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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
SCYLLA

I believe it’s about time for you

to pay me a little visit, Phebe.

Tomorrow evening—

after the moon’s set.
PHEBE Aw, Scylla, I didn’t mean nothing—
SCYLLA

It’ll be pitch dark. Take care

you don’t trip on the way.

Blackout.

Scene 2

SCENE 2

The big house, the parlor and LOUIS’s study.

LOUIS is visible at the window of his study, peering through a telescope at the stars; he occasionally takes notes or sips his brandy.

AMALIA sits at the desk in the parlor; JONES stands in front of her.

JONES

Sorry about this afternoon, Ma’am.

That little gal seemed real sick, you know.
AMALIA

Mr. Jones, I am aware you come fresh

from the well-groomed slave holdings

of Dawson’s Plantation. And I was not

so naïve, upon hiring you, to believe

Dawson’s high-minded economic philosophy

had not rubbed off on you.

But that’s not what I called you for.

I bought a new buck yesterday:

here are his papers.
JONES (Glancing through the documents.)
Miss Jennings! You can’t be serious!
AMALIA Something wrong, Jones?
JONES

Augustus Newcastle? That slave’s

the most talked-about nigger

along the Southern seaboard!
AMALIA Good! We’ll be famous.
JONES

Story goes he belonged to a British sea captain

who treated him like his own son,

and promised him his freedom when he died.

But the brother who executed the estate

sold the boy to pay off the debts.

After that, the nigger went wild.

They lost count of how many times he ran off,

how many times they caught him—

Frantically leafs through the papers.

here it is: “Twenty-two

acts of aggression and rebellion.”

Twenty-two separate acts!
AMALIA That’s why I got him so cheaply.
JONES

But Miss Jennings! They say

his back’s so laced with scars

it’s as rutted as a country road.

Rumor has it he can read and write.

If you don’t mind my saying so,

Ma’am, an educated nigger

brings nothing but trouble.

Sure as I’m standing here,

he’ll stir up the others.
AMALIA I wonder just how smart he is.
JONES It’s a miracle no one ever killed him.
AMALIA (Sharply.)

I own Augustus Newcastle,

and I’ll make him serve up.

Any objections?
JONES No, Ma’am. Sorry, Ma’am.
AMALIA

They’re bringing him over tonight;

put him in the barn and chain him down.

You can show him around tomorrow.

If he’s as smart as they say,

he could help you oversee the ginning.

You may go.

This last is a jab at JONES, who looks at her for a moment, then turns on his heel and exits.

Blackout.

Scene 3

SCENE 3

In the fields.