The River Niger | The River Niger

At a glance:

Author: Joseph A. Walker
First Published: 1973
Type of Plot: Domestic realism
Time of Work: 1973
Setting: Harlem, New York City
Principal Characters: John Williams, Mattie Williams, Grandma Wilhemina Geneva Brown, Dr. Dudley Stanton, Jeff Williams, Ann Vanderguild, Mo, Gail, Chips, Al, Skeeter
Genres: Domestic realism, Drama, Tragedy
Subjects: African Americans, Maturation or coming of age, Family or family life, United States or Americans, Politics, Racism, Blacks, Police, Social issues, Prejudices or antipathies, Gangs, youth, Cancer, Death or dying, Corruption, Identity, Military life or service, Diseases, Sacrifice, Societies
Locales: Harlem, NY

The play begins on the eve of the homecoming of Jeff Williams, who is returning from military service. The first scene of the play, however, shows the aging patriarch John Williams at work on the poem that provides the title and central symbol of the play. “I am the River Niger—hear my waters,” are the first words uttered by John, whose personal search for a “battlefield” in which he can distinguish himself as an “African warrior” is the underpinning that provides pattern for the play. He finds that battlefield in a heroic gesture that ends the play.

The River Niger | The River Niger

At a glance:

The Play

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