Cane

by

Jean Toomer

Esther Crane Character Analysis

Esther Crane is a Black person who is so light-skinned that she could pass for White. Her parents own a grocery store in their small Georgia town, and she grows up comfortably middle class. As a child, Esther witnesses King Barlo having a fit, and she becomes obsessed with him as she hits puberty. When Esther is in her late 20s, King Barlo returns to the town and she enters the local speakeasy during a party in his honor to declare her feelings for him, embarrassing herself in front of her working-class Black neighbors.

Esther Crane Quotes in Cane

The Cane quotes below are all either spoken by Esther Crane or refer to Esther Crane . 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:
).
13. Esther Quotes

“—but his head was caught up in th clouds. An while he was agazin at th heavens, heart filled up with th Lord, some little white-ant biddies came an tied his feet to chains. They led him t th coast, they led him t th sea, they led him across th ocean an they didnt set him free. The old coast didnt miss him, an the new coast wasnt free, he left the old-coast brothers, t give birth t you an me. O Lord, great God Almighty, t give birth t you an me.”

Related Characters: Barlo (speaker), Esther Crane
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:
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Esther Crane Quotes in Cane

The Cane quotes below are all either spoken by Esther Crane or refer to Esther Crane . 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:
).
13. Esther Quotes

“—but his head was caught up in th clouds. An while he was agazin at th heavens, heart filled up with th Lord, some little white-ant biddies came an tied his feet to chains. They led him t th coast, they led him t th sea, they led him across th ocean an they didnt set him free. The old coast didnt miss him, an the new coast wasnt free, he left the old-coast brothers, t give birth t you an me. O Lord, great God Almighty, t give birth t you an me.”

Related Characters: Barlo (speaker), Esther Crane
Page Number: 28
Explanation and Analysis:
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