Gem of the Ocean

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses racism, enslavement, and racialized violence.

In the world of Gem of the Ocean, names of people and places are symbolic. The play is set in Aunt Ester’s home at 1839 Wylie Avenue. The year 1839 is significant both within the history of enslavement in the Americas and in relation to several of the play’s central themes. In 1839, 53 abducted and soon-to-be-enslaved men and women aboard the Amistad revolted, killed several members of the ship’s crew, and were briefly able to reroute the ship back to West Africa. However, the remaining crew members prevailed and the ship docked near Montauk, New York. The African men and women were captured and jailed, and the complex trial that would decide their fate garnered international attention. Ultimately, the United States Supreme Court freed them and their story became an important touchstone in the fight for abolition. In Gem of the Ocean, Wilson uses this address to place his own characters within the broader history of enslavement and emancipation in the United States. Like the Amistad’s captives, the inhabitants of 1839 Wylie Avenue fight for freedom and justice. That they do so aboard a “magic” ship is a nod to the many enslaved Africans who crossed the Atlantic against their will.

People’s names are also symbolic. Aunt Ester Tyler tells the story of her own name, noting that she bears the last name of the woman to whom she was sold as a young girl. She calls the name Tyler her “heavy burden,” although she chooses to bear this burden rather than take a new name. At the same time, her first name recalls the biblical Queen Esther, who played an instrumental role in saving her people from genocide at the hands of the king of Persia and his grand vizier Haman. Like her biblical namesake, Aunt Ester “saves” her people, albeit through Redemption and Spiritual Healing. Her name thus exemplifies the way that enslaved people persevere and maintain their own sense of self and identity: Although she will always bear the last name of her former enslaver, she has the strength and history of her first name to guide her.

Solly’s name also has biblical significance. Although he was called Alfred while enslaved, he changed his name to David and Solomon during his escape—“Solly” is a nickname. The biblical King David slew the giant Goliath, while Solomon, who built the First Temple in Jerusalem, was known for his wisdom. Solly certainly embodies characteristics of both men, and his name is thus symbolic of his own inner strength and wisdom. It also symbolizes the way that formerly enslaved people reinvented themselves and forged new identities.

Caesar, too, has a symbolic name. Caesar is the dynastic title given to a series of rulers of ancient Rome, and although it carries a certain gravitas, there are many examples of Caesars throughout history who were neither fair nor just. Caesar certainly sees himself as a leader of sorts, calling himself “the boss” of the Hill District. However, his sense of self-importance is inflated, and he has neither the respect nor the love of his community. Caesar’s name thus symbolizes his lack of ethics and aligns him with historical rulers who did not always have the best interests of their people at heart.

Finally, Citizen’s name is symbolic. He recounts that the name was given to him by his mother, who wanted her son and anyone he came into contact with to know that he was a free man, a “citizen.” Citizen’s name thus shows the importance of freedom to formerly enslaved individuals and illustrates the way that they forged new identities and ways of being in the world in the years following emancipation. Like Solly, Citizen’s name signals his position within a broader community of Black people and becomes a source of pride.