Ephraim Character Analysis in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

Ephraim is a young man who rents a room from Old Mack and is thus neighbors with Mavis, Rosa, and Charlie, Sophia, and Esther Adams. The son of a poor mule cart driver, Ephraim remembers being embarrassed by his father’s job and his family’s poverty. His father died when he was young, and his mother ran off with a new man shortly thereafter, leaving Ephraim in the care of his grandmother. Although Ephraim says he loved his grandmother, he nevertheless selfishly consigned her to the poorhouse to get her out of his way when he worried that she would interfere with his plan to make a better life for himself. He becomes a trolley driver, and although this gives him more stability and respect than his own father, it isn’t good enough for him. When the play opens, he has made plans to seek his fortune by immigrating to England—even though this means abandoning Rosa, with whom he seems to be in love and who is deeply in love with him. Despite his selfishness, Ephraim can at times be a deeply caring person. He likes Esther and does what he can to nurture her bright young mind and to encourage her to chase her dreams. He effortlessly takes on a nurturing role with the Adams baby that shows his capacity for tenderness and love. But in the end, Ephraim’s feeling of being trapped in his life and his sense of shame over his family’s lowly past prove to be the strongest motivators of his choices. He ultimately abandons Rosa—and his unborn child with her—in pursuit of dreams that may or may not come true.

Ephraim Quotes in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

The Moon on a Rainbow Shawl quotes below are all either spoken by Ephraim or refer to Ephraim. 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:

Ephraim recrosses the yard towards his own room. He switches on the light as he enters. The glow from the naked light bulb reveals, among other necessary furniture in the room, a large multi-coloured shawl lying at the foot of the bed.

Related Characters: Rosa Otero, Ephraim, Old Mack

Related Symbols: Rainbow Shawl

Page Number and Citation: 4

Explanation and Analysis:

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl gives many very specific stage directions, like this one, which explains how the audience should first encounter Ephraim’s room. When he comes home late from his job as a trolley driver, he goes straight to the room he occupies at an exorbitant rent from Old Mack. This passage gives readers a glimpse of just how impoverished and lowly the lives of the people living on the yard truly are. There is almost nothing in Ephraim’s room that doesn’t serve a concrete purpose. Except for the rainbow shawl. This shawl suggests Ephraim’s connection with others, especially 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

MAVIS. What happening?—Yer givin’ little Miss Precious Mind private lessons? She is ‘bright girl’ I hear her mother say—so I expect she’ll learn quick.

EPF. Cut that, Mavis.

MAVIS. Yer want to come over and make it a party?

EPF. I said cut that!

Mavis gives a short low laugh as she goes back to her room [… She] says something and there is more laughter. Music from the victrola floats across the yard. Mavis’s light snaps off, and there is a scratch as the needle is pulled from the record—then suddenly everything is quiet.

ESTHER. I hate this yard, Ephraim…I wish Daddy was working steady—then we could find a decent place to live. Ephraim—You could help it—You don’t have to live here!

EPF. I’m a man, Esther. It don’t matter for me.

Related Characters: Mavis (speaker), Ephraim (speaker), Esther Adams (speaker), Sailor, Charlie Adams

Page Number and Citation: 8-9

Explanation and Analysis:

When Mavis comes out of her room to fetch some water for her client, she discovers Ephraim and Esther chatting in the moonlight. In this passage, she mocks Esther and teases Ephraim with sexual innuendo. This exchange gives readers insight into Mavis’s character. She feels no shame about the sex work by which she earns a living, and she resents Sophia’s judgment of her profession. However, the biting comments she directs at the little girl suggest a kind of jealousy. Everyone seems to know that the only person with a real chance of rising above a life of poverty is 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.

EPF. Yer know, Esther. When yer grow up—it would be kind of nice if yer could go away and study—on a island scholarship or something. Come back—big! Yer know! Make everybody respect yer.

ESTHER. I don’t know yet what I would like to be.

EPF. Yer have time! Time enough to make up yer mind. God!—If I had your kind of brains!

Esther reacts, delighted.

The things I would have been!

ESTHER. Like what?

EPF. Yer know—I don’t really know. One thing I know!—I would of been something more than just a trolleybus driver. That I know. Eight hours a day—up Henry Street—down Parker Street—Tragarete Road—St. James Terminus—Turn it round!—Back down town again!—And around again!—O Gord!

ESTHER. I like to hear the hiss of the wires as the trolleys pass.

EPF. Hiss! To my ears them wires sound as loud as a howling hurricane…

Related Characters: Ephraim (speaker), Esther Adams (speaker), Mavis, Sophia Adams

Page Number and Citation: 10

Explanation and Analysis:

As the baby drifts off to sleep and Ephraim and Esther chat as they wait for Sophia to come home, their talk turns to the scholarship Esther recently won to go to school. In this passage, Ephraim expresses one of the central ideas of the play: that a good education is the surest path out of poverty and limitation. Ephraim imagines Esther capitalizing on her recent academic success and going far, far beyond—not just to college, but maybe even to a college elsewhere than in Trinidad. Like Mavis, he seems a little jealous of Esther’s intellect and Esther’s potential. But 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. Sint qui qu

ESTHER. Is after midnight, Epf?

EPF. (winding his watch as he gets up) Close on.

ESTHER. Then Ma should be home soon.

EPF. I wonder if in bigger parts of the world—when the night should have a moon—it seems that close! … Esther—if yer have yer head screw on right—No matter where yer go—One night—sometime—Yer reach up—yer touch that moon.

ESTHER. (quietly) You think so?

EPF. I know so! … Night. Don’t stay out too long. I see you all in the morning.

ESTHER. Awright.

Related Characters: Esther Adams (speaker), Ephraim (speaker), Sophia Adams

Related Symbols: Moon

Page Number and Citation: 11-12

Explanation and Analysis:

As Esther waits for her parents to come home, Ephraim keeps her company. They talk about their hopes for a better life than they currently have. For Ephraim, the moon perfectly represents a dream of escape: it sits high above Trinidad and the endless circle he traverses daily during his trolleybus rounds, high above the tiny yard and the ramshackle rooms in which he and Esther and the others live. He drops a hint about his plans here, too, although there isn’t enough information for readers to understand it until after the fact. He wonders what the moon looks like 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 consequ

SOPHIA. Earrings, girl! Let me see—Let me see!

She holds the candle perilously close to Rosa’s ear.

And solid gold too! Is from the old man you get them, nah?

ROSA. Just now before I close up the café.

She sits on the steps.

SOPHIA. Hm…Earrings, wristwatch, new clothes and all kinds of fancy shoes and things you taking from this olde man—I suppose he right to seek his rights.

ROSA. (with spirit) I didn’t ask him to give mey them, Mrs Adams.

SOPHIA. Yes—but yer wearn’ them! Them nuns you grow up with—I think they teach you to look at life too simple. […] Well, child, all I could say is that you must be tickling the right vein in him. For in all the years we been rentin’ from him—he is a man I never know to be generous.

Related Characters: Sophia Adams (speaker), Rosa Otero (speaker), Old Mack, Ephraim

Page Number and Citation: 17-18

Explanation and Analysis:

When Rosa comes home from work with fresh gifts from Old Mack, Sophia tries to talk to the girl about the dangerous line she’s walking. Later, readers learn that the 18-year-old Rosa was raised in an orphanage by Catholic nuns, so Sophia has taken on the role of mother, and here she tries to teach Rosa a little about the way she thinks the world works. This might be an example of a generational divide, however. Old Mack and Sophia both clearly think that, by accepting Old Mack’s gifts, Rosa owes him a romantic relationship in return. Rosa disagrees, pointing 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 dignissi

ROSA. You all heard what happen, Mrs Adams?

SOPHIA. No.

Rosa has moved up the steps to Ephraim’s room. She calls softly.

ROSA. Ephraim? Ephraim? God—he still sleeping. And I wanted to talk to him…Somebody broke open the café.

Ephraim sits listening—but makes no movement toward the door.

ESTHER. Your café, Rosa?

SOPHIA. (as Rosa nods her reply) No! What they take?

ROSA. Every penny, Mrs Adams. Seventy dollars!—And some small change we had left in the register.

Related Characters: Esther Adams (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker), Rosa Otero (speaker), Ephraim, Old Mack

Page Number and Citation: 24-25

Explanation and Analysis:

On the morning of the play’s second day, Rosa comes home early from work to tell her neighbors about the robbery that happened the night before at the café their landlord Old Mack owns. Later, the play will reveal that Charlie committed the burglary and that Rosa knows it because she recognizes the familiar hat that he accidentally left behind. Later, when Rosa tells all of this to Ephraim, he gets angry at her because he perceives her as siding with Old Mack rather than their mutual friend Charlie. In that moment, the play asks readers to think back to 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. Molest

EPF. To get out! That’s the thing! Yer have to stay here—Living like this—Is as if yer trap!

SOPHIA. You so could talk!

EPF. Yes—I could talk! Look at that!

He indicates the unfinished structure in the front yard.

All that waste. The blasted ole fool. He’s got a house. Yet he starts putting that up. Three storeys high. To live in!—Himself alone. Now is months since a workman was here. Don’t you think, Mrs Adams—That instead of Ole Mack wastin’ time and money on a thing like that!—Don’t you think he could of built a decent kitchen fer you? Fix up the bathroom? Put on a roof? Use some paint back here? Not he. And I tell yer that girl shelling out to hold on to that room. The ole bastard!

Ephraim goes into his room.

Related Characters: Ephraim (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker), Rosa Otero, Old Mack, Prince, Mavis

Page Number and Citation: 34

Explanation and Analysis:

After Rosa returns to the café, Ephraim and Sophia begin to discuss the robbery, but they’re interrupted by the arrival of Prince and his and Mavis’s noisy departure for their date. This reminds Sophia of how little she likes her sex worker neighbor, and her habitual complaints lead Ephraim into expounding in this passage on the nature of the trap they’re all stuck in. Ephraim is more compassionate toward Mavis than Sophia is. He entertains the possibility that she does sex work not because she likes it, but as a means of survival in a world that conspires to keep 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. Aperia

SOPHIA. All night long, Ephraim! To tell yer the truth—I don’t want to vex—But is Esther I’m thinkin’ about. If only Charlie would try a little harder. These next few weeks before school open so many things we find we have to buy. In them kind of schools yer can’t got dress jest anyhow, yer know. All this Charlie know. But when the rum get in him so—pride—everything disappear. You wouldn’t believe me, boy—but when I first knew Charlie he was spit and polish jest like you. Girls by the dozen. In them days he didn’t have eyes for a body like me. But I went to every match he was playin’ in. He was so handsome. Yer should have seen him.

Related Characters: Sophia Adams (speaker), Charlie Adams, Esther Adams, Ephraim

Page Number and Citation: 37

Explanation and Analysis:

When Charlie finally comes home—still drunk from a night of partying—Ephriam puts him in bed and then goes back to the yard, where he listens to Sophia’s complaints about the situation. In this passage, she reminds Ephraim (and readers) of the stakes of Charlie’s failures. It’s all too easy to get trapped in poverty and the chances to escape are few and far between. Charlie’s sports career offered him one of those chances, long ago, but he couldn’t make it work. The consequences of that failure haunt him to this day in the form of broken pride. And they continue 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. N

EPF. I may never know!…Trouble with Charlie—he was a dreamer. And ole as he is he ent loss that dream yet. But I’m young and I’m wide awake. And it ent my intention to remain here and grow a big white moustache like Ole Sam, how used to drive tramcar—and when the trolleys came they pension him off with a pittance. This Trinidad has nothin’ fer me! Nothin’ I want!

SOPHIA. What about Rosa?

EPF. Rosa?

SOPHIA. Why all yer young men so?

EPF. So?

SOPHIA. Look—let me mind mey own business, yer hear. Allyer young. Allyer could sort out allyer own salvation. I say this fer ye yer though. You is a man with ambition!

EPF. I have my plan!

He picks up the Union Jack. There is a pause as she looks at him. Then she remarks flatly.

SOPHIA. I hope it pointing in the right direction!

Related Characters: Sophia Adams (speaker), Ephraim (speaker), Charlie Adams, Rosa Otero

Page Number and Citation: 38

Explanation and Analysis:

As Sophia and Ephriam discuss the failure of Charlie’s dreams of success, Ephraim continues to express his intentions to flee. He tells Sophia pointedly that there’s nothing in Trinidad—even his relationship with Rosa isn’t enough to keep him tethered to a place that he feels means to trap him in poverty and degradation. He tells Sophia that he has his plan while holding a Union Jack—the flag of the British Empire—and the stage directions, which note an abrupt shift in her tone at that moment, suggest that she may have an inkling of what he plans. In this passage, Ephraim 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.

MAVIS. Wait for me a minute, Joe.

She pushes the Soldier into her room.

She comes down the steps, picks up a stone. Pulling her arm back—she pitches the stone across the yard. It strikes against the shutters on the Adams’ door. Immediately, the lights go on, the door is thrown open and Sophia appears in a long nightgown.

SOPHIA. Woman! Is the damn fool yer playn’ nah?

MAVIS. Peeping, peeping, peeping! I wish the blasted stone did lick out yer eye!

SOPHIA. B’Jesus Christ! It would have been me an’ you tonight! I would of rip yer to pieces like a mad dog—yer damn little whore!

MAVIS. Yer mother was the first one!

SOPHIA. And your mother before she!

Related Characters: Mavis (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker), Rosa Otero, Sailor, Charlie Adams, Ephraim

Page Number and Citation: 43-44

Explanation and Analysis:

Late on the play’s second night, Mavis comes home with another client. But it’s not too late for Sophia, who—as Mavis correctly suspects—has been sitting up hoping to catch Mavis in the act. This moment highlights each woman’s strong character. Neither grants the other any leniency, and both are absolutely, unshakably certain that they are in the right and the other is in the wrong. Readers might ask here why Sophia is so very opposed to Mavis. Although it’s clear that Mavis is a sex worker, she keeps her business behind the closed doors of her room, and one could 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

ROSA. Yer is a good-lookin’ man—you know?

EPF. Good-looking. Like who?

ROSA. Robert Taylor.

EPF. GO ’way!

ROSA. James Stewart.

EPF. He good-looking?—Try again.

ROSA. William Holden…

EPF. That’s right—He an’ me is twins.

ROSA. But look you!—Yer too fast with yer ugly self.

EPF. Jest now yer say I was handsome.

ROSA. That was jest now.

EPF. God!—Why all allyer woman so?

ROSA. Is we right.

EPF. Right?

ROSA. To tantalise.

EPF. Eh-heh?

They laugh.

Related Characters: Ephraim (speaker), Rosa Otero (speaker), Sophia Adams, Mavis

Page Number and Citation: 47-48

Explanation and Analysis:

Awakened by the argument between Sophia and Mavis in the yard, Rosa begins to flirt with Ephraim. It’s very clear throughout this scene that she’s in an amorous mood and that she’s very anxious to overcome Ephraim’s standoffishness, which she doesn’t understand. In this exchange, Rosa flirts with Ephraim by comparing him to several Hollywood heartthrobs of the 1940s. Notably, all three of the actors she names are White men—in the 1940s, when the play was written, there were few leading men of color in film. Ephraim is being sarcastic, then, when he claims to be William Holden’s twin. They 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.

EPF. Yer see this picture of ole Grandma here?…She took care of me from the time I small—till I grow a man! My ole man died when I was five years old. When I was six—my mother pick up with another man—went off to Curaçao!—and left me flat! For nearly a whole week I went hungry till Grandma came and found me and took me home with her. So it was only me and Gram from all that time…Then come a time. I began to make my plans. I find that she was in my way. I wanted to save money!—But she was in my way. So one day—I went to her—Told her—I was putting her in the poor house…Four days!—After I took her there—she died.

ROSA. (makes the sign of the cross) O God!

He has told his story without any display of emotion.

Related Characters: Rosa Otero (speaker), Ephraim (speaker), Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 53

Explanation and Analysis:

When Ephraim tells Rosa that he’s planning to seek his fortunes in England, he forces her hand, and she tells him the secret she’s been holding throughout the beginning of the play: that she’s pregnant with his child. This does not convince Ephraim to stay; in fact, he reacts angrily, as if Rosa has just set another trap meant to imprison him in Trinidad. Defiant, he assures her that he cannot be trapped—that he refuses to be trapped by her or anyone else. In this passage, he gives her a glimpse into his past life. Having lost his own parents, 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.

ROSA. Yer not going to marry me?

EPF. Here. Look yer dress. Put it on and go ’bout yer business.

He throws the dress at her, and pushes her towards the door. Crying out, Rosa turns, beating at him with her fists.

ROSA. Yer is a damn worthless nigger! Yer mother walk out on you! You kill yer own grandmother!...

Ephraim lifts her off the ground and literally throws the girl out of his room, hurling her dress, shoes and the shawl after her.

Do you think!—Do you think I want a man like you to marry me or to father my child? You go!—You go wherever the hell yer want to go! And when the time come so for yer to dead—I hope yer dead like the bastard you are—Yer tow foot stick up high in the air!

EPF. Thanks! An’ if that is all yer have to say fer goodbyes! Goodbye!

Related Characters: Ephraim (speaker), Rosa Otero (speaker), Grandmother

Related Symbols: Rainbow Shawl

Page Number and Citation: 55

Explanation and Analysis:

As Rosa gradually realizes that Ephraim means what he says when he tells her that he’s leaving her to go to England and that her pregnancy will not change his mind, she becomes distraught. Her fury and woundedness contrast sharply with the dispassionate way in which Ephraim has just told her the story of his father’s death, his mother’s abandonment, and his own consignment of his grandmother to the poor house where she died. Her passion makes his dispassion seem all the more out of place and monstrous. But note how quickly Rosa goes from hurt and confusion—from a timid 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. Volupta

CHARLIE. In them days, boy—the Savannah Club crowd was running most everything. […] In them times so when we wet Barbados or Jamaica to play cricket they used to treat us like hogs, boy. When we went on tours they put we in any ole kind of boarding house. The best hotels was fer them and the half-scald members of the team—So in ’twenty-seven when we was on tour in Jamaica I cause a stink boy. I had had enough of them dirty little boarding-house rooms. I said either they treat me decent or they send me back. The stink I made got into the newspapers. They didn’t send me back. But that was the last inter-colony series I ever play. They broke me, boy.

EPF. (quietly) Fer that?

CHARLIE. I should of known mey place. […] in them days, boy—the English country clubs was outbidding each other fer bowlers like me.

Related Characters: Charlie Adams (speaker), Ephraim (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker)

Page Number and Citation: 64

Explanation and Analysis:

On the morning of the play’s third day, Charlie waylays Ephraim in the yard. The two men discuss Charlie’s onetime career as a cricket player. Others, especially Sophia, have mentioned this topic in earlier scenes, but this is the first time that Charlie gives the full story of why things fell apart. And it turns out it that it had nothing to do with Charlie’s skills or even his age (although, like all sports stars, age put a natural limit on the length of his career). Instead, Charlie lost his dream of success because of racism. While English teams 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. 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

SOPHIA. Hush, boy! Hush! Don’t cry! Don’t cry!

CHARLIE. It didn’t seem like real stealing…somehow…Taking it from Old Mack.

SOPHIA. I know, Charlie. I know. Twelve-fifty a month he takes from we—fer that stinking little room! It couldn’t be stealin’. It couldn’t be. Hush now, boy! Hush! Hush! Sophie will find a way. The money? I’ll take and give to rosa. Ask her to give it to Old Mack. Ask her to talk to him for Esther and the little baby sake. H’ll listen to Rosa. I sure he’ll listen. He have to listen…Hush! Hush, boy!

Related Characters: Charlie Adams (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker), Ephraim, Old Mack, Rosa Otero, Stephen, Grandmother

Page Number and Citation: 72-3

Explanation and Analysis:

Learning that Old Mack suspects Stephen of the café robbery, Charlie confesses to his wife and tells her that he intends to turn himself in rather than let an innocent man suffer for his crime. This action of taking responsibility stands in stark contrast to Ephraim’s refusal earlier in the act to take responsibility for the consequences his actions have on others like Rosa and his grandmother, even though Charlie’s crime pales in comparison to the abusively high rents Old Mack charges his tenants. Sophia cites the rent, and some quick mental math shows readers that what Charlie stole from 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

MAVIS. Anytime! Right now—if yer like! So yer go!—I sure it will bring yer back!

Her eyes follow Ephraim as he goes into his room. Then she turns to face Prince and teases him with a small gesture of her body.

He nice, eh?

PRINCE. Always making a damn fool of yerself!

But for her the teasing is over. She crosses to the porch, picks up the bowl and starts towards her room.

MAVIS. Doodoo, darlin’! How yer want it?

PRINCE. (gruffly) A pelau.

MAVIS. Creole?

PRINCE. Eh-heh.

MAVIS. Then go round the back there and pick me a handful of peppers.

And again he is the patsy. But he goes off to get the peppers.

Pick a lot. I go make it hot. Hot enough to burn off yer mouth.

Related Characters: Mavis (speaker), Prince (speaker), Ephraim, Soldier, Rosa Otero, Sophia Adams, Charlie Adams

Page Number and Citation: 77-78

Explanation and Analysis:

After Mavis learns that Ephraim is leaving Trinidad for England, she accosts him in the yard and flirts with him one last time—embracing him and promising him that if he had sex with her, her charms (the “it” she refers to in the first line above) would certainly bring him crawling back to her across the ocean. Mavis has openly flirted with Ephraim throughout the play, despite knowing that he and Rosa are in a relationship, but this moment seems especially shameless because it plays out in front of her brand-new fiancée, Prince. It’s clear that Prince doesn’t appreciate Mavis’s 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.

SOPHIA. You heard her? Is me. She says is me. I been slavin’ to keep things goin’. I been…

ROSA. (crossing to Sophia to comfort her) She didn’t mean what she said.

SOPHIA. I been tryin’, Rosa.

ROSA. Esther knows that.

SOPHIA. You talked to Mr Mack.

ROSA. He said…He said the matter was out of his hands.

SOPHIA. As if I didn’t know…Everythin’ happenin’ wrong. Wrong for me. Esther. Charlie. Wrong for you…

Related Characters: Rosa Otero (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker), Charlie Adams, Ephraim, Esther Adams, Old Mack

Page Number and Citation: 84-85

Explanation and Analysis:

When Esther learns about Charlie’s arrest, she blames her mother and then flees, weeping, from the yard and into the street beyond. Rosa watches Esther go, then she immediately moves to comfort Sophia. In this passage, readers watch as, for the first time in the play, Sophia’s mask of competence and imperturbability slips. She has always tried to inhabit the role of mother to the others, a role in which she fixes the problems and gives wisdom and organizes life. But Sophia can’t manage the lives of everyone around her (regardless of whether they want her to like Mavis). No 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 atq

ROSA. (crossing to her door). Let him go! Wedding rings too cheap to have to kiss one man foot for.

SOPHIA. Men funny sometimes. Even after they come out the church at times—they ent sure. Yer should a seen Charlie them first days—with me. Rosa—Sometimes yer got to stifle pride. Think about the child growing in yer insides.

ROSA. That Ephraim!—He was the only one!—But he teach me good!—Now I’m ready for anything!

SOPHIA. Don’t talk so. Yer sound like Mavis.

ROSA. I ent fillin’ my eye with water fer no man.

Related Characters: Sophia Adams (speaker), Rosa Otero (speaker), Esther Adams, Ephraim, Mavis, Charlie Adams

Page Number and Citation: 85

Explanation and Analysis:

As Sophia and Rosa try to comfort each other near the end of the play’s third tumultuous day, Rosa tells Sophia that she refuses to compromise her own dignity or betray her own strength, regardless of how Ephraim chooses to behave. Ephraim entered the play as a sort of hero, beloved by his friends and neighbors, adored by Rosa, and endeared to the audience by the tenderness he showed Esther and her baby brother. By the middle, when he details his plan to flee Trinidad—and, incidentally, abandon Rosa and their unborn child—he appears quite monstrous. Sophia, stuck in her old-fashioned 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. A

EPF. (exploding) Mrs Adams! I aske yer something! You know fer certain sureyou want a whole lot more fer Esther—than you ever had a chance to get! My ole man was nothing’!…He used to drive a transport mule-cart! Everybody stinkin’ dustbin!—Hawk!—Spit!—Crap! Is so funny—yer find I want something better for meyself!

SOPHIA. Yer have it, Ephraim!

EPF. Have it?

SOPHIA. Soon they would have made yer inspector!

EPF. Today I told them they could shove that, Mrs Adams!

SOPHIA. You’re a fool! God—you’re a fool! Yer have a future here! An’ yer shoving it aside!—Fer what? To go off where? What’s wrong with allyer? Ephraim—I born and grow up in this Trinidad. I see it change. I see things open up—making room fer young people. Young people like you.

Related Characters: Sophia Adams (speaker), Ephraim (speaker), Rosa Otero, Old Mack, Esther Adams, Charlie Adams

Page Number and Citation: 89

Explanation and Analysis:

When Sophia confronts Ephraim directly about his immanent departure, he becomes angry and confrontational. In this passage, he gives Sophia—and readers—further context for his choice. Previously, all readers knew about Ephraim’s father was that he died when Ephraim was young. Now, Ephraim reveals that, prior to his death, he worked a humiliating and disgusting job as a cart-driver, evidently collecting waste from the streets. Earlier, Rosa asked Ephraim if he thought his future children would be proud of their father if he were a trolleybus inspector, and the degree to which a respectable job like that would represent a rise 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 i

Rosa’s door is thrown open. She rushes into the veranda—her body naked under the shawl. She calls her man’s name—‘Ephraim!’ But he is gone.

[…]

SOPHIA. Rosa. He gone. But don’t mind. Perhaps—Charlie get over this trouble. Perhaps he gets the coaching job. The baby born. We help look after it for yer.

Old Mack calls from Rosa’s room.

OLD MACK. Rosa?…Rosa?

The girl turns and goes in.

SOPHIA. O God!…No!

Sophia starts up the verandah steps. Esther comes along the alley. She stops as she gets to the gate.

ESTHER. Ma-ah!

The call has warmth—a certain immediacy—strength. It should give the impression that the future could still be hers.

Related Characters: Esther Adams (speaker), Old Mack (speaker), Sophia Adams (speaker), Ephraim

Related Symbols: Rainbow Shawl

Page Number and Citation: 93-94

Explanation and Analysis:

As Ephraim jumps into a taxi and speeds off into the night, presumably never to be seen again, Rosa bursts out of her room. In this play’s swift falling action, Ephraim leaves, Rosa makes a move toward greater financial stability by having sex with Old Mack (presumably, the play implies, as a precursor to getting him to claim paternity of Rosa and Ephraim’s baby), and Esther returns. Sophia is horrified to discover Rosa’s choice—it seems that her fears about Rosa becoming willing to do anything in the wake of Ephraim’s abandonment were well founded—but the play makes no indication of 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.

Ephraim Character Timeline in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

The timeline below shows where the character Ephraim appears in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

It’s late on a hot summer night when trolley driver Ephraim arrives home from work to the sound of calypso music played in the street by... (full context)

In the yard, the baby son of Ephraim’s neighbors begins to cry. He goes into the yard and encourages the baby’s sister, a... (full context)

Esther tells Ephraim that the Adams family hasn’t decided on a name for the baby yet. Her mother,... (full context)

...to fetch a glass of water from the tap. She teases Esther and flirts with Ephraim. When she goes back inside, Esther tells Ephraim how fervently she wishes her family could... (full context)

The baby falls asleep. Esther asks Ephraim what time it is, and he answers that it’s after midnight. Esther’s mother, Sophia, will... (full context)

...accepting Old Mack’s gifts gives him the wrong impression. Plus, she must be careful with Ephraim’s heart. Rosa says little to defend her actions. Sophia asks when Rosa plans to tell... (full context)

After Sophia goes into her own room, Rosa quietly lets herself into Ephraim’s. When she caresses her sleeping lover, he wakes and kisses her. He invites her to... (full context)

...behind the yard while Sophia and Esther eat breakfast. Charlie didn’t come home last night. Ephraim wakes up about the time that a girl named Jeanette comes to the gate for... (full context)

After softly knocking on Ephraim’s door and receiving no answer, Rosa tells Sophia the news. Someone broke into Old Mack’s... (full context)

...the laundry she’s washing. Still gleeful over Old Mack’s misfortune, she sings to herself until Ephraim emerges from his room. As soon as he does, Esther bursts into the yard, too,... (full context)

After Mavis leaves for the second time, Sophia stands in the yard bitterly complaining to Ephraim about having to live side by side with someone like Mavis. She wishes Charlie would... (full context)

...Esther rushes out of the house to embrace him, Sophia immediately sends her back inside. Ephraim, taking pity on Charlie, shepherds him out of Sophia’s sight. When he comes back into... (full context)

...Racism and segregation helped put a premature end to his career. Part of the problem, Ephraim says, is that Charlie is a dreamer. He always hopes for something better to come... (full context)

Ephraim goes back into his room, retrieves his cap, and heads for work, asking Sophia to... (full context)

...seems worried. She asks him why, but he swears nothing is wrong. He returns to Ephraim’s room, where he sits on the bed, alone, and listens to the children playing a... (full context)

In Ephraim’s room, the argument wakes Rosa, who was sleeping on top of the rainbow shawl. Ephraim... (full context)

Trying to ease the growing tension, Rosa tells Ephraim he’s as good-looking as Robert Taylor or Jimmy Stewart or William Holden. Bitterly, Ephraim interrupts... (full context)

...promises they will make good money if they play calypso music for it. Hearing this, Ephraim bitterly remarks how everyone around him is busy chasing “the Yankee dollar.” Rosa asks when... (full context)

...recognize his customary hat at the crime scene. Now the police have it in evidence. Ephraim worries about Charlie—and the rest of the Adams family—and becomes furious at Rosa for letting... (full context)

Irate, Ephraim opens a trunk standing in his room and shows Rosa that it contains his possessions,... (full context)

To prove his point, Ephraim tells Rosa what he did to his grandmother. She took him in and raised him... (full context)

...she’s hung on the lines to dry. Realizing that something went wrong between Rosa and Ephraim, Sophia bustles the younger woman into her room. When Esther skips back into the yard... (full context)

When Ephraim hustles back into the yard, a second-hand peacoat stuffed under his arm, Charlie waylays him... (full context)

Charlie reminisces about his own cricket days. Ephraim asks why he never got onto one of the exhibition teams that brought West Indian... (full context)

Prince and Mavis go into Mavis’s room; Sophia takes the coffee to Rosa; Ephraim bids farewell to Charlie and leaves the yard again; Charlie gets back to work. He’s... (full context)

...Solicitously, Old Mack inquires about Rosa’s health and invites her for a drink. She accepts. Ephraim returns as they leave together, and he physically blocks their way, moving only when Old... (full context)

...yard, Sophia turns to Charlie. She wants to ask him to talk some sense into Ephraim—Rosa told her about his plan to leave—but Charlie can’t listen. Horror over the idea that... (full context)

...with Esther before she married Charlie. Prince is still unhappy at Mavis’s mean streak, but Ephraim interrupts their argument by crossing the yard and asking for a cigarette. (full context)

Prince gallantly offers Ephraim a whole pack. Mavis openly flirts with Ephraim, so Prince picks up one of the... (full context)

Esther goes to Ephraim’s room and asks if he knows where Sophia is. He doesn’t. She tells him about... (full context)

...the news. Mavis emerges from her room, observing that Sophia didn’t make bail and warning Ephraim that Sophia might start asking the rest of them for help. Ephraim, angry and defiant,... (full context)

Ephraim comes back out when Rosa comes home, but he can’t bring himself to say anything... (full context)

Ephraim leaves for work. Alone in the yard, Rosa comforts Sophia. Everything has fallen apart, regardless... (full context)

Later in the evening, Ephraim listens to Frank Sinatra on the radio and finishes his packing. In the yard, Prince... (full context)

...Tiredly, she starts taking clothing off the line. But then she stops and crosses to Ephraim’s room, where she can see the light burning. (full context)

Ephraim clears a space for Sophia to sit on his bed and pours her a drink.... (full context)

Ephraim explodes in anger. He tells Sophia how ashamed he is of the demeaning work his... (full context)

Sophia charges Ephraim with seducing and abandoning Rosa, who was both naïve and sexually inexperienced when she met... (full context)

Ephraim Character Analysis

Ephraim Quotes in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl

Act 1, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 1, Scene 2 Quotes

Act 2, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 2, Scene 2 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 1 Quotes

Act 3, Scene 2 Quotes

Ephraim Character Timeline in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl