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
Act I, Prologue
Act I, Scene 1
Act I, Scene 2
Act I, Scene 3
Act I, Scene 4
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
Act II, Scene 9
Act II, Scene 10
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Act II, Scene 9
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Act II, Scene 9 Summary
In 1928 Harlem, soft music plays accompanying the voice of Paul Robeson, who speaks of the lack of good acting jobs in the US, and his great fortune of being cast in a British production of Othello. He is in a dressing room applying black greasepaint to his face. Soon, he is reciting lines from Othello in a manner that resembles rehearsing. The sound of a children’s song interrupts him. At this point, He covers his lips with white greasepaint—the final touch to his minstrel mask.
Act II, Scene 9 Analysis
In this scene, He is applying black greasepaint as he recites a complex and meaningful passage from Othello. The lines refer to how Othello believes he won the heart of Desdemona. Through his stories and a bit of magic, Desdemona fell in love with him and saw him beyond color or race. This aligns with the postures of Him, He and Othello, as each felt manly, wanted, and most important, needed when they were with the white women in their lives. The irony in this scene, however, is that a black man is applying yet another layer of blackness to his face and has yet to break out from the role—or status—of a minstrel performer.
