There Is Confusion · Chapter
XXVIII explained
Joanna Marshall achieves instant fame as a dancer at the District Line Theater, drawing audiences from all over New York.
What happens
Joanna Marshall achieves instant fame as a dancer at the District Line Theater, drawing audiences from all over New York. Despite her success, she faces racial prejudice when she must perform as 'America' without a mask, but wins over the crowd with a speech about her family's patriotic history. The production moves to Broadway, and Joanna becomes a sensation, mingling with artists and intellectuals through Miss Sharples. She rejects a marriage proposal from Vera Manning's brother Tom, feeling that a mixed-race marriage would keep racial difficulties too present. Joanna grows disillusioned with her career, seeking deeper meaning and feeling the emptiness of success. She joins a club of accomplished women and realizes how racial prejudice has hindered her path compared to her white peers, leading to her first real rebellion against the stupidity of prejudice.
Themes in this chapter
Racial Prejudice and Identity
Joanna's success is shadowed by racial prejudice; she must wear a mask to play 'America' and later confronts the audience's bias, asserting her American identity.
Ambition and Success
Joanna achieves instant fame and a Broadway career, but grapples with the emptiness of success and questions whether this is the greatness she sought.
Art and Self-Expression
Joanna finds solace among Miss Sharples' artist friends and uses her art as a means of expression, though she begins to see it as covering up life's bare bones.
Class and Social Mobility
Joanna moves in circles of wealthy society women and bohemian artists, but feels like an outsider and realizes the barriers of color that limit her opportunities.
Characters to notice
- Joanna Marshall
Achieves instant fame as a dancer, performs as 'America' without a mask, rejects a marriage proposal, and begins to question the meaning of her success.
- Sylvia Marshall
Suggests using a mask for Joanna to play 'America' in the show.
- Joel Marshall
Drives Joanna home nightly from the theater and expresses that he had hoped for something different for her.
- Vera Manning
Meets Joanna at a society event, claims they are old schoolmates, and later invites her to tea.
- Vera Sharples
Helps Joanna navigate her career, introduces her to artist friends, and puts her up for membership in a club.
- Mr. Hale
Takes Joanna on in May, manages the production, and decides to move it to Broadway after her success.
- Miss Ashby
The white actress who originally plays 'America' and resents Joanna's success, eventually leaving the play.
- Peter Bye
Mentioned as the subject of Joanna's disastrous love affair, which she has forgotten to sorrow over.
Key passages
“Pull off your mask, America”
A theatergoer shouts for Joanna to remove her mask and reveal her true face as the symbolic figure of America.
This moment forces Joanna to confront racial prejudice publicly and assert her American identity.
“I hardly need to tell you that there is no one in the audience more American than I am. My great-grandfather fought in the Revolution, my uncle fought in the Civil War and my brother is 'over there' now.”
Joanna declares her deep American roots through her family's military service, defending her right to represent the nation.
This speech wins over the audience and marks a turning point in her career.
“Is this really what you wanted me to be?”
Joanna asks her father if her success as a dancer fulfills his vision of greatness for her.
Reveals Joanna's growing doubt about the meaning of her achievements.
“She realized for the first time how completely colored Americans were mere onlookers at the possibilities of life.”
Joanna understands that racial prejudice has kept African Americans from fully participating in life's opportunities.
This insight sparks her first real rebellion against prejudice.
