Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: August Wilson
- First Published: 1988
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Social
- Time of Work: August, 1911
- Setting: A boardinghouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Genres: Social realism, Drama
- Subjects: African Americans, Values, Family or family life, Husbands, Self-discovery, United States or Americans, Wives, Magic or magicians, 1910’s, Hotels, motels, or inns, Separation, Songs or songwriters
- Locales: Pittsburgh, PA
Characters Discussed
Seth Holly, the owner of a Pittsburgh boardinghouse, in his early fifties. A skilled craftsman born to northern free parents, he supplements income from his boarders with money made from making pots and pans, and he hopes to start his own business soon. On Sunday nights, he plays host to a Juba, a call- and-response dance reminiscent of the ring shouts of African slaves.
Bertha Holly, Seth’s wife for twenty-seven years, five years younger than he is. A kind, warm- spirited woman who cares for her boarders, she professes a faith in the healing...
[The entire page is 1233 words long]
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