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Act 1, Scene 1
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Gem of the Ocean, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The Meaning of Freedom
Economic Exploitation
The Value of Community
History and Trauma
The Power of Belief
Summary
Analysis
When everyone but Aunt Ester has left the house, Citizen Barlow sneaks in through the upstairs window. He makes his way into the kitchen and eats some food, though he swears when Aunt Ester catches him that he’s not interested in stealing—he just can’t wait until Tuesday to see her. He has been told that she “wash[es] people’s souls,” but she points out that only God can do that.
Citizen’s desperation to see Aunt Ester drives him to do whatever it takes to get into the house. The fact that he thinks she can cleanse a person’s soul suggests that he has something eating at him—something so painful and devastating that he can’t wait a few extra days to address it. And yet, Aunt Ester says that only God can cleanse people, thus throwing into question whether or not she actually has spiritual powers.
Themes
Giving Citizen some cornbread, Aunt Ester asks him to sit with her, since she sometimes gets lonely. She talks about Garret Brown, noting that he died a lonely death. When Citizen points out that he simply could have gotten out of the water, she says she understands why he didn’t: staying in was the only way to prove his innocence. He would rather die an innocent man than lead the life of a guilty man.
Aunt Ester implies that there’s something admirable about Garret Brown’s decision to die in order to prove his innocence. He knew he didn’t steal the bucket of nails, and it took a great amount of integrity to stand by his own innocence instead of giving in to the unjust and domineering influence of the law.
Themes
Aunt Ester asks Citizen about his life. He tells her that he’s from Alabama and that he has only been in the North for a month. He had to escape the South, slipping through roadblocks set up by white people trying to keep Black people from leaving. When he arrived here, in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, he got a job at the mill, since it offered to pay workers $2 per day. But by the time he started work, they said it would only be $1.50 per day. He didn’t put up a fight, and then the mill said that he had to pay $2 for room and board.
The mill’s dishonesty as an employer is quite glaring. The mere fact that it promised to pay Citizen $2 per day but then only gives him $1.50 demonstrates its desire to take advantage of its workers. What’s more, by charging him room and board that is more expensive than his income, it puts him in a position of vulnerability, making it inevitable that he won’t be able to keep up with rent payments.
Themes
Citizen agreed to pay $2 for room and board, but he found out it didn’t include food. Nonetheless, he bought some bread and planned to eat better after payday. But on payday he only received $3, since the mill put the rest toward his “bill.” He then had to give $2 to his landlord. Struggling to survive, he decided to look for a new job, but the mill said he couldn’t do that because he still owed them money. If he didn’t pay up, the mill said, they would call the police. Citizen planned to run away, but before he could do so, he ended up killing a man. He now feels as if he has a gaping hole inside of him, which is why he came to Aunt Ester.
The predicament Citizen finds himself in seems purposefully structured to put him at a severe disadvantage. The mill manipulates him until he has no other choice but to work off his debt. In this way, it forces him into providing free labor. Although he’s not technically enslaved, then, his so-called “freedom” has a lot in common with slavery, which was also predicated on forced unpaid labor. The only difference, though, is that powerful white institutions force Black workers like Citizen into free labor by exploiting them economically and threatening them with the law instead of with violence. Although he doesn’t clarify what drove him to kill a man, it's quite possible that the desperate situation the mill put him in ended up pushing him to do something drastic and regrettable.
Themes
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Aunt Ester assures Citizen that everything will work out. She talks about how Jesus Christ was betrayed and mistreated, and she assures Citizen that God is his only judge. Seeing that he has fallen asleep, she sings him a lullaby. When Black Mary returns from town, Ester asks her to make up a bed for Citizen, who will be staying with them while he helps Eli build the wall.
Aunt Ester doesn’t do any kind of spiritual work on Citizen to help him address his problems—not yet, at least. What she does do, though, is offer him kindness and reassurance. She also gives him a place to stay, lending him support in a time of great need. She thus reveals her empathy and her willingness to do what she can to help people.
Themes
