Darkwater · Chapter
The Call explained
In a time of great distress, the King calls upon his servants to defend against enemies.
What happens
In a time of great distress, the King calls upon his servants to defend against enemies. After three calls, only a woman responds, despite her doubts about her gender and race. The King reassures her by revealing his own black countenance, and she goes forth to battle.
Themes in this chapter
Racial Oppression and White Supremacy
The woman's hesitation because of her blackness and the King's revelation of his own black face subvert racial hierarchies.
Double Consciousness and the Veil
The woman's internal conflict about her identity—being a woman, a maid, and black—reflects the dual consciousness of African Americans.
Motherhood and the Black Family
The King addresses the woman as 'Mother of Men,' linking her role to nurturing and protecting her people.
Characters to notice
- The Woman
A humble servant who responds to the King's call despite her fears and doubts about her identity.
- The Messenger
The herald who calls the servants of the King three times.
Key passages
“And the woman straightway left her baking and sweeping and the rattle of pans; and the woman straightway left her chatting and gossiping and the sewing of garments, and the woman stood before the King, saying: 'The servant of thy servants, O Lord.'”
The woman immediately abandoned her domestic chores and social activities to present herself before the King as a humble servant.
Highlights the woman's immediate and total commitment to the King's call.
“The King spake not, but swept the veiling of his face aside and lifted up the light of his countenance upon her and lo! it was black.”
The King silently revealed his face, which was black, showing that he shared her racial identity.
A pivotal moment affirming the divine acceptance of blackness.