Anansi
Study Notes
Plot Summary
In this section, we will highlight the most important plot
points from each scene.
Let's Go!
On Board: The Good Ship Hope West African Coast, 1791
Captain is looking at ledgers and maps, doing his duties as a captain, while the son is doing his duty as the
captain’s son, which is to learn. But Boy complains about having to study. He would rather be hanging out
on the deck with everyone else. Captain, with his first line of dialogue, shows how stern and cold he is,
even toward his own son. Boy begins to show that he is somewhat naïve, and innocent. He does not
understand how the people on the shore (the Africans to be enslaved) could possibly be cargo. He
questions why they are tied up and look so frightened. Clearly, he has never seen this kind of thing
before. But the father quickly has enough of Boy’s stupid questions, and tells Boy off, even slapping him
when his mouth gets too smart.
On Board: The Good Ship Hope West African Coast, 1791
The next scene takes us on deck where two more characters are introduced, Girl and Sailor. Girl is one of the Africans who have
been dragged onto the ship. She will be transported to the plantations to work for the rest of her miserable life. She is terrified
and confused. She tries to talk with the crew on the ship, but they cannot understand her.
Girl spends a whole paragraph panicking in confusion. She asks many questions, none of which will be answered, at least not yet.
Looking at the language, we see some interesting repetition in “blue” and “water”, representing the infiniteness of the sea around
Girl as well as the impossibility of escape and return to safety.
Sailor also speaks in this scene. He refers to Girl as “goods” that he cannot afford to damage, reinforcing the idea of the slaves
being less than human. They are like cattle to the white men. Even the stage direction is just as cruel, as he is said to “bundle” her
down the hatch as if she were a bale of cotton. The sailor, while being caustic and sarcastic to Girl, foreshadows her fate with
the mention of cotton, which she will likely be expected to pick as a slave. Sailor calls Girl’s language “some heathen tongue”,
indicating a complete disregard for what the Africans believe in and suggesting that any belief system that is not Christian is
heathen or evil. Heathen not only means non-Christian but also uncivilized, uncultured. This is how Girl and her people are
perceived by the white men.
On Board: The Good Ship Hope West African Coast, 1791
Next, we jump back to the cabin for a scene with only Boy. Here, we get more insight into his character. He is reading a diary entry. His diary
gives us a direct view into his thoughts, his wonders, his fears, his conscience, but also his loneliness. He must confide in a diary because no one
is willing to answer his questions or share his perspectives. No one really listens to him.
He was initially looking forward to coming on this trip. He thought it was just about picking up coffee and rum. He had no idea that they would
be picking up, binding, and beating people. He talks about how confused he is about this whole ordeal and how he is not getting the answers he
seeks.
Next, we move on to the hold, which is the space for carrying cargo. We see from the stage narration that hundreds of people are tied up in
the hold. They are the Africans to be shipped. Among these Africans are two of the most important characters of the play, Girl and Woman,
who are tied together on a beam. Girl laments about the dire situation they are in. She seems particularly depressed about the darkness of
the ship. The darkness here, through symbolism, represents this dark time that the Africans have been dragged into.
While Girl expresses despair, this unseen woman somehow exudes a sense of hope. Woman, who will increasingly play the role of mother or
guardian to Girl, says that Girl should face reality. She also tells Girl that the darkness—the metaphorical darkness—cannot change who they
are. In that, the white men cannot strip them of their identities. Girl should therefore find the strength to live and fight in her African-ness.
On Board: The Good Ship Hope West African Coast, 1791
Back in the cabin, we have another scene with Boy and Captain. Captain conducts a dictation session where Boy should write down
what he says. Captain gives a report about how the slaves are doing. He is happy that only three slaves of the last batch have died.
Ironically, he thanks God for that. Just like animals, the slaves are branded and insured. Also, interestingly, Captain says that the
slaves are to “be exercised”. Here, it is not the slaves themselves who are exercising. Instead, they are being exercised in the same
way that plants are watered, or chickens fed to be kept healthy. He also notes that one cup of maize porridge per slave per day is
enough food for them. This is of course just enough to keep them alive.
Back down in the hold, Woman and Girl have a quiet conversation. Again, Girl is despairing and complaining while Woman offers
encouragement. Unexpectedly, Woman offers Girl a riddle:
“What part of you stays free when your arms and legs are tied?” Girl is unable to find the answer and becomes increasingly
frustrated with Woman and her nonsense. But though Girl does not solve the riddle just yet, she makes a step in the right direction
when she notices a spider by means of a bit of light that leaks through a crack in the roof. There is much symbolism here. In the
“darkness”, which we already know is symbolic, Girl glimpses the “light”, which leads to the spider, the spider Anansi that will
enlighten her.
On Board: The Good Ship Hope West African Coast, 1791
We now head back to the hold for one final scene in this act. The narration hints that the
spider’s web somehow connects the Africans. The web of the spider here represents that
spirit of storytelling, of keeping the flame of the African heritage alive.
Woman reveals to Girl that the name of the spider is Anansi. Girl scoffs at the little spider for
not being able to easily craft its web. But Woman reminds Girl that while they are bound up, it
is the spider that is free. Eventually, Anansi does successfully craft his web, much to Girl’s
amusement. Woman then tells Girl that Anansi was once a king. The story behind this will be
told in the next act as we move into THE FOREST OF STORIES.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
NAMING THE STORIES
Anansi opens with a monologue of self-introduction. He claims that he is the cleverest of all the forest
dwellers, and he does so in poetic style. His use of rhyme and rhythm already separates him from the
other characters and shows us his unique charisma, charm, and mastery of language.
Tiger has been thinking about what to name the stories that will be told of these forest dwellers. Of
course, he wants himself, the great Tiger, to be lauded in the title. Anyway, Anansi tricks Tiger into
agreeing to name the stories after him, (Anansi) instead. Well, not quite yet. First, Anansi must do an
impossible task for Tiger. If Anansi can bring Tiger Mister Snake tied to a pole, he will be able to name the
stories as he pleases.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
TRICKING SNAKE
Anansi first pretends to try to trick Snake with obvious traps. Snake sees through the fake traps, which
gives him a boost in confidence against Anansi. But due to this, Snake also lets his guard down, thinking
he has Anansi all figured out.
But then the real trickery starts when Anansi mentions to Snake that his reputation for being the longest
creature is on the line. To prove himself, Snake decides to measure himself against a bamboo tree. The
depth of the deception is that Snake thinks that this is his own idea, but of course, it is Anansi who
manipulates him and plants the idea in his head. Anansi quickly ties snake to the tree. At the end, Snake
angrily curses at Anansi, who teases the embarrassed, squirming creature in return.
ON BOARD
The next act begins, and we are returned to the hold, where Girl and Woman are conversing. Girl realizes
the paradox of Anansi, noting that he is both the weakest and strongest at the same time. In fact, he is
the strongest because he is the weakest. To compensate for his lack of size and physical strength, he
finds ingenious ways to defeat and trick anyone and accomplish tasks that seem impossible.
Woman enforces the idea of Anansi stories being a generational link, a tradition passed down from the
old to the young, kept alive through time even without ever being written down. Just as her mother told
her the stories, she will tell this little girl the stories, who will in turn continue to pass the stories down the
line. Woman says another important thing here. She tells Girl, “Africa is your mother”. Allegiance to the
motherland makes the Africans strong and keeps them united.
ON BOARD
As Girl and Woman continue to talk, we shift to another scene back in the cabin with Boy and Captain. The stage
direction here points to an irony. The two share a close physical space but are ideologically very distant. In this
scene, Captain scolds Boy for keeping a diary, even saying that such a thing is for girls.
Boy notes in his diary that he heard the Africans singing a song that was deep and warm. He could somehow
sense a spirit of hope and togetherness in the slaves’ song. Another interesting thing to note here is that Boy
continues to show a smart mouth as he talks to his father, reminding us of Anansi’s witty defiance. Perhaps Boy
and Anansi share some similarities. They are both in a sense small and insignificant. Anansi is a little spider, while
Boy is bossed around by his father, unable to make his own decisions. Yet, both Anansi and Boy use words as a
way to cultivate their own power. Anansi uses words to manipulate others while Boy, through his diary, uses
words to reflect on reality and attempt to grasp a deeper understanding of himself, others, and the world
around him.
ON BOARD
Now we jump back to the hold where we find Woman and Girl. Interestingly, Girl now calls Woman “mother”, accepting
Woman as her guardian, her elder, her family. This shows a tightening of the relationship between the two.
Woman again encourages Girl to look past her present confinement and find strength in the forest stories. But how
could Girl look past the sailor who was dragging a body out of the hold? Girl compares the white men to animals, but
Woman corrects her, saying that animals are not cruel. And when Girl says that these men deserve to die, Woman asks,
“Who can say who deserves to live or die?” showing that her heart is not boiling with bitterness and judgement, but with
a kind of calm and clarity that Girl might one day attain. Woman takes this further, saying that she pities the white men.
Boy and Sailor enter the hold to check on the slaves for sickness, but Boy himself seems sick. As they leave, Woman
starts up another riddle, and this time, Girl quickly embraces it.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
THE WORLD BLOTTED OUT
At the beginning of this story, we see animals chanting merrily until thunder rolls across
the sky. But this time the thunder rolls in someone much more fearsome than Tiger. In
comes Mancrow, a creature that is as huge and horrible as one imagines. There is
screaming and panic as Mancrow threatens to kill and devour even the babies.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
THE PROCLAMATION
Here, we have Servant and King, two minor characters. We have some comedic relief
with the Servant who talks a little bit too much for the king’s liking, but this is balanced
out with the seriousness of King’s proclamation. King declares that great rewards
await whoever defeats the mighty and dreadful Mancrow.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
THE INITIATION
We have some humorous banter between Gran and Soliday, but things get serious
when Soliday tells Gran that he is going to challenge Mancrow. Gran seems confident in
Soliday but insists that he needs special arrows to take on this dreadful monster. Gran
gives him six arrows: one for hope, one for wits, one for fear, one for anger, one for his
name, and the last arrow is a secret.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
THE BATTLE
The epic battle rages as Soliday fires the arrows one by one. But Mancrow seemingly
takes no damage at all. That is until Soliday fires the final arrow, the secret. It catches
Mancrow off guard and kills him. In the end, it is not a power inherited or obtained, but
an innate, fundamental power, one that we must unearth from within us, that is our
greatest strength.
Soliday takes one of Mancrow’s feathers to present to King as proof of slaying the
beast, but Anansi, who has been watching all along, snags one as well and makes it to
the king before Soliday, claiming to have killed Mancrow himself.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
THE REWARD
King rejoices and praises Anansi. Soliday finally enters the scene. Anansi knows what is
about to happen, so he disappears with some of the food from the celebratory
banquet. Realizing Anansi’s trickery, the servants chase him around, but as usual, he
escapes. Anyhow, Soliday ends up getting his rightful reward. Anansi, even after all this,
insists on the lie that he was the one who killed Mancrow.
ON BOARD
Girl asks why Anansi is always looking for trouble, to which Woman replies, “If you have
wits like Anansi you have to use them.” But her answer becomes ambiguous as she adds
that such cleverness can be used in wrong or right ways. We see that Anansi uses his wits
for both heroism and mischief. Girl then questions her fate, even though she already
knows the answer. Woman confirms to her that the slaves that are not thrown away are
eventually sold.
ON BOARD
Back on deck, Sailor gets a bit more stage time as he chats with Boy. Boy is crying in a corner. Sailor tells
him that big boys don’t cry, again enforcing some gender expectations. Boy expresses that he feels
alone and confused. He eventually asks a staggering question; “What color is God?” Boy rationalizes that
if humans are made in God’s image, then the black people being thrown overboard must also have been
made in God’s image. But Sailor enforces the idea that slaves are not people but are more comparable
to beasts. To this, Boy insists that they are not beasts, but are just as human as white people,
mentioning Girl, whom he had earlier seen. Sailor ends the argument by simply refusing to think, saying
that in the end, he has a job to do. Basically, he does not care what is wrong or right, what is absurd or
logical. He has a role to play, and he must play it. And so does Boy, apparently.
ON BOARD
We head back into the cabin for another scene with Boy and Captain. Boy laments to his father about
the slave he saw get thrown into the sea. Captain, angry at Boy for caring about the slaves, says Boy
has betrayed him and tells him to toss his diary overboard. Captain also disciplines the boy with shouts
and slaps, then storms out.
Back down in the hold, Woman is clearly quite sick. Yet, as we would expect, she tells Girl not to worry
about her. Sailor and Boy come in to check on Girl and Woman, but Boy quickly exclaims that he is ill.
Sailor quickly takes him away to see the doctor.
ON BOARD
Woman goes on to tell Girl another riddle, but not before making a curious statement. When Girl asks why the white
people hate the Africans, Woman says, “When they see us, they see the thing they fear the most.” Perhaps this
means that the white slave masters fear the day the slaves are able to come to power and exact their revenge.
Woman also says that “they treat each other no better”, indicating that these white people in some sense abuse
and exploit one another as well.
Next, we get to the woman’s riddle. She asks about something that is exceedingly light, beautiful, and strong. Girl
guesses, “Anansi’s web!” The woman acknowledges this answer but says that the deeper answer is “the soul”. Even if
the white men can beat and break the Africans’ bodies, as long as they retain strength of soul, they will never truly
be defeated.
Another development happens in this scene, as Girl outrightly acknowledges Woman as her new mother.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
DOWN BY THE POOL
Ratbat, a new character, is singing when he hears Anansi and Tiger coming. The summer sun is raging, which
gives Anansi the perfect opportunity to play a trick on Tiger. He takes Tiger to a cool pool where he can swim
and relax. Anansi advises that Tiger should take off his fur coat before entering the pool so that it does not
shrivel up. This sounds logical to Tiger and so he complies, though somewhat reluctantly. But this is only step
one. Next, Anansi convinces Tiger to take off his fat so monsters in the pool won’t try to eat it.
Unwillingly and somewhat embarrassed, Tiger complies. While Tiger takes a nice, cool swim, Anansi stands
guard by Tiger’s fur and fat. But of course, Anansi has ulterior motives. It isn’t long before Anansi is making a
yummy stew out of Tiger’s fat. But the nosey Ratbat, who had been following Tiger and Anansi, shows
himself. He wants some of whatever Anansi is cooking up.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
DOWN BY THE POOL
Anansi tells Ratbat about a singing contest happening in Song City. Ratbat, a proud singer, is excited to hear
about this. Of course, as we know, the contest does not actually exist, but is rather a part of Anansi’s
scheme to frame Ratbat. Anansi tells Ratbat that in order to enter the contest, he must sing a song about
tiger fat. So, Ratbat goes off singing his new original song about tiger fat, while Anansi, we can assume,
enjoys his tiger fat stew.
Tiger gets out of the pool and becomes enraged when he sees that his fat and coat are missing. Tiger
threatens to kill Anansi, but there is no need for all that, because Anansi knows who the culprit it. Anansi leads
Tiger to song city, where he hears Ratbat singing about delicious tiger fat, implicating himself in a crime he
did not commit.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
DOWN BY THE POOL
But before Tiger rips Ratbat to threads, he realizes that Anansi must have had something to do with this whole fiasco.
But it is too late. Anansi has already made a fool and a spectacle out of Tiger, who looks shriveled and pathetic
without his fat. He also ends up making a fool out of Ratbat, who ends up auditioning for a nonexistent song contest
with a stupid-sounding song. And most importantly, Anansi gets to fill his belly with delicious tiger fat.
This is one of the more lighthearted of the forest stories, one used to provide comic relief while reinforcing the wit
and wisdom, but also the playful villainy of Anansi. If Girl should survive her dire circumstance, she will need to able to
wrap people around her finger like Anansi can. She will need to find cunning ways to get her “tiger fat”, to get what
she needs, without getting herself killed in the process. Of course, for Girl, the tiger fat she seeks might be freedom.
Who knows, perhaps her tiger fat also includes revenge.
ON BOARD
The next act takes us back to the hold, where Girl is dying of laughter after hearing this ridiculous story about tiger
fat. Woman gives Girl another riddle that she does not get the time to answer. Girl claims to know the answer, but
before she says it, they quiet themselves as Sailor and Boy come down. Woman accepts her fate. Being old and sick,
she will be thrown overboard. But she takes solace in the fact that she has already taught Girl all she needs to know.
As Sailor drags Woman away, Boy shows what could be seen as sympathy as he tells Girl that she mustn’t cry. He
might just be parroting what his father had said to him earlier on when he was crying.
Girl turns her head away and sings to herself, “Yesterday this time me an yum Tiger fat”, alluding to the previous
Forest Story. This can be taken in two ways. For one, it can be seen as Girl threatening Boy and Sailor. Just as Tiger’s
fat was stewed and eaten, she will somehow skin and eat them (figuratively). However, it could also mean that she is
lamenting about unfair treatment and unjust punishment. Just as Ratbat who sang the song was framed, was
blamed for something he did not do, Girl and Woman are being treated terribly by no fault of their own.
ON BOARD
In the next scene, we have Captain and Boy. We see even more tension between them as their
relationship grows increasingly stiff, cold, and formal. Captain does dictation while Boy takes notes.
Captain, in cruel irony, thanks God for losing only one hundred and fifty slaves and twelve crewmembers
on the seven-week passage. He also plans to toss overboard slaves that are unhealthy to ensure that
they do not devalue the others. As usual, the language he uses to talk about the slaves is language that is
usually used to talk about cattle or machinery. He even says that his conscience is clear as he is doing his
best to “protect the best beasts in the herd.” He ends the dictation, readying to prepare the ledgers for
tomorrow’s auction. Interestingly, he coughs violently, indicating that he also is “diseased”. We see that
disease does not care about how powerful think you are.
KINGSTON HARBOR
The next act takes us to a new place, Kingston Harbor, where the slaves will be auctioned off. We see
some interesting character development in Boy. Now he walks upright and stern. He has an air of
confidence, like he has matured since we last saw him. But what exactly has he matured into?
Sailor asks Boy (sarcastically) if he has yet found out what color God is, referring to their previous
conversation about God. Boy replies with one resolute and confident word: “Yes.” His confusion and
curiosity seem to have been replaced by a kind of certainty. Sailor warns the boy about blasphemy,
saying it is bad for his soul, to which the boy replies, “Is it?”, suggesting an air of defiance, even audacity
toward the Sailor’s idea of God.
KINGSTON HARBOR
We then see that Boy is playing the role of captain, as Captain is sick. Now, it is Boy who does the ledgers.
It seems that curious, innocent Boy has become much more like his father over the time it took the ship to
reach Jamaica. Does this suggest the inevitability of one’s destiny?
Sailor acknowledges how much Boy has matured, saying he has become a man. We are still not sure just
how much like Captain Boy has become. We see that he is now stern and confident, but also, unlike Sailor
and Captain, he seems to retain his boyish ability to think for himself. We see this in his brief conversation
about God. Sailor drinks to a safe voyage back home from this uncivilized place.
KINGSTON HARBOR
Next, Auctioneer speaks. The slaves are being sold, including Girl, who does not understand the
auctioneer’s language. However, through the guidance of Woman, she has become keen enough
to realize what is happening even without understanding the language.
As soon as Girl is sold, the scene freezes as she starts to tell a story. Now, she is playing the role
of storyteller, the role not of Girl, but of Woman. She vows that like Anansi, she will find a way to
help herself. She goes on to introduce the story that the next act will tell, speaking of an evil
woman with a heart full of hate who adopted child slaves for herself.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
QUENCHING HER THIRST
Four characters are introduced. First, we have the wicked old woman, Her, and then we have the laboring children,
Dog, Cat, and Crab.
The woman works the children half to death, then feeds on their tears. But they are so overworked that they have no
tears left, and in order to catch a break, they suggest that Her finds a new slave.
Dog, Cat, and Crab put out an advertisement to attract a new slave for Her, with the caveat that if they can guess
Her’s name, they will get half of everything she owns. Her, with some convincing, decides that this is fine, as no one will
be able to guess her name anyway. Dog, Cat, and Crab know Her’s real name, a fact that will be important
momentarily. The new worker comes in, which is Anansi dressed up a girl.
THE FOREST OF STORIES
AT THE RIVER
Anansi soon gets Crab to tell him Her’s real name, giving Crab a kiss in return. And of course, Anansi gets to take half of everything Her
owns.
Upon finding out that Crab betrayed her, Her angrily throws the calabash at him. It sticks to Crab’s black, glued to him by the tears of
the woman’s past slaves.
Girl then relates the story back to herself, saying that her own story will resemble this one, being one of “a hard back, many tears and a
name that nobody knows.” Here, she acknowledges and accepts the immense hardship that is her future. The hard back refers to the
inhumane hardship of being a slave. The tears are the sorrow and pain that come with being a slave. The namelessness refers to the
fact that she may never be remembered by history, by anyone, least of all by name. As she is sold off to a plantation, she may never
again be treated as human or remembered as such. She says that her story is for “a new world”, accepting the fact that her old world,
her time of freedom in Africa, has ended. But is she frightened of this? She is not. The Anansi stories have helped her to develop a kind
of courage that rages even in the face of life’s toughest circumstances.
KINGSTON HARBOR
And we end at Kingston Harbor for the final and shortest act, in which Girl is finally sold. Here,
Girl starts to tell a story, but not of Anansi. This time, the story is about herself. She urges us to
remember her.
Characters
In this section, we will take a deeper look at the main characters.
Let's Go!
Boy and Captain
For most of the play, Boy is portrayed as innocent, naïve, and
compassionate. While Captain is ruthless and stern, seeing the
slaves as similar to cargo or cattle, Boy sees them as people and
struggles to understand why they are treated like this.
Also, we see that while Captain’s way of thinking is quite linear, in
that he adheres unquestioningly to the way things are, Boy is
seen asking questions, reflecting in his diary, and restlessly
seeking to address his sense of confusion and ignorance.
Captain’s job is not just one of manning the ship and managing
the crew and cargo, but also one of training Boy to one day
replace him. Due to this, he becomes increasingly frustrated at
his son’s compassion for the slaves and insatiable curiosity, which
makes the two even more estranged with each interaction.
Girl at first is terrified, frightened of the white men, the dark
Girl and Woman
ship, and the thought of never seeing her family and home again.
Anyone would be frightened in this situation, not to mention a
child. However, Girl shows a spirit of determination and
cleverness and proves to be a fast learner as she gleans from
Woman, taking interest in the Anansi stories.
Woman, on the other hand, from the play’s beginning, plays the
role of a kind mother, a sage, a guru. She is calm and collected,
and very wise. Even in this situation, she does not portray or
encourage a spirit of anger and vengeance, but rather one of
compassion and understanding. As Woman grows physically
weaker, being sick, she pours her strength into Girl, allowing the
child to grow stronger. Woman’s strength is transferred to Girl
through the stories she passes on, through the lessons Girl learns
from her.
Anansi
The most important character in the forest is Anansi. He is the
character who represents the idea that the underdog can
somehow defeat those who are bigger and mightier. Anansi uses
trickery and wit to not only overcome but also humiliate the other
forest creatures. He even defeats a human in the final forest
story, Quenching Her Thirst. Anansi is himself an embodiment of
the fighting spirit of the slaves, the hope they have to use their
wits to somehow defeat or at least escape the slave masters.
Soliday
Besides Anansi, Soliday is the only character who is seen to be a
victor in the Forest Stories. In fact, he is more virtuous and more
heroic than Anansi. He courageously takes on and vanquishes the
dreadful Mancrow. While Anansi may represent our ability to rise
above insurmountable obstacles through cunning, wit, and
trickery, Soliday represents our ability to overcome evil with
good through righteousness, virtuousness, and determination.
Gran
Another human, Gran serves a similar purpose to Woman. Just as
Woman teaches Girl, Gran teaches Soliday, giving him the tools
he needs to slay Mancrow. Gran and Woman together show us
the role of the matriarch. They are both elders who are strong
and brave, and who fulfill their responsibility of passing their
wisdom on to the next generation.
Her and Mancrow
Her and Mancrow are both wicked, dreadful and feared. They
might both represent the looming, overwhelming problems we
face. For African slaves, they represent the slave masters or
perhaps even slavery itself. However, both villains end up being
defeated, indicating that these great evils can be overcome.
Themes
This section will discuss twelve of the most important themes
explored in the play.
Let's Go!
Throughout the play, we experience a distinct power
imbalance between the Africans and the white people. The
Africans are overpowered and controlled, captured, and
treated like animals. They are powerless against their
captors, completely at their mercy. The Africans are
powerless not only in the immediate sense that they are tied
up on a ship but in the sense that their entire future, their
destiny, even the destinies of their descendants, are in the
hands of the white people.
However, there is more nuance to how this theme is explored.
Looking beneath the surface, we see where Woman teaches
Girl how to regain a sense of power, not necessarily over the
white people, but over her own state of mind, her own spirit.
Girl is empowered through the Anansi stories, through the
understanding of her identity and what she is capable of.
Power
and
Powerlessness
There are also some hints that indicate that the white people
in the play are not quite as powerful as they appear. For
example, in the first act, Captain talks to Boy about the
masters they must eventually report to. Boy is at first
confused, but then Captain asks, “Do you think there is a man
alive who has no master of one kind or another?” implying that
no one truly has the power to just do as they please.
Over in the Forest of Stories, we see the mighty monster
Mancrow and the terrible woman Her exert power over
others. However, we also see that they are eventually
defeated by the likes of Soliday and Anansi, indicating that
even when one feels or appears to be powerless, there is
always a way to achieve empowerment.
Power
and
Powerlessness
This theme is explored through the unique form of the play in
the consistent parallelism between the harsh reality of the
slave ship and the fun vibrant forest stories. While Girl and
Woman must suffer the dark, grim reality of being captives
on their way to the plantations, we see that they find relief
and strength in the fantastical world of Anansi. The forest
stories also serve to break up the tension and give the reader
a chance to enjoy comic relief and experience a wider variety
of moods throughout the play.
As the play progresses, the worlds of reality and fantasy
continually converge, until they are almost inseparable. This
shows the growing extent to which Girl internalizes the forest
stories and draws from the strength of Anansi.
Fantasy
vs
Reality
There are several cases in this play in which things appear to
be one way but are really another. The most obvious case
might be in the fortitude of Anansi. Anansi, because of his
physical stature, might appear insignificant, but always
proves to be very powerful, outsmarting his enemies with
ease. We see that in the beginning, Girl sees Anansi as “so
little and weak” as seen in act one, whereas she eventually
learns the true strength of this big little spider.
On the surface, it may appear that Captain would be wiser
and smarter than Boy. After all, Captain is a man while Boy is
a child. However, we see that while Captain is afraid to
actually think for himself, Boy proves to be wiser, daring to
seek out the answers to difficult questions and challenge
what is accepted as truth. Boy also seems to be well
educated, even making jokes about the laws of physics.
Appearance
vs
Reality
Throughout the play, we see various situations in which the reality
of the characters is in direct opposition to their desires. In that,
there is a battle between what they want and what is sure to
happen. Consider Captain and Boy. Boy desires to pursue
knowledge, to understand the world. He wants to reflect on the
workings of his mind through journaling. However, Captain
consistently enforces Boy’s destiny. His destiny is not to learn and
reflect but to perform his duties on the ship and eventually become
a captain himself. His destiny is to be like his father, a man who
leads blindly, and who fulfills his duties without thought or feeling.
Looking at Girl, we see someone who of course desires freedom.
She wants her home, her mother. She wants her happy life back.
But a very different destiny is given to her by the white men who
capture and tie her up. She cannot look forward to a life of
freedom, but must instead brace herself for a life of slavery.
Desire
vs
Destiny
Since the first act, the theme of light versus darkness begins. Even while Girl
and Woman are thrown into the metaphorical darkness of captivity, they are
also thrown into the literal darkness of the ship’s hold. However, we see in Act
One that “a little light filters down from a crack in the roof.” This light contends
with the darkness. It is the hope that Girl must cling to, the power and
knowledge that she must awaken through her journey into the Forest Stories.
In the Forest of Stories, we see this same motif of darkness and light in the
story The World Blotted Out. Here, we see mentions of darkness in the stage
directions. We see, “Thunder rolls across the darkening sky.” This darkness here
signals the appearance of Mancrow and represents an air of dread and
hopelessness, as well as the evil of Mancrow. We also see that Mancrow is
described as dark, huge, and horrible. Also, Mancrow is said to be a monster
that eats light, showing directly that the evil of Mancrow is a kind of darkness
strong enough to shroud light.
Light only comes when Soliday defeats Mancrow. When Mancrow is defeated,
King declares, “The day is saved! The sun is bright! Weakness has triumphed
over might!” Here, the light represents Soliday’s courage as well as the hope
that he restores as he slays Mancrow.
Light
Vs
Dark
This theme is obvious and rampant throughout
the play. The white people on the ship,
particularly Captain and Sailor, treat the black
people, the Africans, as if they are less than
human, even lower than animals. Captain makes
it clear that the Africans only serve the
purpose of being sold as slaves. They are just
cargo, goods. Also, at Kingston Harbor, Sailor
makes it clear that England, unlike Jamaica, and
unlike black people, is civilized.
Prejudice
and
Racism
The African slaves, of course including Girl and Woman, are
pulled away from the homeland. They become alienated from
their people, physically separated from their culture and
heritage, and dragged onto the ship where they are not
treated as humans. Also, note that the slaves are even further
isolated in how they are separated from one another on the
ship, unable to communicate with each other, except in a very
limited and constrained way, as we see with Woman and Girl.
Boy is also alienated, as he seems to be the only non-slave on
the ship who wonders why the Africans are treated so terribly.
He is curious, thoughtful, and open-minded, and we see that
Captain and Sailor cannot understand or relate to him. He is
alienated from them, finding refuge and companionship only in
his diary, which he is forced to abandon.
Alienation
One of the clearest differences between the Africans and the white
people is that the Africans are captives while the white people are free.
Girl and Woman counteract their physical bondage with their mental and
spiritual freedom, which they find in the forest stories.
Interestingly, Captain suggests that even people like him—a white man
who exercises power over not just the slaves but also over his crewmen—
are not free. He asks, “Do you think there is a man alive who has no master
of one kind or another?” suggesting that while relative freedom exists,
there is no such thing as absolute freedom, as we all have masters we
must serve.
We also see this theme come up in the Forest Stories, where both
Mancrow and Her exert cruel power over others. The theme is more
pronounced as we look at Her, who enslaves children. In the end, Anansi
outsmarts Her, taking half of her possessions. Right after this, we see
that Girl does not look frightened anymore, indicating that Anansi’s ability
to defeat Her has strengthened Girl’s confidence in her ability to survive
slavery and perhaps one day outsmart her slave master.
Bondage
vs
Freedom
A straightforward way of exploring this theme is to simply look at the most
important characters and think about what they want. We start with Girl. In the
beginning, she wants to wake up from the dreadful nightmare of being on a slave
ship. She wants her mother. She wants to return home. However, she soon realizes
that there is no going back. What she then feels is hopelessness, even saying that
she wants to die. Then, as Girl warms up to Woman and starts to indulge in the
Forest Stories, we see that she also seeks comfort and companionship. She
eventually sees Woman as her new mother.
After that, we see that Girl starts asking many questions. Interestingly, we see a
similar behavior in Boy, which we will discuss shortly. Girl’s questions show a desire
to understand. She wants to understand what is happening to her and why. She
wants to know what her fate is.
In the end, we see that she has found hope and strength in the Forest Stories, and
seeing as she takes over the role of storyteller from Woman, we can figure that she
desires to inspire others with these same stories.
As for Woman, her main desire is to pass on her wisdom and strength to Girl. She
does not want Girl to live and die as a hopeless slave, but to instead survive, to use
the folklore of her motherland as a way to create her own freedom and also
maintain her African identity.
Hopes, Dreams,
and Desires
Like Girl, Boy, from the beginning, wishes to make sense of the world around him,
and so he asks many questions and writes in his diary. He seems to come to the
conclusion that what is being done to the Africans is wrong. He realizes that Girl is
similar to him, and is appalled by how the Africans are treated. We may infer that at
this point, his desire is to save the Africans. However, by the end of the play,
whether he eventually conforms to Captain’s way of thinking or only pretends to do
so, we see that he takes on the role of a captain. At this point, it is difficult to tell
what Boy’s desires are.
Next, we have Captain, who wants to run his ship as efficiently as possible and make
a fortune selling the slaves he has captured. He also desires to inculcate captain-like
qualities into his son.
While we can look at the desires of all the characters in the play, we will just look at
one more: Anansi. Anansi’s desire is different from story to story, but in a nutshell,
he always wants to trick everyone else and get his hands on some kind of prize or
reward. He also wants to be renowned as the smartest creature around. He is
interested not only in fortune, but also in fame, as we see from the first Forest
Story where Anansi tricks Tiger into letting the stories be named after him (Anansi)
rather than Tiger.
Hopes, Dreams,
and Desires
Both Girl and Boy, at the beginning of the play, are naïve children
who really have no idea what is happening around them. They are
both forced to grow up quickly, to adapt to the harsh reality in
which they find themselves. Girl is at first afraid and confused,
but eventually finds strength, courage, and wisdom, evolving into
a character that is much more mature than the average child.
Boy, like Girl, does not get a chance to have a merry childhood but
is burdened with the responsibility of being a future captain. At
first, he is curious, empathetic, and very thoughtful, but he is soon
forced to abandon such virtues in order to fulfill his destiny. We
see how he matures at the end of the play, as he leaves the
curiosity and emotionality of boyhood behind, acting in the stead
of his father, the captain.
Childhood
and
Growth
When Captain announces that only three slaves have died on the
six-day passage, declares, “May God be thanked for it.” Captain’s
idea of God does not at all conflict with his decision to capture
and sell the Africans into slavery. In this sense, slavery, in his mind,
is not evil. However, Boy does not easily accept that idea of God.
He enquires about the true nature of God, asking what color God
is. He sees glaring contradictions in the white people’s view of
God. God is good, yet slavery, which God apparently supports,
seems evil. Also, all men are made in the image of God, yet for
some reason, the black people are not treated as if they too are
made in the image of God. Boy realizes that Captain and Sailor
purport an inconsistent representation of God, one that seems to
be all too convenient for the white men. In the end, Boy says that
he has learned what color God is, indicating that he has come to
some profound understanding of God.
God
When Captain sees that Boy keeps a diary, he tells him, “That sort of
nonsense is for lasses. Put that away and get on with your work.” This
indicates that as a boy, Boy is expected to act in a certain way as well as
to avoid certain behaviors. Men are all about action and work, not writing,
talking, reflecting, and certainly not critical thinking, apparently. He tells
Boy that the only story that counts is the one that says money makes the
world go round. In other words, a man’s focus must be on making money,
on providing, and on doing his job.
We see also that when Boy sits crying in a corner, Sailor tells him not to
cry, since he’s a lad, a boy. Such vulnerable displays of emotions are not
for boys (and men) but for girls (and women).
Woman sets a standard for what it means to be not just a woman, but a
strong African matriarch. As a woman, she mothers Girl, offering
guidance, wisdom, and comfort, and keeps the African folktales alive by
telling them to Girl. We see that Gran plays a similar role as she
encourages and supports Soliday as he prepares to battle Mancrow.
Gender Roles
Devices
While there are many devices used in the play, this guide focuses on
the most important ones.
Let's Go!
Irony
The first very important literary device is situational irony, where reality is the opposite of what we would expect it
to be, or where things are the opposite of what they seem to be.
The very first words in the play present an irony. Looking at the title of the first act, we see “The Good Ship Hope”,
which likely references the name of the slave ship. Of course, the irony is that nothing good happens on this ship, at
least not for the Africans. And instead of hope, this ship brings the Africans hopelessness. Since Captain and his crew
see the Africans as nothing more than cargo, they cannot recognize, or refuse to recognize the evil in what they are
doing. Here, the irony shows the contrasting positions and viewpoints of the white men and the Africans.
We see another irony when Boy sees Girl as being very similar to him. He feels connected to her somehow, even
though she is a stranger. This happens while he feels very disconnected from his own father, and also from the crew
on the ship.
Another irony is seen near the end of Act 3 where Woman mentions that she pities the same white men who have
captured her, and who will shortly throw her overboard. One would expect that Woman should instead feel
bitterness and hatred toward them, but instead, she pities how depraved and broken they are.
Symbolism
We have already talked about how darkness and light are used not just literally in the play, but also
symbolically. Another clear instance of symbolism happens when Gran helps Soliday prepare to face
Mancrow. She gives him six arrows, and Gran directly states what each arrow symbolizes. Also, we
can see Anansi as a symbol for persistence, resilience, and cunning. He is an embodiment of the
African spirit, of the spirit that Girl needs to embrace should she survive. Meanwhile, creatures like
Mancrow and Her, and even Anansi’s regular adversaries like Tiger and Snake might in this play
symbolize the slave masters.
Imagery
This play does an excellent job of creating vivid scenes in the reader’s mind. We are made to clearly
see and feel the environments of both the slave ship and the forest.
In the first act, when we are first taken to the hold where the slaves are kept, we are painted the
picture of a grim, dark, cage where slaves are packed together, stifling in filth and fear. This use of
imagery forces the reader to share in the desperate situation that the slaves have suddenly been
plunged into. There is also the focus on the light on the roof, which creates a visual contrast with the
darkness.
Near the beginning of Act 5, we get some incredible imagery from the stage direction that describes
the smell and sound of the sea as well as the movement and freshness of the wind. This is contrasted
with the putrid stench that oozes up from the hold as well as the agonizing groans of the slaves.
Comedy/Humor
The play deals with the serious, heavy, and controversial topic of slavery, but the feelings of sorrow and
anger evoked by the play are counterbalanced by the comedy it provides, particularly in the Forest
Stories. We have and will continue to look at the purpose of having two narratives run side by side—those
being the On Board stories and the Forest stories. One of the reasons is that the Forest Stories often
provide comic relief. There is much comedy in how Anansi outsmarts everyone around him and makes
fools of them. Anansi of course creates comedy through his actions, but just as much through his words.
For example, in the first forest story, he insults Tiger several times, who is too stupid to even realize.
Anansi is not the only character who provides humor. In the Forest Story The Proclamation, there is a
comedic scene between Servant and King where Servant annoys King by talking too much and getting in
the way of the big announcement.
Boy also adds bits of tense humor with his smart mouth, which on multiple occasions gets him into
trouble with Captain.
Contrast
Among other functions, contrast is used to highlight ironies as well as differences among characters. We
have already discussed how some pairs of characters create distinct contrasts. We also see a contrast
between the situations of the white people and the black people, with the white people being in control
and the black people being at their mercy. However, we also see a contrast when we look at how terrible
Captain and Sailor treat the slaves compared to how sympathetic, composed, and levelheaded Woman
is.
Of course, one of the most consistent displays of contrast in the text is in the presentations of the On
Board stories alongside the Forest Stories. While on the ship we have a dark, grim, dreary setting and
situation, the Forest Stories are full of color, life, and spirit.
Metaphor
Metaphors play a similar role to similes in the play but tend to provide even deeper insights than similes
do. In some of the stage narration for Act 1, it is said that the spider’s web links the Africans together.
This metaphor means that the stories and spirit of Anansi keep the Africans connected not only to one
another but their roots and to their identities. This web gives them the hope and resilience to survive.
Near the end of Act 3, when Girl asks Woman if the white people are going to eat them, Woman answers
by saying, “they eat your soul and leave your body empty.” This is metaphor, obviously. It means that the
white people indent to drain every drop of hope and all sense of identity from the slaves, wiping them
clean of all ability to dream, hope, and even think. So dreary is the experience of being a slave that we
can imagine it leaving many Africans soulless after some time.
That's it :)