he thinks both Officer Bell and the District Attorney are racist. However, he’s frequently put in the uncomfortable position of having to deliver bad news to Tish and her family, as the case against Fonny only gets worse and worse. Nevertheless, Hayward doesn’t stop doing whatever he can to get Fonny out of jail.
Arnold Hayward Quotes in If Beale Street Could Talk
The If Beale Street Could Talk quotes below are all either spoken by Arnold Hayward or refer to Arnold Hayward. 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:
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Troubled About My Soul Quotes
I felt the way I’d felt all day, alone with my trouble. Nobody could help me, not even Sis. Because she was certainly determined to help me, I knew that. But maybe I realized that she was frightened, too, although she was trying to sound calm and tough.
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Time: the word tolled like the bells of a church. Fonny was doing: time. In six months time, our baby would be here. Somewhere, in time, Fonny and I had met: some where, in time, we had loved; somewhere, no longer in time, but, now, totally, at time’s mercy, we loved.
Somewhere in time, Fonny paced a prison cell, his hair growing—nappier and nappier. Somewhere, in time, he stroked his chin, itching for a shave, somewhere, in time, he scratched his armpits, aching for a bath. Somewhere in time he looked about him, knowing that he was being lied to, in time, with the connivance of time. In another time, he had feared life: now, he feared death—somewhere in time.
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Will you listen to me? Please? Of course, she’s lying. We know she’s lying. But—she’s—not—lying. As far as she’s concerned, Fonny raped her and that’s that, and now she hasn’t got to deal with it anymore. It’s over. For her. If she changes her testimony, she’ll go mad. Or become another woman. And you know how often people go mad, and how rarely they change.
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Arnold Hayward Character Timeline in If Beale Street Could Talk
The timeline below shows where the character Arnold Hayward appears in If Beale Street Could Talk. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Troubled About My Soul
...of her job. As they discuss this, Joseph notes that he thinks the lawyer, Mr. Hayward, wants more money, and though the family can’t possibly cough up more cash, they all...
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Tish tells Ernestine that she plans to see Mr. Hayward on Monday, and Ernestine says she should tell him to call her if he wants...
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...made any progress yet. When Sharon asks what Mrs. Hunt and Frank think about Mr. Hayward, they express their skepticism, and Frank says that “it don’t mean shit” that Hayward is...
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On the Monday after Tish visits Fonny in jail, she goes to Mr. Hayward’s office with Sharon. He informs them that Victoria Rogers—the woman who accused Fonny of raping...
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Hayward clarifies that he thinks Officer Bell is the person who told Mrs. Rogers to accuse...
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Outlining the difficulties of Fonny’s case, Hayward informs Tish and Sharon that Daniel has been arrested by the D.A. and “is being...
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...will take all the strength she has to help free Fonny. Then, before they leave, Hayward stops Tish and tells her that whenever he visits Fonny in prison, Fonny asks how...
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After seeing Hayward, Tish thinks back to before Fonny was arrested. In the memory, Fonny bumps into Daniel...
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The day after meeting with Hayward, Tish breaks the news to Fonny that Mrs. Rogers has fled. When he hears this,...
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...has to focus on her pregnancy, and Ernestine herself has to keep on top of Hayward. And though everything Ernestine has suggested seems difficult, Tish understands that she must remain strong,...
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Fonny’s trial is repeatedly postponed, as Hayward struggles to do everything he can to keep the case from going to court before...
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Sharon visits Hayward’s office to be briefed for her trip to Puerto Rico. He tells her that Mrs....
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...Mrs. Rogers, though Sharon is sure she has the right person because of the picture Hayward gave her. After a while, Mrs. Rogers tacitly admits who she is, and Sharon tells...
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Zion
...it leaves him feeling even more “alone.” That evening, Tish comes and tells him that Hayward will be visiting the next day and that he has “got a date fixed for...
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...says he’s been working a lot but that he’ll be coming to the Tombs with Hayward the following day. They then speak briefly about Fonny’s trial, as Tish explains that Hayward...
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