Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | Characters
Sylvester Brown
Ma introduces Sylvester as her nephew. He is young and built like an ‘‘Arkansas fullback,’’ and he stutters. He was the driver during the car accident, but Ma absolves him of blame. Ma insists that he introduce her song, ‘‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,’’ even though he stutters. Critics have raised the possibility that perhaps Sylvester is Ma’s lover, rather than her nephew, and that Sylvester’s sniping with Dussie Mae reflects competition for her affection and attention.
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