Jo Britten Character Analysis in Blues for Mister Charlie

Jo Britten is a timid, racist white woman. A former librarian who feared she was becoming a spinster, she jumped at the chance to marry Lyle Britten when he proposed to her despite having heard about his “wild” drinking and womanizing. She has a baby son with Lyle and longs for Lyle to really see her and love her, but she is insecure and jealous of his previous sexual relationships—especially his rumored relationship with Willa Mae, a young, pretty Black woman whose husband Lyle murdered. At Lyle’s trial for the murder of young Black man Richard Henry, it’s implied that Lyle forces Jo to lie and say that Richard sexually assaulted her during an altercation between Lyle and Richard at Lyle’s store.

Jo Britten Quotes in Blues for Mister Charlie

The Blues for Mister Charlie quotes below are all either spoken by Jo Britten or refer to Jo Britten. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Ellis: Mrs. Britten, if you was to be raped by a orang-outang out of the jungle or a stallion, couldn’t do you no worse than a nigger. You wouldn’t be no more good for nobody. I’ve seen it

[…]

That’s why we men have got to be so vigilant.

Related Characters: Lyle Britten, Jo Britten, Richard Henry

Page Number and Citation: 50

Explanation and Analysis:

After the news that Lyle will be arrested for Richard Henry’s murder spreads through town, some white townspeople come to Lyle’s house to show support for Lyle. When the talk turns to race relations, the white townspeople begin to make racist and segregationist comments. Through one such comment, by a white man named Ellis, the play explores the dehumanizing racism and sexism behind white supremacy’s fear of interracial romantic relationships. Ellis dehumanizes Black men, referring to them using a racial slur, by comparing them to “a orang-outang” or a “stallion.” He is essentially claiming that Black men have animalistically large Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantiu

Lillian: I wouldn’t filthy my hands with that Communist sheet!

Parnell: Ah? But the father of your faith, the cornerstone of that church of which you are so precious an adornment, was a communist, possibly the first.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Richard Henry, Lyle Britten, Jo Britten

Page Number and Citation: 52

Explanation and Analysis:

After Parnell enters Jo and Lyle’s house, where white townspeople have gathered to support Lyle in anticipation of his arrest for the murder of Richard Henry, various white townspeople criticize Parnell for his relatively progressive racial politics. When one woman named Lillian accuses the newspaper Parnell runs of being “Communist,” Parnell retorts that “the father of [her] faith,” i.e. Jesus Christ, “was a communist, possibly the first.” The exchange between Lillian and Parnell reveals the narrow-mindedness and hypocrisy of the town’s nominally Christian white population. The play, which was published in 1964, takes place during the Cold War (1947–1991), decades Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure

Jo: It’s not different—how can you say that? White men ain’t got no more business fooling around with black women than—

Lyle: Girl, will you stop getting yourself into an uproar? Men is different from women—they ain’t as delicate.

Related Characters: Jo Britten (speaker), Lyle Britten (speaker), Parnell James

Page Number and Citation: 59–60

Explanation and Analysis:

Jo and Lyle have been bantering with Parnell about Parnell’s early education in Switzerland, where Parnell was co-educated with upper-class African students who dated American and European white girls. When Lyle claims that he’d never let his daughter go to Switzerland but letting his son go and date African girls would be different, Jo angrily insists that it’s not “different”—but Lyle, talking over her, insists men and women are “different” because men are less “delicate.” The different reactions of Jo and Lyle to interracial romantic relationships illustrate two different forms of racism. Jo’s form of racism is purely segregationist: she Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro

Parnell: Nobody in the world knew about her inside, what she was like, and how she dreamed, but me. And nobody in the world knew about me inside, what I wanted, and how I dreamed, but her.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Jo Britten

Page Number and Citation: 64

Explanation and Analysis:

When Jo Britten—anxious about rumors she has heard about her husband Lyle’s previous sexual relationships with Black women—asks Lyle’s friend Parnell whether Parnell has ever loved a Black woman, Parnell tells Jo about his high-school girlfriend Pearl, whom he believes he loved. When describing their relationship, he talks about it in terms of him and Pearl really knowing each other as individuals: he was the only one who “knew about her inside” and she was the only one who “knew about [him] inside.” This focus on Pearl and Parnell’s insides is clearly intended to exclude questions of skin color: knowing Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Duc

Richard: Maybe your wife could run home and get some change. You got some change at home, I know. Don’t you?

Lyle: I don’t stand for nobody to talk about my wife.

Related Characters: Lyle Britten (speaker), Richard Henry (speaker), Jo Britten, Juanita Harmon

Page Number and Citation: 73

Explanation and Analysis:

In a flashback, Richard has entered Lyle’s store with the apparent intention of starting a fight with him—presumably to pay back Lyle for Lyle’s earlier rudeness to Richard’s friend and love interest Juanita. Richard’s main tactic for humiliating Lyle—and secondarily Lyle’s wife Jo—is to ask whether Jo can make change for $20 when Richard tries to buy two Cokes (which cost mere cents in 1964 when the play was first produced). When Jo is unable to make change for $20, Richard sarcastically claims that he “know[s]” the Brittens must have “some change at home”—and then asks, rhetorically, “Don’t you?” The Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas.

Juanita: I am not responsible for your imagination.

Related Characters: Juanita Harmon (speaker), Jo Britten, Pete Spivey, Meridian Henry, Richard Henry, The State, Lyle Britten

Page Number and Citation: 97

Explanation and Analysis:

Lyle Britten’s defense attorney, called The State, has been questioning Juanita about whether she had romantic relationships with Richard Henry, Meridian Henry, or Pete Spivey—and concludes by insinuating that Juanita is an unreliable witness because she is sexually promiscuous. Juanita simply replies, “I am not responsible for your imagination.” This reply is an important thematic statement for the play. Throughout the play, white characters have projected their own sexual anxieties and fantasies onto Black characters in a racist manner. For example, they have claimed that Black men are sexually predatory and that Black women are sexually promiscuous and generally “available.” Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debiti

Lyle: You ain’t no better than me!

Parnell: I am aware of that. God knows I have been made aware of that—for the first time in my life.

Related Characters: Parnell James (speaker), Lyle Britten (speaker), Juanita Harmon, Jo Britten, Meridian Henry, Richard Henry

Page Number and Citation: 117

Explanation and Analysis:

After Lyle is acquitted for the murder of Richard, Meridian still demands to know whether Lyle murdered Richard—and Parnell backs Meridian up. Lyle expresses outrage that Parnell seemed to doubt Jo’s story about Richard sexually assaulting her and tells Parnell, “You ain’t no better than me!” Parnell replies that he has “been made aware of that—for the first time.” This exchange helps to characterize how Lyle and Parnell’s characters have developed—or failed to develop—over the course of the play. When Lyle cries out that Parnell isn’t better than he is, he seems to mean that even though Parnell is richer, Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspicia

Jo Britten Character Timeline in Blues for Mister Charlie

The timeline below shows where the character Jo Britten appears in Blues for Mister Charlie. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

On the white side of town, Lyle is bouncing his infant son. His wife Jo enters and complains about how Lyle has been staying out until the early morning. Lyle... (full context)

Jo says Parnell mentioned he would come by with bad news and predicts that Lyle will... (full context)

...racial slur) suggests he might have a Black “wench” for a girlfriend. Parnell apologizes to Jo for her husband. When Lyle asks Parnell what he’s been up to, Parnell claims he’s... (full context)

...says (using racial slurs again) will end with a large Black man coming on to Jo. (full context)

On Sunday morning in Lyle and Jo’s kitchen, several white women are helping Jo cook for a wedding anniversary celebration later that... (full context)

Parnell walks in and greets the assembled, all of whom—except Jo—receive him with hostility. One man, using a racial slur, asks whether he was at the... (full context)

Jo and Lyle’s guests begin to leave. As they go, they give Lyle words of comfort... (full context)

When Parnell asks whether Lyle will send his son to school in Switzerland, Jo comments that Parnell got his “wild ideas” in Switzerland. Parnell agrees and says he attended... (full context)

When Jo protests that white men shouldn’t have sex with Black women any more than white women... (full context)

After Lyle leaves to go bathe and dress, Jo asks Parnell whether it’s true that Lyle was having sex with Old Bill’s wife and... (full context)

Jo asks how Parnell met his Black girlfriend. Parnell says that his girlfriend’s mother worked for... (full context)

Jo anxiously states that Parnell must have forgotten about Pearl, though. Parnell says that he never... (full context)

Parnell tells Jo that Lyle told him he didn’t kill Richard—and Parnell believes that Lyle wouldn’t lie to... (full context)

In a flashback, Lyle and Parnell help Jo bring a baby carriage into the store. Lyle goes into the back of the store,... (full context)

Jo calls to Lyle, asking whether he has change for 20 dollars. Lyle walks in, carrying... (full context)

Jo, panicked, tells Lyle not to fight Richard—whom she calls a “crazy” “boy”—with the baby in... (full context)

...townspeople. A church steeple with a cross is visible from the courthouse. A clerk calls Jo to the stand. In a flashback, Jo serves coffee at a church social while trying... (full context)

A lawyer known as “The State” asks Jo her relationship to Lyle. She says she’s his wife. Then the State asks her to... (full context)

A lawyer called “The Counsel for the Bereaved” asks Jo whether it wouldn’t be strange for Richard to sexually assault her in the middle of... (full context)

Through additional questioning of Jo, the Counsel for the Bereaved establishes that—according to Jo—Lyle never saw Richard with his hands... (full context)

Joel Davis, who’s known to most as Papa D, is called to the witness stand. In... (full context)

...Richard to Lyle’s store on August 17th. Lorenzo says that events didn’t occur the way Jo said—Richard never touched Jo. The white spectators, using racial slurs, demand to know who Lorenzo... (full context)

...why Richard became a drug addict, and Richard was never a pimp or a rapist—and Jo frankly wasn’t his son’s type. When the State sarcastically asks whether Meridian is a minister,... (full context)

...property. Lyle is asking Parnell whether it would be a good idea to propose to Jo. Parnell says that Lyle will have to live with Jo his whole life if she... (full context)

...just killed someone’s child. Changing the subject, Lyle says that he wants “peace,” and that Jo is the only “white virgin” remaining in town. Parnell asks whether Lyle is worried that... (full context)

The State asks whether Richard’s attempt to rape Jo damaged Parnell’s friendship with Meridian. Parnell says he never heard anything about a rape attempt... (full context)

...have failed to mention an attempted rape, Parnell hems and haws and says he thought Jo had misunderstood Richard. The State asks how she could misunderstand a forced kiss. Parnell acknowledges... (full context)

...monologues about what his son or daughter might be like as an adult and praises Jo’s goodness. He promises himself that he’ll work hard to support them, prays to God to... (full context)

Parnell says it’s not “good enough.” Lyle criticizes him for seeming not to trust Jo’s story on the stand and says that Parnell isn’t “better” than he is. Parnell says... (full context)

...trying to castrate him. Lyle shoots him a second time. Richard warns Lyle to keep Jo—and himself—away from Black people lest they “get to like it.” Then he calls out for... (full context)

...one can talk to him, a white man, that way—and that he feels no regret. Jo hurries him away. Mother Henry tells those remaining in the church that they need “to... (full context)

Jo Britten Character Analysis

Jo Britten Quotes in Blues for Mister Charlie

Act 2 Quotes

Act 3 Quotes

Jo Britten Character Timeline in Blues for Mister Charlie