51 pages • 1 hour read
Djanet SearsHarlem Duet
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1997A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Background
Act I, Prologue
Act I, Scenes 1-5
Act I, Scenes 6-10
Act II, Scenes 1-5
Act II, Scenes 6-10
Act I, Scene 5
Act I, Scene 6
Act I, Scene 7
Act I, Scene 8
Act I, Scene 9
Act I, Scene 10
Act II, Scene 1
Act II, Scene 2
Act II, Scene 3
Act II, Scene 4
Act II, Scene 5
Act II, Scene 6
Act II, Scene 7
Act II, Scene 8
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Act I, Scene 6
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Act I, Scene 6 Summary
In 1860 Harlem, delta blues play under the voice of actor Paul Robeson, who speaks of his ancestors and how their blood inhabits the soil. Him is working on a horseshoe as Her rushes in with a bag containing a change of clothes and some food. She is obviously ready to begin their trek to Canada, but he continues in silence. When pressed, Him tells Her that he isn’t going. Miss Dessy’s father is going to war, and he wants to stay to take care of her. Her asks Him directly if he loves her. Him answers with a simple, “Yes” (63).
Act I, Scene 6 Analysis
Scene 6 conveys the parallel experiences of Billie and She: both betrayed by their men who left them for a white woman. Positioning this scene directly after Scene 5 underlines the theme of subservience as seen in Othello’s actions moments ago. Just as Othello rapidly shifted gears when he sensed Mona’s annoyance, Him threw his and Her’s plans for a new life in Canada to the wayside when he sensed Miss Dessy needed him: “When I’m with her I feel like…a man. I want…I need to do for her…” (63).
