The Emperor Jones

“He is a tall, powerfully-built, full-blooded Negro of middle age. His features are typically negroid, yet there is something decidedly distinctive about his face—an underlying strength of will, a hardy, self-reliant confidence in himself that inspires respect. His eyes are alive with a keen, cunning intelligence. In manner he is shrewd, suspicious, evasive.”

Eugene O’Neill’s stage directions for Brutus Jones are laced with racial stereotypes, employing dated, offensive language that reinforces harmful racial categorizations. O’Neill’s description portrays positive traits such as strength of will and self-reliance as unusual for a Black man like Jones, while negative attributes like shrewdness, suspicion, and evasiveness are categorical descriptions of his character.

“JONES. But you ain’t got no kick agin me, Smithers. I’se paid you back all you done for me many times. Ain’t I pertected you and winked at all de crooked tradin’ you been doin’ right out in de broad day? Sho’ I has and me makin’ laws to stop it at de same time! [He chuckles.]

SMITHERS [Grinning]. But, meanin’ no ’arm, you been grabbin’ right and left yourself, ain’t yer? Look at the taxes you’ve put on ’em! Blimey! You’ve squeezed ’em dry!

JONES [Chuckling]. No, dey ain’t all dry yet. I’se still heah, ain’t I?”

Jones acknowledges that he’s allowed Smithers to engage in “crooked trading,” essentially turning a blind eye to corruption under his rule. This exchange furthers the theme of The Insidious Nature of Power, where those in authority exploit others for personal gain. This conversation highlights how power, self-interest, and moral compromise characterize Jones’s rule.

“Ain’t I de Emperor? De laws don’t go for him. You heah what I tells you, Smithers. Dere’s little stealin’ like you does, and dere’s big stealin’ like I does. For de little stealin’ dey gits you in jail soon or late. For de big stealin’ dey makes you Emperor and puts you in de Hall o’ Fame when you croaks. If dey’s one thing I learns in ten years on de Pullman ca’s listenin’ to de white quality talk, it’s dat same fact. And when I gits a chance to use it I winds up Emperor in two years.”

Jones’s comments underscore his cynical view of the world. This analysis ties to the broader theme of The Insidious Nature of Power, as it demonstrates how authority can be obtained through morally questionable means. Jones’s remarks illustrate how exploitation can lead to wealth and recognition, at the expense of one’s moral principles.

“And dere all dem fool bush n*****s was kneelin’ down and bumpin’ deir heads on de ground like I was a miracle out o’ de Bible. Oh Lawd, from dat time on I has dem all eatin’ out of my hand. I cracks de whip and dey jumps through.”

Jones boasts about the power he wields over the islanders, relishing in their submission. In his journey From Subject to Sovereign, power has morphed his own sense of self, leading to an assumption of superiority.

“It’s playin’ out my bluff. I has de silver bullet moulded and I tells ’em when de time comes I kills myself wid it. I tells ’em dat’s ’cause I’m de on’y man in de world big enuff to git me. No use’n deir tryin’. And dey falls down and bumps deir heads.”

In crafting a silver bullet of his own, Jones buys into his own fabricated version of himself, carrying it in his revolver as a lucky charm. The silver bullet and the narrative surrounding it serve to perpetuate Jones’s control over the islanders. By crafting the myth, he not only presents himself as invincible but also reinforces the idea that he is the only one who can control his destiny, instilling fear and awe in his subjects.

“I ain’t no fool. I knows dis Emperor’s time is sho’t. Dat why I make hay when de sun shine. Was you thinkin’ I’se aimin’ to hold down dis job for life? No, suh! What good is gittin’ money if you stays back in dis raggedy country? I ’wants action when I spends.”

Jones acknowledges that his time in power is limited, and he seizes the opportunity to amass wealth and live a life of luxury while he can. This quote underscores the theme of The Insidious Nature of Power by highlighting how power can be alluring but ultimately fleeting. Jones’s focus on acquiring money and his desire for “action” also hint at the theme of From Subject to Sovereign, as he transitioned from a position of subservience to one of authority and wealth.

“Was I sayin’ I’d sit in six months mo’? Wen, I’se changed my mind den. I cashes in and resigns de job of Emperor right dis minute.”

Jones’s abrupt resignation as emperor comes after he learns of the islanders’ revolt and the impending threat to his power. In an attempt to swiftly rid himself of the consequences of his actions, Jones distances himself from the role and escapes.

“It’s a bleedin’ queer place, that stinkin’ forest, even in daylight. Yer don’t know what might ’appen in there, it’s that rotten still, Always sends the cold shivers down my back minute I gets in it.”

Smithers strategically employs fear to manipulate Jones, attempting to erode his confidence. He relishes the opportunity to undermine Jones, as he secretly longs for power and resents being subordinate to a Black man. These comments also foreshadow Jones’s hallucinations in the forest, gesturing to the theme of Guilt, Fear, and the Fractured Psyche.

“Ho—the bleedin’ n*****—puttin’ on ’s bloody airs! I ’opes they nabs ’im an’ gives ’im what’s what!”

Smithers’s true nature emerges as Jones departs the scene. His use of the n-word for both Jones and the islanders underscores his deeply entrenched racism and highlights how he views both through a lens of racial inferiority.

“[D]e worst is yet to come.”

Jones’s statement precedes his descent into the forest and foreshadows the haunting visions that will soon plague him in a terrifying reversal of fortune.

“Dey’re gone. Dat shot fix ’em. Dey was only little animals—little wild pigs, I reckon. […] Git in, n*****! What you skeered at? Ain’t nothin’ dere but de trees! Git in!”

Jones’s response to his first hallucination reveals his attempt to assert control and dominance over the threatening unknown. This moment introduces the broader theme of Guilt, Fear, and the Fractured Psyche, as Jones grapples with his mind while still outwardly projecting a facade of bravado and authority.

“How long I been makin’ tracks in dese woods? Must be hours an’ hours. Seems like fo’evah!”

Jones’s words reveal the beginning stages of his sense of disorientation, further building on the theme of Guilt, Fear, and the Fractured Psyche. Jones’s journey through the forest leaves him not only physically exhausted but mentally unraveled.

“Jeff! I’se sho’ mighty glad to see you! Dey tol’ me you done died from dat razor cut I gives you. But how you come to be heah, n*****?”

Initially, Jones expresses relief at seeing Jeff, believing he’s alive despite their tumultuous history. His desperate yearning for familiarity makes him forgetful of his actions and their contentious relationship. However, his relief quickly turns to disbelief as he grapples with the idea that the person he killed has seemingly returned, making him question his own sanity.

“I’m meltin’ wid heat! Runnin’ an’ runnin’ an’ runnin’! Damn dis heah coat! Like a strait-jacket! […] Dere! I gits rid o’ dem frippety Emperor trappin’s an’ I travels lighter.”

Jones’s removal of his emperor uniform symbolizes a significant transformation in the play. This act marks his descent from a position of authority and control to one of vulnerability and fear. As he discards the symbols of his former sovereignty, he is also shedding the facade that he had maintained, revealing his flawed character beneath it and subverting the theme of From Subject to Sovereign.

“Dat Emperor job is sho’ hard to shake.”

Jones’s comments are particularly significant in the context of his attempt to evade capture and avoid paying for his exploitative actions. As the islanders close in on him, Jones is confronted with the consequences of his oppressive rule, and he must reckon with the guilt and fear that have haunted him throughout the play.

“Lawd Jesus, heah my prayer! I’se a po’ sinner, a po’ sinner! I knows I done wrong, I knows it!”

Jones’s plea reveals his first acknowledgment of guilt, though it is prompted by fear rather than by reflection. His cries reflect his fractured psyche, now haunted by the apparitions of his past. Jones’s desperate prayer serves as a manifestation of his inner turmoil and the psychological toll, tying to the theme of Guilt, Fear, and the Fractured Psyche.

“What you all doin’, white folks? What’s all dis? What you all lookin’ at me fo’? […] I shows you I’se a free n*****, damn yo’ souls!”

Jones’s outburst reflects his intense discomfort and anger when put in the subordinate position of an enslaved person. His defiant reaction also plays into his fear around his turbulent journey From Subject to Sovereign, where he once wielded power but now faces its loss.

“As their chorus lifts he rises to a sitting posture similar to the others, swaying back and forth. His voice reaches the highest pitch of sorrow, of desolation.”

O’Neill’s stage directions convey Jones’s emotional turmoil through physicality and vocalization rather than dialogue. It’s a poignant choice because, unlike the previous hallucinations that prompted Jones to use his weapon, this one delves into the depths of his psyche without external threats. Jones’s movements mirror those of the enslaved individuals, signifying his increasing remorse over the suffering he has caused.

“What—what is I doin’? What is—dis place? Seems like—seems like I know dat tree—an’ dem stones—an’ de river. I remember—seems like I been heah befo’.”

Jones’s recognition of the familiar surroundings at the river’s edge signifies a profound psychological shift in his character arc. It suggests that he is beginning to confront the ghosts of his past and the guilt that haunts him. This moment directly precedes his confrontation with the Crocodile God and the Witch-Doctor, which symbolizes his ultimate reckoning.

“He flees, he is pursued by devils, he hides, he flees again. Ever wilder and wilder becomes his flight, nearer and nearer draws the pursuing evil, more and more the spirit of terror gains possession of him. His croon, rising to intensity, is punctuated by shrill cries.”

This quote vividly captures the Witch-Doctor’s deeply problematic depiction. The caricature quality to his character links his ritual, and by association Indigenous spirituality as a whole, to “evil forces,” perpetuating harmful notions of Indigenous people as primitive and demonic.

“Jones looks up, starts to spring to his feet, reaches a half-kneeling, half-squatting position and remains rigidly fixed there, paralyzed with awed fascination by this new apparition.”

Jones’s physical posture encapsulates his reflexive response to the Witch-Doctor’s apparition, a display of powerlessness in the face of the unknown. The supernatural figure renders Jones, once a mighty emperor, helpless.

“Lem is a heavy-set, ape-faced old savage of the extreme African type, dressed only in a loin cloth.”

O’Neill’s stage directions reduce the protagonist’s foil, Lem, to a dehumanized caricature. It plays into the idea of the “savage” Other, a common trope in depictions of characters of color. Interestingly, Jones, a Black man, attempts to distance himself from the islanders by addressing them in similarly deprecating forms, thus reinforcing the very power structure that once subjugated him.

“I tole yer yer’d lose ’im, didn’t I?—wastin’ the ’ole bloomin’ night beatin’ yer bloody drum and castin’ yer silly spells! Gawd blimey, wot a pack!”

Smithers’s words reflect his skepticism and disdain for the islanders’ practices. He ridicules their rituals, dismissing them as pointless and foolish. This view underscores the theme of The Insidious Nature of Power, as Smithers, a representative of colonial authority, sees the islanders’ attempts to resist Jones as futile and laughable.