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In the summer of 1927, Zora Neale Hurston set out from New York City to conduct a series of interviews with Cudjo Lewis, who, in 1859, was the last man captured from Africa and sold into American slavery. Hurston addressed Lewis as Kossula, his African name, and over a series of conversations in Kossula’s home in Plateau, Alabama (originally named Africatown following the U.S. Civil War) Kossula told her about his time growing up in Takkoi, his African homeland; about the violent raiding of his village by the neighboring tribe of Dahomey; about his captivity in a “barracoon,” a prison on the west coast of Africa, where he was eventually sold to an American slaver; his journey across the Atlantic on the Clotilda, the last slave ship believed to have made the journey from Africa to the United States; his five and a half years in captivity as the slave of Jim Meaher in Alabama; and, finally, the series of tragedies that befell him following his emancipation in 1865, including the death of his wife and six children.
Barracoon consists primarily of dialogue from Kossula, which Hurston bravely chose to render in vernacular, writing his speech down exactly as it sounded. Following a preface that offered certain historical and contextual details of Kossula’s life, the chapters consist mainly of Kossula’s memories, often introduced and concluded by brief descriptions from Hurston.
The first several chapters of the book focused on Kossula’s upbringing in Africa and his ancestry. Kossula explained to Hurston that to tell the story of his life, he would have to begin with his forefathers. He explained that he wasn’t born into high rank in his tribe, but that his grandfather had been an officer of the local king. He told Hurston about the way people were benignly ruled by this king, and how justice was always administered in a transparent way. He explained how he was trained in hunting and the ways of war, and how he was on the cusp of full manhood when the warring tribe of Dahomey invaded his village.
Following the violent sacking of Kossula’s village, he was marched two days to Dahomey, and from there was taken to Ouidah and sold to Bill Foster, a white American slaver. After a brutal 70 day journey across the Atlantic ocean, Foster’s ship, the Clotilda, arrived off the coast of Alabama. Kossula became the property of Jim Meaher, a plantation owner, and for five and a half years he loaded and unloaded a riverboat on its rounds from Mobile to Montgomery, Alabama, in his capacity as slave.
After hearing news of the Civil War’s conclusion and his emancipation, Kossula and other newly freed slaves banded together and formed Africatown, having saved enough money from menial, low-wage jobs to buy a plot of land from Jim Meaher and his brothers. There, Kossula was married and raised a family, but not without great hardship. He lost several children to illness and was struck by a train, rendering him incapable of working (after which time Kossula became a sexton of the local Baptist church). One of his sons was shot and killed by a local law enforcement official without cause; another disappeared without a trace. Finally, Kossula’s wife died and left him entirely alone in his home. He relayed these dramatic events to Hurston over the series of many conversations, during which they shared food and formed a friendship. She, in turn, listened attentively, took his photograph, and contemplated his experience as a man “full of trembling awe before the altar of the past” (94).
Zora Neale Hurston Background
Time--Present
Place--New York
Cast of characters--
Nunkie
Too-Sweet
Peckerwood
Black Baby
Sack Daddy
Tush Hawg
Aunt Dilsey
SCENE--
A shabby front room in a shotgun house.
A door covered by dingy portieres upstage C. Small panel
window in side Wall L. Plain centre table with chairs drawn up
about it. Gaudy calendars on wall. Battered piano against wall
R. Kerosene lamp with reflector against wall on either side of
room.
At rise of curtain NUNKIE is at piano playing.... Others at
table with small stacks of chips before each man. TUSH HAWG is
seated at table so that he faces audience. He is expertly
riffing the cards ... looks over his shoulder and speaks to
NUNKIE.
TUSH HAWG
Come on here, Nunkie--and take a hand! You're holding up the game. You
been woofin' round here about the poker you can play--now do it!
NUNKIE
Yeah, I plays poker. I plays the piano and Gawd knows I plays the devil.
I'm Uncle Bob with a wooden leg!*[Handwritten: Last sentence crossed out
in pencil in manuscript.]
BLACK BABY
Aw, you can be had! Come on and get in the game! My
britches is cryin' for your money! Come on, don't give
the healer no trouble!*[Handwritten: last sentence crossed out in pencil]
NUNKIE
Soon as I play the deck I'm comin' and take you alls money! Don' rush
me.
Ace means the first time that I met you
Duece means there was nobody there but us two
Trey means the third party--Charlie was his name
Four spot means the fourth time you tried that same old game--
Five spot means five years you played me for a clown
Six spot means six feet of earth when the deal goes down
Now I'm holding the seven spot for each day of the week
Eight means eight hours that she Sheba-ed with your Sheik--
Nine spot means nine hours that I work hard every day--
Ten spot means tenth of every month I brought you home my pay--
The Jack is three-card Charlie who played me for a goat
The Queen, that's my pretty Mama, also trying to cut my throat--
The King stands for Sweet Papa Nunkie and he's goin' to wear the crown,
So be careful you all ain't broke when the deal goes down!
(He laughs--X'es to table, bringing
piano stool for seat)
TUSH HAWG
Aw now, brother, two dollars for your seat before you try to sit in this
game.
NUNKIE
(Laughs sheepishly--puts money
down--TUSH HAWG pushes stack of chips
toward him. Bus.)
I didn't put it down because I knew you all goin' to be puttin' it right
back in my pocket.
BECKERWOOD
Aw, Y'all go ahead and play.
(to TUSH HAWG)
Deal!
(TUSH HAWG begins to deal for draw
poker. The game gets tense. SACK
DADDY is first man at TUSH's left--he
throws back three cards and is dealt
three more)
SACK DADDY
My luck sure is rotten! My gal must be cheatin' on me. I ain't had a
pair since John Henry had a hammer!
BLACK BABY
(Drawing three new cards)
You might be fooling the rest with the cryin' you're doin' but I'm
squattin' for you! You're cryin' worse than cryin' Emma!
TOO-SWEET
(Studying his three new cards)
(Sings)
When yo' cards gets lucky, oh Partner, you oughter be in a rollin' game.
- [Handwritten: get you foot offa my chair etc]
AUNT DILSEY
(Enters through portieres--stands and
looks disapprovingly)
You all oughter be ashamed of yourself, gamblin' and carryin' on like
this!
BLACK BABY
Aw, this ain't no harm, Aunt Dilsey! You go on back to bed and git your
night's rest.
AUNT DILSEY
No harm! I know all about these no-harm sins! If you don't stop this
card playin', all of you all goin' to die and go to Hell.
(Shakes warning finger--exits through
portieres--while she is talking the
men have been hiding cards out of
their hands and pulling aces out of
sleeves and vest pockets and
shoes--it is done quickly, one does
not see the other do it)
NUNKIE
(Shoving a chip forward)
A dollar!
SACK DADDY
Raise you two!
BLACK BABY
I don't like to strain with nobody but it's goin' to cost you five. Come
on, you shag-nags! This hand I got is enough to pull a country man into
town. *[Handwritten: Last sentence crossed through in pencil.]
TOO-SWEET
You all act like you're spuddin'! Bet some money! Put your money where
your mouth is *[Handwritten: els my fist where yo mouf is.]
TUSH HAWG
Twenty-five dollars to keep my company! Dog-gone, I'm spreadin' my
knots!
SACK DADDY
And I bet you a fat man I'll take your money--I call you.
(Turns up his cards--he has four aces
and king)
TUSH HAWG
(showing his cards)
Youse a liar! I ain't dealt you no aces. Don't try to carry the Pam-Pam
to me 'cause I'll gently chain-gang for you!
SACK DADDY
Oh yeah! I ain't goin' to fit no jail for you and nobody else. I'm to
get me a green club and season it over your head. Then I'll give my case
to Miss Bush and let Mother Green stand my bond! I got deal them aces!
NUNKIE
That's a lie! Both of you is lyin'! Lyin' like the cross-ties from New
York to Key West! How can you all hold aces when I got four? Somebody is
goin' to West hell before midnight!
BECKERWOOD
Don't you woof at Tush Hawg. If you do I'm goin' to bust hell wide open
with a man!
BLACK BABY
(Pulls out razor--Bus.)
My chop-axe tells me I got the only clean aces they is on this table!
Before I'll leave you all rob me outa my money, I'm goin' to die it off!
TOO-SWEET
I promised the devil one man and I'm goin' to give him five!
(Draws gun)
TUSH HAWG
Don't draw your bosom on me! God sent me a pistol and I'm goin' to send
him a man!
(FIRES. Bus. for all)
AUNT DILSEY
(Enters after shooting bus. Stands.
Bus. drops to chair)
They wouldn't lissen--
(Looks men over--Bus.)
It sure is goin' to be a whole lot tougher in hell now!
CURTAIN
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Zora Neale Hurston Quotes
The author died in 1960, so this work is also in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 50 years or less. This work may also be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.
Zora Neale Hurston Society
Works published in 1931 would have had to renew their copyright in either 1958 or 1959, i.e. at least 27 years after it was first published / registered but not later than in the 28th year. As it was not renewed, it entered the public domain on .