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The Blacks (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)

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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...

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