Characters
Another Us
Another Us, later recognized as Young Man and The Grass Chewer, reclines on his back, casually chewing on a blade of grass. He informs the others that he isn't worried about the White Devils, claiming, "when I get ready to go up that hill—I'm going!" However, he soon turns over and drifts off to sleep, demonstrating his indifferent attitude towards actively pursuing racial equality.
Another Young Us
Similar to the first Young Us, Another Young Us debates with the Old Lady, arguing that hard work achieves little in terms of enhancing the socioeconomic status of the Us's.
Average
Average contends that what the Us's truly need are "the right leaders" to improve their status. He criticizes the notion of holding a meeting to discuss possible actions, asserting that discussions lead nowhere. Average also conveys a sense of hopelessness about the Us's ever ascending the hill. He embodies a typical attitude of complacency regarding the Us's status. He advises the other Us's to "better stay safe and sound" where they are, as they at least have food and shelter. This character suggests that the average person prefers to accept what they have rather than risk fighting for greater equality.
Cornerstone
Cornerstone argues that the issue isn't a shortage of good leaders striving for equality but rather the lack of unity among the Us's, which renders the leaders' efforts ineffective. She emphasizes the importance of holding meetings, asserting that talking is better than silence. When her son, Finest Blood, offers to sacrifice his blood for the conjurer, Cornerstone offers her own blood instead but is ultimately persuaded not to. The Old Man eventually convinces her that it's crucial for Finest Blood to confront the White Devils. Cornerstone symbolizes the foundation of her community, supporting others in their quest for equality for the Us's while remaining protective of her son and daughter.
First Young Us
Young Us, later known as First Young Us, argues with the Old Lady about the futility of working hard throughout one's life if it "doesn't get you anywhere." He likens a life of labor to "boring around in the same hole like a worm," which only results in "making the hole bigger to stay in." A Young Us represents the perspective that merely toiling away in the menial jobs available to African Americans won't achieve any significant improvement in their socioeconomic status. The Young Us later debates with the Old Us, suggesting he shouldn't spend so much time talking to God for help but should allow God to speak to him. He remains skeptical when the Old Man attempts conjuring to aid the Us's.
The Grass Chewer
See Another Us
The Man of the Gold Bags
See The Newcomer
The Middle-Aged Woman
Refer to Cornerstone
The Newcomer
The Newcomer, characterized as "a square-set middle-aged Us," approaches the group of Us's carrying a substantial bag of gold, which he lets fall to the ground. He explains that despite having wealth, he is unable to progress because the White Devils refuse to sell him land or property on the hill. His character symbolizes the impact of racial discrimination, which hinders even prosperous African Americans from purchasing homes or property in desirable areas.
An Old Lady
The Old Lady laments that she will never witness the purple flower. She insists that "something's got to be done" about the White Devils, yet she believes that "we ain't never going to make that hill." The Old Lady embodies a sense of defeatism, having spent her entire life laboring like a slave for white people, and has lost hope of ever achieving...
(This entire section contains 1306 words.)
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racial equality.
An Old Man
The Old Man arrives beating a drum, capturing the attention of all the Us's. After an Old Woman shares that she dreamt of a White Devil being chopped into pieces, he declares that "it's time." The Old Man asks for an iron pot to use for conjuring. He first calls upon all the Old Us's and the ancestors of the Us's. Then, he requests a handful of dust to add to the pot. He follows by adding the bundle of books and the bag of gold. Finally, the Old Man asks for red blood to complete his mixture. He explains to the others that he is following God's instructions to "shape a new man." The Old Man advises Finest Blood on the optimal way to confront the White Devils.
Sundry White Devils
The Sundry White Devils are positioned on the lower part of the stage, separated from the upper stage by a thin board. They do not speak but instead, silently imitate the primary actions occurring above them. They are depicted as "artful little things with soft wide eyes such as you would expect to find in an angel." They possess "soft hair that flops around their horns," and their horns "glow red all the time—now with blood—now with eternal fire—now with deceit—now with unholy desire." Their tails have bones tied across them to appear more decorative rather than as real tails. The White Devils are characterized as "artful little things full of artful movements and artful tricks." They dance, "sometimes as if they were men" and "sometimes as if they were snakes." Residing on the hill, the White Devils "try every trick, known or unknown, to keep the Us's from reaching the hill." Allegorically, the White Devils symbolize white people who oppress others. Their hilltop residence symbolizes their socioeconomic advantage over African Americans, which they "try every trick" to maintain. They are described as "artful," suggesting that racism is imposed on people of color through cunning and deceit. The White Devils sometimes act like men "with dignity" and at other times like snakes, indicating that white people can behave humanely towards African Americans but can also act maliciously, as symbolized by snakes, a traditional emblem of evil.
Young Girl—Sweet
Young Girl—Sweet is portrayed as "a medium light brown girl, beautiful as a browned peach." She is sexually harassed by a White Devil who hides in the bushes and pinches her as she passes by. This incident serves as an allegorical reference to the historical rape and sexual abuse of African-American women, particularly during slavery, by white men, such as slave owners.
Young Man
The Young Man pushes his way to the center of the crowd of Us's and discards a bundle of books he has been carrying, stating that they are "no good." He explains that "there isn't anything in one of these books that tells Black Us how to get around White Devils," because, as he elaborates, the White Devils authored the books. This Young Man symbolizes the efforts of African Americans to elevate their socioeconomic status through education. The implication is that education is ineffective because the educational system is controlled by white people and merely reinforces white dominance over African Americans.
The Young Man—Finest Blood
The character of the Young Man—Finest Blood is portrayed as "a tall, slender youth with a bronzy brown complexion who carries himself with pride." As he moves, "his feet grace the ground as if it were a soft velvet carpet, not harsh, sunbaked stones." When his sister, Sweet, claims she was pinched by a White Devil lurking in the bushes, Finest Blood swiftly grabs a rock, ready to pursue the White Devil. However, others dissuade him from seeking violent retribution. Later, when the Old Man mentions he requires "red blood" for his magical potion, Finest Blood immediately offers his own. At the play's conclusion, he sets out to confront the White Devils, following the Old Man's counsel. The play closes with the voice of Finest Blood, heard from offstage, described as "young, sweet, brave, and strong." Finest Blood embodies the "New Man," possessing all the noble qualities necessary to effectively champion racial equality.
