The Blacks (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Jean Genet
- First Published: 1958
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Existentialism
- Time of Work: The 1950’s
- Setting: Europe and Africa
- Genres: Existential literature, Drama, Allegory
- Subjects: 1950’s, African Americans, Discrimination, Africa or Africans, Racism, Blacks, Europe or Europeans, Revolutions, Trials, Oppression
- Locales: Africa, Europe
Characters Discussed
Archibald Absalon Wellington, a black actor in the role of master of ceremonies in a play-within-a-play about the rape and murder of a white woman. He is a man who demands strict obedience to the script as he directs his troupe’s performance for five white members of the royal court, who are seated on an upper stage. Archibald’s purpose is to present his black actors in the light of the white court’s expectations. Because the white audience assumes that black people are liars and thieves, he instructs his actors to play those caricatures. He charges...
[The entire page is 1117 words long]

