Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

by

James Weldon Johnson

An eloquent, bombastic preacher, John Brown captivates the crowd at the “big meeting” in Georgia by using his voice like an instrument during his sermon. He is also the only character in the book identified by his real name, which alludes to the 19th century white abolitionist John Brown, who led an armed raid in Virginia in an attempt to lead a slave rebellion in the South.

John Brown Quotes in Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man quotes below are all either spoken by John Brown or refer to John Brown. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism and the Color Line Theme Icon
).
Chapter 10 Quotes

I sat often with the tears rolling down my cheeks and my heart melted within me. Any musical person who has never heard a Negro congregation under the spell of religious fervor sing these old songs, has missed one of the most thrilling emotions which the human heart may experience. Anyone who can listen to Negroes sing, “Nobody knows de trouble I see, Nobody knows but Jesus,” without shedding tears, must indeed have a heart of stone.

Related Characters: The Narrator or “Ex-Colored Man” (speaker), John Brown, “Singing Johnson”
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man LitChart as a printable PDF.
Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man PDF

John Brown Quotes in Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man

The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man quotes below are all either spoken by John Brown or refer to John Brown. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Racism and the Color Line Theme Icon
).
Chapter 10 Quotes

I sat often with the tears rolling down my cheeks and my heart melted within me. Any musical person who has never heard a Negro congregation under the spell of religious fervor sing these old songs, has missed one of the most thrilling emotions which the human heart may experience. Anyone who can listen to Negroes sing, “Nobody knows de trouble I see, Nobody knows but Jesus,” without shedding tears, must indeed have a heart of stone.

Related Characters: The Narrator or “Ex-Colored Man” (speaker), John Brown, “Singing Johnson”
Page Number: 95
Explanation and Analysis: