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Louisa
Bob Stone is a White man living in Georgia. He is descended from generations of enslavers. Secretly, he has become lovers with Louisa, a beautiful Black woman who works for his family. He has strong feelings of desire for Louisa, and he resents the secrecy necessitated by the social and legal anxiety about interracial relationships in the Jim Cow era—at one point, he wishes they were in the past because if he was Louisa’s enslaver, no one would question his right to have sex with her. When Bob confronts Louisa’s Black admirer, Tom Burwell, Tom kills him in the ensuing fistfight.
Bob Stone Quotes in Cane
The Cane quotes below are all either spoken by Bob Stone or refer to Bob Stone. 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:
).
16. Blood-Burning Moon
Quotes
He saw Louisa bent over that hearth. He went in as a master should and took her. Direct, honest, bold. None of this sneaking that he had to go through now. The contrast was repulsive to him. His family had lost ground. Hell no, his family still owned the niggers, practically. Damned if they did, or he wouldn’t have to duck around so. What would they think if they knew? […] Fellows about town were all right, but how about his friends up North? He could see them incredible, repulsed. They didn’t know. The thought first made him laugh. Then, with their eyes still upon him, he began to feel embarrassed. He felt the need of explaining things to them. Explain hell. They wouldn’t understand, and moreover, who ever heard of a Southerner getting on his knees to any Yankee, or anyone.
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“I’m Bob Stone.”
“Yassur—an I’m Tom Burwell. Whats y want?”
Bob lunged at him. Tom side-stepped, caught him by the shoulder, and flung him to the ground. Straddled him.
“Let me up.”
“Yassur—but watch yo doins, Bob Stone.”
[…] Bob sprang to his feet.
“Fight like a man, Tom Burwell, and I’ll lick y.”
Again he lunged. Tom side-stepped and flung him to the ground. Straddled him.
“Get off me, you godam nigger you.”
“Yos ho has started somethin now. Get up.”
Tom yanked him up and began hammering at him. Each blow sounded as if it smashed into a precious, irreplaceable soft something. Beneath them, Bob staggered back. He reached into his pocket and whipped out a knife.
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Bob Stone Quotes in Cane
The Cane quotes below are all either spoken by Bob Stone or refer to Bob Stone. 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:
).
16. Blood-Burning Moon
Quotes
He saw Louisa bent over that hearth. He went in as a master should and took her. Direct, honest, bold. None of this sneaking that he had to go through now. The contrast was repulsive to him. His family had lost ground. Hell no, his family still owned the niggers, practically. Damned if they did, or he wouldn’t have to duck around so. What would they think if they knew? […] Fellows about town were all right, but how about his friends up North? He could see them incredible, repulsed. They didn’t know. The thought first made him laugh. Then, with their eyes still upon him, he began to feel embarrassed. He felt the need of explaining things to them. Explain hell. They wouldn’t understand, and moreover, who ever heard of a Southerner getting on his knees to any Yankee, or anyone.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
“I’m Bob Stone.”
“Yassur—an I’m Tom Burwell. Whats y want?”
Bob lunged at him. Tom side-stepped, caught him by the shoulder, and flung him to the ground. Straddled him.
“Let me up.”
“Yassur—but watch yo doins, Bob Stone.”
[…] Bob sprang to his feet.
“Fight like a man, Tom Burwell, and I’ll lick y.”
Again he lunged. Tom side-stepped and flung him to the ground. Straddled him.
“Get off me, you godam nigger you.”
“Yos ho has started somethin now. Get up.”
Tom yanked him up and began hammering at him. Each blow sounded as if it smashed into a precious, irreplaceable soft something. Beneath them, Bob staggered back. He reached into his pocket and whipped out a knife.
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