Interracial Love
After Rufus' death, Vivaldo falls in love with Ida. Her beauty and resemblance of Rufus is essentially what attracts Vivaldo to her. Although they now face racial tension from others, Vivaldo willingly ignores the world's view on their relationship. While dancing together at a party Vivaldo comments that Ida's hands are cold. Ida's reply to this is, "That's supposed to mean that I've got a warm heart," then she reveals, "but what it really means is poor circulation." Not submitting to her bitter tone he then states, "I prefer to believe that you've got a warm heart" (Baldwin 159). This exemplifies his eagerness to see only the positive sides to Ida and their relationship, not admitting that she has become bitter from the death of her brother and may not have the warm heart that Vivaldo sees in her.
Jealousy
Two of Vivaldo's oldest friends were a couple, Cass and Richard, who greatly influenced his life as a young adult. Richard was, in fact, one of his teachers and they have remained friends ever since. Yet both men are writers and are currently writing novels. Richard finishes his crime mystery novel and achieves success, while Vivaldo is still struggling to discover his characters and their purpose. Richard's success causes an undertone of jealousy between the two friends. When Richard asks Vivaldo if he truly liked his book, Vivaldo assuredly admits to liking it. As he looks upon the face of his friend, the "tough" and "good" face "Vivaldo had loved [..] for a long time", he reveals, "the face lacked something, he could not have said what the something was, and he knew his helpless judgement was unjust" (Baldwin 157). Vivaldo unconsciously experiences envy towards the man he has admired for a numerous amount of years. Resentment begins to form between the two, as Richard focuses more on his novels and in his own jealousy accuses his wife of having an affair with Vivaldo. It seems as though Richard himself is envious of Vivaldo's freedom, for he is not tied down to a family. Although such contrasting feelings are felt between the men, there is still a compliance to ignore their issues and remain to appear as friends. Vivaldo could perhaps, in his guilt over the death of Rufus, want to keep the friends he has left and therefore willingly avoids his jealousy towards Richard.