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Anna Deavere Smith
Twilight Bey is a former gang member and organizer of the gang truce that commenced in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots. The play derives its title from his name, and his monologue “Limbo/Twilight #2” is Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992’s closing scene. In “Limbo/Twilight #2,” Twilight Bey talks about the origins of his name, Twilight. He fashioned the name himself, combining the word “twice” (growing up, people would commend his intelligence, claiming him to be twice as smart as his years) and “light,” which he sees as a symbol of knowledge and wisdom. He also meditates on twilight as a time that exists in limbo, “stuck between night and day,” darkness and light. He expands on this metaphor, arguing that “to be a true human being,” people have to bridge the gap between night and day, self and other, to understand the world around them. Twilight’s closing thoughts articulate one of the play’s main ideas, which is that it will take collective action if Los Angeles wants to grow and learn from the riots, as well as transcend the racial tensions and fear that continue to overrun the city, its people, and its institutions.
Twilight Bey Quotes in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
The Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 quotes below are all either spoken by Twilight Bey or refer to Twilight Bey. 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:
).
I Remember Going…
Quotes
After a couple of days
I stopped wearing the collar
and I realize that if there’s any protection I needed
it was just whatever love I had in my heart to share with people that
proved to be enough,
the love that God has taught me to share.
That is what came out in the end for me.
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Explanation and Analysis:
Limbo/Twilight #2
Quotes
I am a dark individual,
and with me stuck in limbo,
I see darkness as myself.
I see the light as knowledge and the wisdom of the world and
understanding others,
in order for me to be a, to be a true human being,
I can’t forever dwell in darkness,
I can’t forever dwell in the idea,
of just identifying with people like me and understanding me and mine.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 LitChart as a printable PDF.
Twilight Bey Quotes in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992
The Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 quotes below are all either spoken by Twilight Bey or refer to Twilight Bey. 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:
).
I Remember Going…
Quotes
After a couple of days
I stopped wearing the collar
and I realize that if there’s any protection I needed
it was just whatever love I had in my heart to share with people that
proved to be enough,
the love that God has taught me to share.
That is what came out in the end for me.
Related Characters:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Limbo/Twilight #2
Quotes
I am a dark individual,
and with me stuck in limbo,
I see darkness as myself.
I see the light as knowledge and the wisdom of the world and
understanding others,
in order for me to be a, to be a true human being,
I can’t forever dwell in darkness,
I can’t forever dwell in the idea,
of just identifying with people like me and understanding me and mine.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
