Ma Rainey Character Analysis in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Ma Rainey was a real-life Black musician famous for singing the blues in the early 20th century. Often hailed as the “Mother of the Blues,” she was an important artist in the genre’s development and popularity. In the play, she is very aware of her own influence and knows how to use it to her advantage. For example, although Sturdyvant wants to exploit her talent, she recognizes that he can’t make any money off her if she doesn’t let him record her songs. She therefore threatens to leave the studio whenever he and Irvin try to make her do something she doesn’t want to do. As such, she manages to maintain creative control over her music, even if the white studio executives will eventually profit off her songs. And she’s not just attuned to the power dynamics at play between her and people like Sturdyvant—she also makes sure that her musicians respect her as the bandleader, which is why she ends up firing Levee for refusing to play the way she wants him to. After she and the band finish recording, Ma almost leaves the studio without signing the release forms for her music. By putting this off until the very end, she maintains the dominant position in her relationship with Sturdyvant for as long as possible. In doing so, she flips the imbalanced power dynamic that usually characterized relationships between Black musicians and white executives in the 1920s.

Ma Rainey Quotes in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

The Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom quotes below are all either spoken by Ma Rainey or refer to Ma Rainey. 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:

STURDYVANT: I don’t care what she calls herself. I’m not putting up with it. I just want to get her in here...record those songs on that list...and get her out. Just like clockwork, huh?

IRVIN: Like clockwork, Mel. You just stay out of the way and let me handle it.

STURDYVANT: Yeah...yeah...you handled it last time. Remember? She marches in here like she owns the damn place...doesn’t like the songs we picked out...says her throat is sore…doesn’t want to do more than one take...

Related Characters: Irvin (speaker), Sturdyvant (speaker), Ma Rainey

Page Number and Citation: 18

Explanation and Analysis:

Before Ma Rainey and her band arrive at the recording studio, Sturdyvant and Irvin discuss how they plan to make sure the session goes smoothly. Sturdyvant’s comments about Ma are disparaging and condescending, as he talks about her like she’s an unruly, untrustworthy child instead of a professional artist. He even blatantly dismisses her status as a famous musician, telling Irvin that he doesn’t care if she’s the “Mother of the Blues”—a name people actually called Ma Rainey in real life. Instead of showing Ma the respect she deserves as a famous musician, though, Sturdyvant is focused on just one 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 as

STURDYVANT: Irv, that horn player...the one who gave me those songs...is he gonna be here today? Good. I want to hear more of that sound. Times are changing. This is a tricky business now. We’ve got to jazz it up...put in something different. You know, something wild...with a lot of rhythm.

(Pause.)

You know what we put out last time, Irv? We put out garbage last time. It was garbage. I don’t even know why I bother with this anymore.

IRVIN: You did all right last time, Mel. Not as good as you did before, but you did all right.

STURDYVANT: You know how many records we sold in New York? You wanna see the sheet? And you know what’s in New York, Irv? Harlem. Harlem’s in New York, Irv.

Related Characters: Irvin (speaker), Sturdyvant (speaker), Levee, Ma Rainey

Page Number and Citation: 19

Explanation and Analysis:

When Sturdyvant and Irvin discuss the music industry before Ma Rainey and her band arrive at the studio, Sturdyvant makes it clear that he’s only interested in putting out records that will make a lot of money. Consequently, he wants to capture whatever musical style is the most popular, and this means changing along with the times The play takes place in Chicago in the 1920s, meaning that it’s set during something of a creative explosion, as Black musicians recorded a number of highly influential blues albums at this time. Meanwhile, though, jazz was also becoming quite popular, especially in 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. Perf

CUTLER is in his mid-fifties, as are most of the others. He plays guitar and trombone and is the leader of the group, possibly because he is the most sensible. His playing is solid and almost totally unembellished. His understanding of his music is limited to the chord he is playing at the time he is playing it. He has all the qualities of a loner except the introspection.

Related Characters: Cutler, Ma Rainey, Levee

Page Number and Citation: 20

Explanation and Analysis:

When the band arrives at the studio, the play includes a brief stage note about each musician. Cutler’s description indicates not just that he’s the secondary leader of the band (after Ma), but also that he has a very straightforward, dutiful approach to music. Unlike Levee, who will later reveal himself to be obsessed with creative innovation, Cutler just wants to execute whatever is required of him as a musician. The idea that his “understanding” of music is “limited to the chord he is playing at the time he is playing it” highlights this workmanlike approach to his craft, suggesting 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

SLOW DRAG: Come on, let’s rehearse the music.

LEVEE: You ain’t gotta rehearse that…ain’t nothing but old jug-band music. They need one of them jug bands for this.

SLOW DRAG: Don’t make me no difference. Long as we get paid.

LEVEE: That ain’t what I’m talking about, nigger. I’m talking about art!

Related Characters: Slow Drag (speaker), Levee (speaker), Ma Rainey

Page Number and Citation: 25

Explanation and Analysis:

Levee tries to tell Slow Drag in this exchange that there’s no need to rehearse the songs because they’re so simple. By making this claim, he condescendingly implies that the songs slated to be on Ma’s record are boring and outdated. He uses the term “jug band,” referring to bands that used to play on primarily homemade instruments. Jug bands originated in the South and often performed in traveling vaudeville shows (like, for instance, the travelling show that the real-life Ma Rainey made her name performing in). The way Levee talks about jug bands is quite disparaging, making it clear 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

CUTLER: Slow Drag’s all right. It’s you talking all that weird shit about art. Just play the piece, nigger. You wanna be one of them...what you call...virtuoso or something, you in the wrong place. You ain’t no Buddy Bolden or King Oliver...you just an old trumpet player come a dime a dozen. Talking about art.

LEVEE: What is you? I don’t see your name in lights.

CUTLER: I just play the piece. Whatever they want. I don’t go talking about art and criticizing other people’s music.

Related Characters: Cutler (speaker), Levee (speaker), Slow Drag, Ma Rainey

Page Number and Citation: 26

Explanation and Analysis:

After Levee speaks condescendingly to Slow Drag for focusing too much on money, Cutler puts him in his place. He uses a racial slur to refer to Levee and reminds him that he’s just an accompanying musician, not a headliner like the famous jazz horn players Buddy Bolden or King Oliver. His main point is that Levee is too focused on trying to be some kind of virtuosic musician, when in reality he’s just yet another trumpet player—a trumpet player who is a “dime a dozen,” meaning that Cutler could easily find somebody to replace him. Needless to say, Levee 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 e

CUTLER: Well, until you get your own band where you can play what you want, you just play the piece and stop complaining. I told you when you came on here, this ain’t none of them hot bands. This is an accompaniment band. You play Ma’s music when you here.

LEVEE: I got sense enough to know that. Hell, I can look at you all and see what kind of band it is. I can look at Toledo and see what kind of band it is.

Related Characters: Cutler (speaker), Levee (speaker), Toledo, Ma Rainey

Page Number and Citation: 27

Explanation and Analysis:

Cutler and Levee’s conversation here highlights their different approaches to music in general. Cutler’s main goal is to get Levee to see that he’s not supposed to overshadow Ma with his flashy playing, nor is he the one who has the authority to dictate how the band plays. There’s a very clear pecking order in place, with Ma holding the most power and then Cutler directing the band so that it sounds the way Ma wants it to. Within this power structure, there’s no room for someone like Levee to criticize the group’s musical direction and insist on new stylistic 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. Per

LEVEE: See, I told you! It don’t mean nothing when I say it. You got to wait for Mr. Irvin to say it. Well, I told you the way it is.

CUTLER: Levee, the sooner you understand it ain’t what you say, or what Mr. Irvin say...it’s what Ma say that counts.

SLOW DRAG: Don’t nobody say when it come to Ma. She’s gonna do what she wants to do. Ma says what happens with her.

LEVEE: Hell, the man’s the one putting out the record! He’s gonna put out what he wanna put out!

SLOW DRAG: He’s gonna put out what Ma want him to put out

Related Characters: Levee (speaker), Cutler (speaker), Slow Drag (speaker), Irvin, Ma Rainey, Sturdyvant

Related Symbols: The Song (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Page Number and Citation: 36

Explanation and Analysis:

When Levee tells Cutler they’re supposed to play his arrangement of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” Cutler doesn’t believe him. He therefore asks Irvin which version of the song they should rehearse, and Irvin confirms that he and Sturdyvant want to record Levee’s arrangement. As a result, Levee boasts about being right, but he also criticizes Cutler for only listening to Irvin—despite the fact that Levee himself urged Cutler to ask Irvin in the first place, thinking that this would surely prove that he’s right about which version of the song they’re supposed to play. Regardless, though, Cutler doesn’t care what 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 vo

TOLEDO: See, now...I’ll tell you something. As long as the colored man look to white folks to put the crown on what he say...as long as he looks to white folks for approval...then he ain’t never gonna find out who he is and what he’s about. He’s just gonna be about what white folks want him to be about. That’s one sure thing.

Related Characters: Toledo (speaker), Levee, Cutler, Ma Rainey

Related Symbols: The Song (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Page Number and Citation: 37

Explanation and Analysis:

After Cutler and Levee ask Irvin to tell them which version of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” they should rehearse, Toledo expresses his concern that Black people defer to white people too much. He says that Black people frequently “look to white folks to put the crown on what” they say, meaning that Black people are quick to seek out white people’s approval. Considering the racial discrimination and power imbalance that was prevalent in the U.S. at this time (the 1920s), it’s perhaps unsurprising that Black people seek out this kind of approval—after all, it can even be dangerous for Black 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 solu

The white man knows you just a leftover. ‘Cause he the one who done the eating and he know what he done ate. But we don’t know that we been took and made history out of. Done went and filled the white man’s belly and now he’s full and tired and wants you to get out the way and let him be by himself. Now, I know what I’m talking about. And if you wanna find out, you just ask Mr. Irvin what he had for supper yesterday. And if he’s an honest white man...which is asking for a whole heap of a lot...he’ll tell you he done ate your black ass and if you please I’m full up with you...so go on and get off the plate and let me eat something else.

Related Characters: Toledo (speaker), Ma Rainey, Levee, Sturdyvant, Irvin

Page Number and Citation: 57

Explanation and Analysis:

Toledo presents an extended metaphor comparing Black Americans to the “leftovers” from a stew. He talks about how carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables have been ripped out of the ground and tossed into a stew, but he says there’s more food than anyone can eat—these “leftover” vegetables floating in the broth are comparable to Black Americans who have been taken from their ancestral homes in Africa and brought to the United States to be enslaved. Now that slavery is over, Toledo implies, “the white man” has very little use for Black Americans. The overarching idea here is that racist white 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. Ducim

IRVIN: Ma, that’s what the people want now. They want something they can dance to. Times are changing. Levee’s arrangement gives the people what they want. It gets them excited…makes them forget about their troubles.

MA RAINEY: I don’t care what you say, Irvin. Levee ain’t messing up my song. If he got what the people want, let him take it somewhere else. I’m singing Ma Rainey’s song. I ain’t singing Levee’s song. Now that’s all there is to it.

Related Characters: Irvin (speaker), Ma Rainey (speaker), Levee

Related Symbols: The Song (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Page Number and Citation: 62

Explanation and Analysis:

As Ma waits for the recording session to begin, she hears the band playing Levee’s arrangement of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” downstairs in the rehearsal room. She immediately voices her anger, declaring that she won’t play his version of the song, but Irvin tries to tell her that the music market is changing; people want “something they can dance to.” The fact that he tells her that “times are changing” suggests that her music is on its way to becoming outdated. It follows, then, that Ma doesn’t respond well to Irvin, telling him outright that she doesn’t care what he 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 a

MA RAINEY: I’m gonna tell you something, Irvin...and you go on up there and tell Sturdyvant. What you all say don’t count with me. You understand? Ma listens to her heart. Ma listens to the voice inside her. That’s what counts with Ma. Now, you carry my nephew on down there...tell Cutler he’s gonna do the voice intro on that “Black Bottom” song and that Levee ain’t messing up my song with none of his music shit. Now, if that don’t set right with you and Sturdyvant...then I can carry my black bottom on back down South to my tour, ‘cause I don’t like it up here no ways.

Related Characters: Ma Rainey (speaker), Irvin, Sturdyvant, Levee, Cutler

Related Symbols: The Song (“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”)

Page Number and Citation: 63

Explanation and Analysis:

When Irvin tries to convince Ma to record Levee’s version of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” she doesn’t hesitate to tell him exactly how she feels. Even though she’s a Black woman living in the racist environment of the United States in the 1920s, she’s not afraid to tell Irvin that what he and Sturdyvant want means nothing to her. “What you all say don’t count with me,” she says—a statement that belittles both Irvin and Sturdyvant by implying that they don’t know what they’re talking about when it comes to music. By making this implication, Ma reminds Irvin that, at 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

MA RAINEY: They don’t care nothing about me. All they want is my voice. Well, I done learned that, and they gonna treat me like I want to be treated no matter how much it hurt them. They back there now calling me all kinds of names…calling me everything but a child of god. But they can’t do nothing else. They ain’t got what they wanted yet. As soon as they get my voice down on them recording machines, then it’s just like if I’d be some whore and they roll over and put their pants on. Ain’t got no use for me then.

Related Characters: Ma Rainey (speaker), Cutler, Irvin, Sturdyvant, Slow Drag, Sylvester

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

As Ma waits for Sylvester and Slow Drag to buy her a Coke, she talks to Cutler about the music business, telling him that she doesn’t care if Irvin and Sturdyvant are mad about having to meet the demands she makes as a recording artist. And the reason she doesn’t care, she indicates, is that she knows she still has the upper hand—after all, Sturdyvant and Irvin haven’t gotten “what they wanted yet.” In other words, they haven’t yet recorded Ma’s music, so they currently have nothing to sell. As such, they have no choice but to do what 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 necessit

MA RAINEY: If you colored and can make them some money, then you all right with them. Otherwise, you just a dog in the alley. I done made this company more money from my records than all the other recording artists they got put together. And they wanna balk about how much this session is costing them.

Related Characters: Ma Rainey (speaker), Cutler, Irvin, Sturdyvant

Page Number and Citation: 79

Explanation and Analysis:

Continuing her and Cutler’s discussion about the music industry, Ma talks about how valuable she is to Sturdyvant. Although he might treat her like she’s an expendable artist who’s just costing him money, the truth is that she has made his record label huge profits, especially since Sturdyvant surely owns all the royalties to her songs. The fact that he has made so much money off of her is rather frustrating, considering that he clearly does so in exploitative ways (by not giving her a fair cut of the royalties). But it also means that she can lord her popularity 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 acc

MA RAINEY: White folks don’t understand about the blues. They hear it come out, but they don’t know how it got there. They don’t understand that’s life’s way of talking. You don’t sing to feel better. You sing ‘cause that’s a way of understanding life.

Related Characters: Ma Rainey (speaker), Cutler, Sturdyvant

Page Number and Citation: 82

Explanation and Analysis:

In a conversation with Cutler about the blues, Ma addresses both the cultural and historical origins of the genre. Although white people like Sturdyvant are perfectly happy to record and sell the blues, Ma suggests that they don’t really “understand” it. The implication here is that white people see the blues as nothing more than a form of entertainment, whereas Black musicians understand that it’s much more than that. For Ma, the blues is a deeply expressive artform, one that makes it possible to better understand one’s own life. To that end, the blues has deep roots in storytelling, as 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 consectetu

LEVEE: It don’t matter what you talking about. I ain’t no imitation white man. And I don’t want to be no white man. As soon as I get my band together and make them records like Mr. Sturdyvant done told me I can make, I’m gonna be like Ma and tell the white man just what he can do. Ma tell Mr. Irvin she gonna leave...and Mr. Irvin get down on his knees and beg her to stay! That’s the way I’m gonna be! Make the white man respect me!

CUTLER: The white man don’t care nothing about Ma. The colored folks made Ma a star. White folks don’t care nothing about who she is...what kind of music she make.

Related Characters: Levee (speaker), Cutler (speaker), Irvin, Ma Rainey, Sturdyvant

Page Number and Citation: 94

Explanation and Analysis:

In a conversation about how commercial success can give Black musicians power, Levee claims that he’ll someday manage to leverage his talent to “make the white man respect” him. One reason he makes such a claim is that Toledo has just suggested that everyone in the band is just an “imitation white man,” implying that Black Americans have given up their own cultural identity in order to assimilate into white society. Levee, however, believes that pleasing white people is a way of gradually building up power. He believes, for example, that Ma is able to boss Sturdyvant and Irvin around 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 aliqua

STURDYVANT: Hey, Ma…come on, sign the forms, huh?

IRVIN: Ma...come on now.

MA RAINEY: Get your coat, Sylvester. Irvin, where’s my car?

IRVIN: It’s right out front, Ma. Here...I got the keys right here. Come on, sign the forms, huh?

MA RAINEY: Irvin, give me my car keys!

IRVIN: Sure, Ma...just sign the forms, huh? (He gives her the keys, expecting a trade-off.)

MA RAINEY: Send them to my address and I’ll get around to them.

IRVIN: Come on, Ma...I took care of everything, right? I straightened everything out.

MA RAINEY: Give me the pen, Irvin.

(She signs the forms.)

You tell Sturdyvant…one more mistake like that and I can make my records someplace else.

Related Characters: Sturdyvant (speaker), Irvin (speaker), Ma Rainey (speaker), Sylvester

Page Number and Citation: 105

Explanation and Analysis:

When the recording session finally ends, Irvin tells Ma that Sturdyvant won’t pay Sylvester his own cut, insisting that his $25 will have to come out of Ma’s share. Ma doesn’t accept this, sending Irvin to talk to Sturdyvant and saying that she’ll never make a record with him again if he doesn’t pay everyone their fair share. Sturdyvant then emerges and pays Ma the correct amount, claiming to have made a mistake. But Ma knows that what really happened is that Sturdyvant realized she hadn’t signed the release forms for the songs—meaning that, although he was able to record 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.

STURDYVANT: Well, Levee, I don’t doubt that really. It’s just that...well, I don’t think they’d sell like Ma’s records. But I’ll take them off your hands for you.

LEVEE: The people’s tired of jug-band music, Mr. Sturdyvant. They wants something that’s gonna excite them! They wants something with some fire! I don’t know what fellows you had playing them songs...but if I could play them! I’d set them down in the people’s lap! Now you told me I could record them songs!

STURDYANT: Well, there’s nothing I can do about that. Like I say, it’s five dollars a piece. That’s what I’ll give you. I’m doing you a favor. Now, if you write any more, I’ll help you out and take them off your hands. The price is five dollars apiece. Just like now.

Related Characters: Levee (speaker), Sturdyvant (speaker), Irvin, Ma Rainey

Page Number and Citation: 108

Explanation and Analysis:

At the end of the play, Sturdyvant lies to Levee by telling him that he doesn’t think his songs will sell very well. Accordingly, he has decided not to record them. However, it’s obvious that Sturdyvant isn’t being honest with Levee. First of all, he previously complained to Irvin about how Ma’s records aren’t selling very well, so the comparison he makes between Levee and Ma’s music is just a way of tricking Levee into thinking his songs are worthless. Second of all, he claims to have had a group of musicians play through Levee’s songs, but there’s no way 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.

Ma Rainey Character Timeline in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

The timeline below shows where the character Ma Rainey appears in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

Ma Rainey’s manager, Irvin, sets up a microphone in a recording studio. Meanwhile, Sturdyvant—the owner of... (full context)

History, Tradition, and Change Theme Icon

Sturdyvant talks about Ma’s trumpet player, who he thinks has a fresh new sound—a sellable sound. Times are changing,... (full context)

...Slow Drag, and Toledo arrive at the studio. Irvin nervously asks these band members where Ma is, but Cutler just says she should be coming soon. Irvin then gives them a... (full context)

...game of craps; he thinks these shoes will impress a young woman he met through Ma. He tried to flirt with her at a club the night before, but the young... (full context)

Collaboration vs. Independence Theme Icon

...those over to Sturdyvant, too. This doesn’t impress Cutler, who reminds him that—for now—he’s in Ma Rainey’s band, not his own. And that means doing what he’s told, playing the way... (full context)

Unable to agree how to play “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” the band rehearses a different song. But Irvin interrupts to ask about... (full context)

Levee doesn’t understand why Ma will have the last word. After all, Sturdyvant is the one putting out the record,... (full context)

...sandwiches have arrived upstairs in the studio. He then talks to Sturdyvant, who’s upset that Ma hasn’t come yet and reminds Irvin that he’s supposed to be responsible for her. When... (full context)

After great confusion and commotion, it emerges that Sylvester was driving Ma’s car and got into an accident. The policeman claims Sylvester hit the other vehicle, but... (full context)

After the policeman leaves, Irvin greets Ma and tells her to take a seat while the band finishes rehearsing, but she rejects... (full context)

Upstairs in the studio, Ma takes off her shoes and sings about the discomfort of “sharp-toed shoes.” Meanwhile, Dussie Mae... (full context)

Irvin returns and assures Ma that everything is sorted out with her car, though she warns him that it better... (full context)

...it would be best to go with Levee’s version, since that’s what will sell. But Ma reiterates how little she cares what Sturdyvant or Irvin think—what they say doesn’t matter to... (full context)

Downstairs, Ma explains that the band won’t be playing Levee’s version of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” and... (full context)

The band is upstairs in the studio with Ma. As everyone gets ready to record, Ma walks around barefoot and sings to herself. Meanwhile,... (full context)

Catching Levee making eyes at Dussie Mae, Ma tells Cutler to get him in line. Irvin’s voice then sounds over speaker system,... (full context)

Even though Sylvester stutters, Ma wants him to do the intro. It doesn’t matter how long it takes—he’ll get it... (full context)

...session begins, but the band grinds to a halt when Sylvester stutters on the intro. Ma tells him not to worry and that he should take his time. Meanwhile, Sturdyvant comes... (full context)

While the band waits for Slow Drag and Sylvester to come back with the Coke, Ma pulls Cutler aside and chastises him for telling Irvin that Sylvester can’t do the part.... (full context)

...singer Bessie Smith recently recorded this song, so maybe it’s not a good idea for Ma to do it, too. Ma pays this no mind. She has been singing this song... (full context)

...Levee sings one of his own songs while Toledo reads a newspaper, but then Dussie Mae enters, and he immediately starts flirting with her. This makes Toledo uncomfortable—since he wants nothing... (full context)

Meanwhile, Ma waits in the studio and talks to Cutler about the blues, which she thinks white... (full context)

...with the Cokes, at which point Slow Drag goes downstairs to find Levee and Dussie Mae locked in a passionate embrace. Slow Drag doesn’t say anything, instead just going to get... (full context)

...in the studio, everyone is ready to record again. The band does two takes of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” but Sylvester keeps stumbling through his part. Finally, on the third take,... (full context)

Irvin rushes after Ma, pleading with her to stay as Sturdyvant yells that her career will be ruined if... (full context)

...up the session. They tell him he should focus on the music, not on Dussie Mae—who is, after all, “Ma’s gal.” Cutler tells Levee that Ma will ruin his career as... (full context)

...man. As soon as he gets his band and cuts his records, he’ll be like Ma and will have power over white people. (full context)

Although Levee thinks Ma has a certain authority over white men like Irvin and Sturdyvant, Cutler notes that this... (full context)

...Black people—even if they’re respected members of society. The only reason white people care about Ma Rainey is because she can make them money, not because they respect her. (full context)

...the recording session. Everyone congratulates one another, talking about how good everything sounded. But although Ma compliments the others, she critiques Levee for playing too many notes. He tries to tell... (full context)

...need the band. Once he leaves and the band starts to pack up, Irvin approaches Ma and tells her that, though he tried to talk him out of it, Sturdyvant insists... (full context)

Meanwhile, Sturdyvant talks to Ma in the studio, claiming there was a “mistake” and that everything is in order now.... (full context)

After Ma leaves, Sturdyvant comes downstairs and pays each of the band members $25. Before he leaves,... (full context)

...to play them. Still, Sturdyvant remains steadfast, saying the songs won’t sell as well as Ma’s records. “But I’ll take them off your hands for you,” he adds. And if Levee... (full context)

Ma Rainey Character Analysis

Ma Rainey Quotes in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Act 1 Quotes

Act 2 Quotes

Ma Rainey Character Timeline in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom