Cane · Chapter
II explained
Esther, now sixteen, begins to dream of rescuing a baby from a fire, first imagining a heroic rescue and then a grotesque version involving the townspeople.
What happens
Esther, now sixteen, begins to dream of rescuing a baby from a fire, first imagining a heroic rescue and then a grotesque version involving the townspeople. At twenty-two, she works in her father's grocery store, feeling alienated and longing for love. She fixates on Barlo, a magnetic and notorious figure, and resolves to confess her love to him, but he does not return for five years, leaving her faded and isolated.
Themes in this chapter
Sexuality and Desire
Esther's dreams and her fixation on Barlo highlight her repressed desires and the tension between her fantasies and reality.
Alienation and Search for Belonging
Esther feels disconnected from both black and white communities, struggling with her near-white appearance and her unrequited love for Barlo.
Characters to notice
- Esther
Esther is the central character of this chapter, experiencing dreams and fantasies about rescuing a baby, and later working in her father's store while pining for Barlo.
- Barlo
Barlo is the object of Esther's desire; she romanticizes him as a powerful, magnetic figure, though he remains absent for five years.
Key passages
“She thinks of it immaculately. It is a sin to think of it immaculately.”
Esther imagines the baby as conceived without sin, but then feels guilty for having such a thought.
This reflects Esther's internal conflict between her desires and her religious upbringing.
“Black folk who drift in to buy lard and snuff and flour of her, call her a sweet-natured, accommodating girl. She learns their names. She forgets them.”
Customers see Esther as kind and helpful, but she remains emotionally detached, learning their names only to forget them.
Highlights Esther's alienation and lack of genuine connection with the community.