Their marriage is doomed because Ella is incapable of accepting Jim as a man. The racialism not only dooms their marriage but also her
characters. The Feeling that she has betrayed her race, she retreats to childhood, insisting that Jim play with her as a boy, sometimes in white face
while she puts on a black face. When he is not safely emasculated as a playmate, she offers him another role: “my old kind Uncle Jim who’s been
with us for years and years.”
4.3 Hattie Harris
In act II O’Neill shows Jim’s family, his mother and his sister. He also draw a little about his father who has been died. His mother is drawn as a
mild-looking, gray-haired Negress of sixty five, dressed in an old-fashioned Sunday-best dress while Hattie is drawn as a woman about thirty with a high
strung, defiant face—an intelligent head showing both power and courage, dress severely and mannishly.
Hattie is a woman with a firm faith and holding on to her belief that someday their race, black, will be freed and get the same treatment like the
white get. She put on her faith to Jim. She believes that Jim could answer their race’s dreams. It makes her the great supporter for Jim to study and
become a lawyer. Hattie—bending over and kissing him Good for
you I admire you so much, Jim I admire both of you And are you going to begin
Universitas Sumatera Utara
studying right away and get admitted to the Bar?
Jim—You bet I am Hattie—You must, Jim Our race needs men like
you to come to the front and help—as voices are heard approaching she stops,
stiffens, and her face grows cold
O’Neill, 1923-1931:301 As the black woman and Jim’s sister, Hattie hates Ella because she is
white. Hattie believes that Ella is the obstacle for Jim to continue his study and to fulfill their race’s dreams. Hattie has thought that Ella is the ringleader
that makes Jim cannot finish his study yet. Although Hattie comes to understand that Ella does, in fact, love Jim, she sees clearly that the couples
are doomed by Ella’s inherent racism. Ella—suddenly—even eagerly Then you must have taken
lots of examinations and managed to pass them, didn’t you?
Hattie—biting her lips I always passed with honors Ella—Yes, we both graduated from the same High School,
didn’t we? That was dead easy for me. Why I hardly even looked at a book. But Jim says it was awfully
hard for him. He failed one year, remember? She turns and smile at Jim—a tolerant, superior smile
but one full of genuine love. Hattie is outraged, but Jim smiles
Jim—yes, it was hard for me, honey. Ella—And the law school examinations Jim hardly ever
could pass at all. Could you? she laugh lovingly Hattie—harshly Yes, he could He can He’ll pass them
now—if you’ll give him a chance O’Neill, 1923-1931:302
Because of her love to Jim, She also asks Jim to leave Ella for a while because Ella has break down and could develop to a violent mania.
Hattie tries to save Jim’s self-respect and dignity by encouraging her brother
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to leave Ella, study for the bar and become a lawyer. Hattie is afraid that
someday Jim will break down too and get the same final like Ella. But Jim responds her angrily. However, Hattie fails to persuade Jim. Jim chooses
self-sacrifice and self-destruction by staying with Ella. Hattie is disappointed to Jim and calls him as a ‘traitor to their race’.
Jim—after a long pause—somberly Yes, I guess you’d better stay away from here. Good by.
Hattie—who’ll get to nurse her, Jim,-- a white woman? Jim—Ella’d die of shame. No, I’ll nurse her myself.
Hattie—And give up your studies? Jim—I can do both.
Hattie—You can’t you’ll get sick yourself Why, you look
terrible even as it is—and it’s only beginning Jim—I can do anything for her I’m all she’s got in the
world I’ve got to prove I can be all to her I’ve got to prove worthy I’ve got to prove she can be proud
of me I’ve got to prove I’m the whitest of the white
Hattie—stung by this last—with rebellious bitterness is that the ambition she’s given you? Oh, you soft,
weak-minded fool, you traitor to your race And the thanks you’ll get—to be called a dirty nigger—to
hear her cursing you because she can never have a child because it’ll be born black--
O’Neill, 1923-1931:309
4.4 Joe
