Dark Princess · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Dark Princess by W. E. B. Du Bois.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the romance to a fantastical, exalted figure—Titania XXVII, Queen of Faerie—praising her grace and affection as the inspiration for the story.
Chapter 2
Dark Princess
Matthew Towns, a brilliant Black medical student, is expelled from a prestigious northern medical school due to racial prejudice. Disillusioned with America, he sails to Europe in despair, where he encounters a mysterious and captivating Indian princess in Berlin, setting the stage for a transformative journey.
Chapter 3
Part I: The Exile
Matthew Towns, an African American exile in Berlin, meets a mysterious and beautiful Indian princess, Kautilya, after defending her from an American man's unwanted advances. She invites him to a dinner with a committee of darker peoples, where discussions of race, oppression, and the potential of the Negro race unfold. Matthew reflects on his heritage and the color line, while Kautilya reveals her interest in the plight of Black Americans and her recent visit to Moscow.
Chapter 4
Part III: The Chicago Politician
Matthew Towns marries Sara Andrews, who exerts control over their home and his political image. He is elected to the Illinois legislature but struggles with the corrupt political machine, racial discrimination in housing, and his own moral compromises. As he prepares to run for Congress, a labor delegation presents him with a pledge to support workers' interests, and he recognizes the handwriting on the document as belonging to Kautilya, triggering a crisis of conscience.
Chapter 5
Part IV: The Maharajah of Bwodpur
Matthew and Kautilya share an intimate night where she recounts her journey of sacrifice, including working as a servant and a violent encounter with her employer. They discuss their ideals and the mission of darker peoples. Despite a week of idyllic domesticity, hostility from the community and financial strain force them to part. Kautilya decides to return to India to answer the call of her heritage. Matthew is left in despair, doubting himself and their love. Meanwhile, Sara Andrews returns to Chicago, and Sammy Scott reveals his manipulation of Matthew's situation, hoping to secure Sara's cooperation in his political machine.
Chapter 6
Envoy
The author concludes the tale with a poetic farewell, returning the borrowed 'gossamer of dream' to the Queen of Faerie and posing a final philosophical question about the nature of truth—whether it resides in fact or fancy, the dream of the spirit or the pain of the bone.