Fourth Less Desirable is a member of the chorus of Less Than Desirable Slaves who are enslaved by Boss-Master and Missus. Although they don’t specify whether they think Hero will go with Boss-Master or stay, they bring a banjo to wager. By the time Hero returns from the war as Ulysses, Fourth Less Desirable has been sold by Missus.
Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave Quotes in Father Comes Home from the Wars
The Father Comes Home from the Wars quotes below are all either spoken by Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave or refer to Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave. 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:
).
Part 1
Quotes
SECOND Some of us are betting that Hero’s going to the War.
LEADER And some of us are betting that he’ll stay.
FOURTH You might be the best at measuring Night But that don’t mean you the best at measuring Men.
THIRD Early risers have their say but we gotta make our own choices on this Each of us gotta make a measure of the man We gotta choose for ourselves. (Rest) I got a brass button I might be betting that Hero is— Going to the War.
FOURTH I got a banjo.
THIRD Don’t bet that.
Related Characters:Second Less Than Desirable Slave (speaker), Leader of Less Than Desirable Slaves (speaker), Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave (speaker), Third Less Than Desirable Slave (speaker), Boss-Master (Colonel), Hero (Ulysses)
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
10
Explanation and Analysis:
In the pre-dawn darkness, Hero’s friends and companions gather to place their wagers on whether he will choose to go to the Civil alongside Boss-Master or will stay home on the plantation. Their brief exchange illuminates one of the play’s central concerns: how to take what Fourth and Third call the “measure of the man,” or how to judge a person’s character. It’s immediately clear that this is an important task. Each of the chorus members wagers one of their few and precious possessions on Hero’s choice, emphasizing how high the stakes are. Anyone who misjudges Hero risks losing valuable 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. R
THIRD It’s still dark out There’s still time to reconsider Hero you were born perfect and lived your whole life Is that to end here? Is that to end now In front of a ruined cabin with an old knife?
HERO Harm won’t come to no one but me.
FOURTH Won’t some angel come And hold back the hand? Where is the big voice Telling us that this is just some kind of test To see if we were willing to follow the path. Where is the path? Where is the path?! The path, it isn’t marked. Won’t some spirit comes down, Some angel, some light, some mercy?
LEADER […] Homer is coming. Maybe we should wait for him. He might have an idea for this.
Related Characters:Hero (Ulysses) (speaker), Third Less Than Desirable Slave (speaker), Leader of Less Than Desirable Slaves (speaker), Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave (speaker), Homer, Boss-Master (Colonel), Penny
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
36-37
Explanation and Analysis:
When Hero decides to stay, he worries that Boss-Master will beat him and the others as retribution for being crossed. To prevent this, he asks Penny and Old Man to cut off his foot so there’s no way for him to go to war. As they steel themselves for the act, the chorus of Less Than Desirable Slaves gives voice to everyone’s distress. Fourth Less Desirable alludes to Gensis 22:1-19, a biblical story in which God tests Abraham’s faith by ordering him to offer his only child, Isaac, as a human sacrifice. Abraham prepares to follow through on the horrific 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.
Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave Character Timeline in Father Comes Home from the Wars
The timeline below shows where the character Fourth Less Than Desirable Slave appears in Father Comes Home from the Wars. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1
...lady) or Old Man (Hero’s father) has yet placed a bet. Third Less Desirable and Fourth Less Desirable join the group—and the debate. Third thinks Hero will go, and he wagers a brass...
(full context)
...strings attached. The return of Leader Less Desirable, Second Less Desirable, Third Less Desirable, and Fourth Less Desirable —without Odd-See—stops her from saying more.
(full context)
...all of the enslaved workers a savage beating. As Second Less Desirable, Third Less Desirable, Fourth Less Desirable , and Leader Less Desirable describe the number of lashes they’re likely to receive, Hero...
(full context)
...Man and Penny prepare to cut off the foot, but they struggle to follow through. Fourth Less Desirable wishes a heavenly angel would reveal this terrible situation as a test of their faith....
(full context)
Penny, Third Less Desirable, Leader Less Desirable, Second Less Desirable, and Fourth Less Desirable try to restore peace. Old Man reminds Homer and Hero that despite their enslavement, they’re...
(full context)