# III explained — Cane

> Chapter companion for Cane by Jean Toomer.

## What happens

Esther, a weary and isolated store clerk, is stirred from her listlessness by the return of the wealthy and charismatic Barlo. She becomes possessed by a desperate desire to claim him for herself, leading her to sneak out at night to Nat Bowle's place. There, she confronts Barlo, but his drunken, ugly demeanor and the jeers of the crowd shatter her illusion, leaving her frozen and disoriented as the world around her dissolves.

## Themes in this chapter

### Alienation and Search for Belonging

Esther's isolation and listlessness are palpable; her desperate pursuit of Barlo represents a yearning for connection and purpose in a life defined by emptiness.

### Sexuality and Desire

Esther's sudden, intense desire for Barlo is intertwined with her wish to be 'sharp, sporty' and her fear of loose women possessing him; the scene at Nat Bowle's place is charged with sexual tension and shame.

### Folk Culture and Spirituality

Barlo's return as a folk hero figure, the credulous men gathering around him, and the setting of Nat Bowle's place evoke a vernacular, communal culture.

## Character check-ins

### Esther

A twenty-seven-year-old woman who sells lard and snuff; she is lean, beaten, and listless until Barlo's return ignites a desperate, obsessive desire in her.

### Barlo

King Barlo has returned to town, rich from cotton during the war; he drives a large new car and becomes the object of Esther's fixation, though he appears drunken and hideous to her at Nat Bowle's place.

### Old McGregor

Mentioned in relation to McGregor's notion shop, whose windows are described as aflame with pale flame.

## Key lines

> Her mind is a pink mesh-bag filled with baby toes.

Her thoughts are a grotesque, tangled mess of delicate and disturbing images.

_This surreal metaphor captures Esther's fragmented and disturbed mental state as she fixates on Barlo._

> She wants her mind to be like that. Solid, contained, and blank as a sheet of darkened ice.

She desires her thoughts to be as stable, controlled, and empty as a frozen sheet of ice.

_Esther's wish for mental blankness contrasts with her actual turbulent emotions, highlighting her internal conflict._

> She sees a smile, ugly and repulsive to her, working upward through thick licker fumes.

She perceives Barlo's smile as hideous and disgusting, emerging through the haze of alcohol.

_This moment marks the shattering of Esther's idealized vision of Barlo, replaced by revulsion and disillusionment._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/cane_se/chapters/part-i-iii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/cane_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/cane_se/chapters