The State Character Analysis in Blues for Mister Charlie

The State is Lyle Britten’s defense attorney when Lyle is tried for the murder of Richard Henry. The State effectively attempts to put Richard’s character on trial to prejudice the white jury in Lyle’s favor, pursuing overtly racist lines of questioning to suggest Richard was a dangerous drug addict, a “pimp,” and a “rapist.”

The State Quotes in Blues for Mister Charlie

The Blues for Mister Charlie quotes below are all either spoken by The State or refer to The State. 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:

Lorenzo: They been asking me about photographs they say he was carrying and they been asking me about a gun I never saw. No. It wasn’t like that. He was a beautiful cat, and they killed him.

Related Characters: Lorenzo Shannon (speaker), Lyle Britten, Richard Henry, The State, Counsel for the Bereaved

Related Symbols: Guns, Photos

Page Number and Citation: 93

Explanation and Analysis:

At Lyle Britten’s trial for the murder of Richard Henry, the defense attorney (The State) repeatedly asks witnesses about whether Richard had a gun and whether he ever showed them pornographic photos of white women. When Richard’s friend Lorenzo testifies, he flatly declares, “It wasn’t like that.” This declaration could be interpreted in two ways. Lorenzo could be declaring that Richard didn’t have a gun or pornographic photos of white women. In that case, Lorenzo would either be partially lying or ignorant of the truth: Richard did in fact own a gun, and he did have snapshots of white girlfriends, 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 earu

Juanita: I am not responsible for your imagination.

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

Meridian: I don’t think that the alleged object was my son’s type at all!

The State: And you are a minister?

Meridian: I think I may be beginning to become one.

Related Characters: Meridian Henry (speaker), The State (speaker), Lyle Britten, Richard Henry

Related Symbols: Photos

Page Number and Citation: 105

Explanation and Analysis:

At Lyle’s trial for Richard’s murder, Lyle’s defense attorney, called The State, attempts to get Lyle acquitted by prejudicing the jury against Richard in various ways—essentially putting Richard’s character on trial. While questioning Meridian, the State asks Meridian whether Richard ever showed him pornographic photos of white women—a clear attempt to activate racist stereotypes about predatory Black men interested in white women—and then accuses Richard of having attempted to rape Lyle’s wife Jo. Meridian, aware that the accusation is a ridiculous lie, mockingly replies: “I don’t think the alleged object [i.e. Jo] was my son’s type at all!” By ridiculing 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 tenetu

The State Character Timeline in Blues for Mister Charlie

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

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

In the present, Lorenzo takes the stand. The State asks whether Lorenzo went with Richard to Lyle’s store on August 17th. Lorenzo says that... (full context)

The State asks the judge to remind Lorenzo that he’s under oath. Lorenzo says that he knows... (full context)

...white spectators call Juanita a “slut” and suggest that “somebody had to twist” her arm. The State asks how old Juanita was when Richard’s mother died. Juanita was 16. The State asks... (full context)

The State asks whether Juanita had other boyfriends between Richard’s departure and his return—and whether her loneliness... (full context)

The State asks Juanita about the fight between Lyle and Richard at Lyle’s store. When Juanita says... (full context)

On the next day of the trial, Mother Henry is called to the stand. When the State , calling her “Mrs. Henry,” says that she and her husband never caused any problems... (full context)

The State asks Mother Henry whether she ever saw Richard acting like he was on drugs. She... (full context)

...he wishes it were about an individual man’s love for a woman. In the present, the State asks whether Meridian is a reverend and Richard’s father, who raised his son a Christian.... (full context)

The State says that Meridian, as a minister, certainly wouldn’t have encouraged his son to carry a... (full context)

The State insinuates that Richard strayed from Christianity because Meridian, in preaching “social equality,” served as a... (full context)

The State asks Meridian about his relationship to Juanita and whether he’s had sex since his wife... (full context)

The State asks Meridian about Richard’s obscene photos of himself and white women. Meridian says Richard never... (full context)

...and betraying white people, while the Black spectators say they distrust him because he’s white. The State asks Parnell about Richard and Lyle. Parnell says he’s friends with Richard’s father Meridian—and with... (full context)

The State asks Parnell what he thought of Richard. Parnell says that Richard was a worthy person... (full context)

When the State mentions that Parnell is the first witness to say the photos existed, Parnell says he... (full context)

The State asks whether Richard’s attempt to rape Jo damaged Parnell’s friendship with Meridian. Parnell says he... (full context)

When the State asks how Lyle could have failed to mention an attempted rape, Parnell hems and haws... (full context)

The State Character Analysis

The State Quotes in Blues for Mister Charlie

Act 3 Quotes

The State Character Timeline in Blues for Mister Charlie