A kind and relatively uneducated girl, the daughter of Mrs. Moss. Bess falls quickly in love with Wright, but when Wright suggests that they get to know one another before getting engaged, Bess becomes angry. Bess and Mrs. Moss later apologize to Wright and ask him to continue living peacefully under their roof.
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Bess Character Timeline in Black Boy
The timeline below shows where the character Bess appears in Black Boy. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 11
...says that she lives in the house with her husband, a baker, and her daughter, Bess. Mrs. Moss appears kind to Richard, says that he can eat with the family, and...
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Richard has dinner with Bess and Mrs. Moss that evening, and Mrs. Moss embarrasses her daughter by saying that Bess...
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...Moss is surprised and happy that Richard has already found work, and calls out to Bess, saying again that Richard is a fine man and a good one to marry. Richard...
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...beans out of a can with his fingers and slips out of the house, avoiding Bess and Mrs. Moss at breakfast. Richard goes out and smokes a cigarette, watching the sun...
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Chapter 12
...She asks Richard a few days after he starts work what happened between him and Bess, and Richard explains that, although he likes Bess, he does not wish to marry her....
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