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Back The Darker Face of the Earth Save as PDF
Chapters (27)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Half-Title Page
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Acknowledgments
  6. Dedication
  7. Cast
  8. Prologue
  9. Act One
  10. Scene 2
  11. Scene 3
  12. Scene 4
  13. Scene 5
  14. Scene 6
  15. Scene 7
  16. Scene 8
  17. Act Two
  18. Scene 2
  19. Scene 3
  20. Scene 4
  21. Scene 5
  22. Scene 6
  23. Scene 7
  24. Scene 8
  25. An Interview with Rita Dove
  26. Biographical Note
  27. Back Cover
SCIPIO

Move it gal, or

you’ll feel it later!
PHEBE (Helping her up.)

Lift in your knees, Diana;

try not to think about your blood.

Tomorrow’s Sunday—

tomorrow you can rest.
DIANA (Derisively.)
Blessed be the Sabbath!
ALEXANDER

The child’s too young to tote that sack.

She should be helping in the kitchen,

like we was raised.
PHEBE

You was raised with Massa Jennings,

Phebe—and he been gone these twenty-some years.

You know his daughter got other ideas.
PHEBE She grow eviller year for year.
ALEXANDER Ain’t right, a woman running a plantation like that.
SCIPIO Woman? She’s more man than woman.
PHEBE And more devil than man.
ALEXANDER Ever since she lost that child.
PHEBE Oh, Alexander!
ALEXANDER

White folks feel a loss

as much as we do—

it’s just that they ain’t

used to losing. I tell you,

Miss Amalia went crazy in the head

the day she lost that baby boy.
SCYLLA That’s not the way Ticey told it.

SCYLLA is severely bent over and walks with a limp. Her gaze is fearful.