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Ketch Freeman (James Freeman)
A convict in the penal colony. A loud and crass individual, Dabby is Mary’s closest friend in the settlement, which is why she decides that—since Mary’s going to be in the play—she wants to act in The Recruiting Officer, too. This is much to Ralph’s chagrin, since Dabby isn’t as talented as Mary. Nevertheless, he gives her a small role, and Mary helps her learn her lines, since she can’t read. Just before the first performance, Dabby tells her fellow players that she intends to sneak away while everyone is taking a bow, but Mary and the others convince her to stay, pointing out that running away will only make life worse for everyone else.
Dabby Bryant Quotes in Our Country’s Good
The Our Country’s Good quotes below are all either spoken by Dabby Bryant or refer to Dabby Bryant. 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:
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Act One, Scene Eight Quotes
DABBY. You’re wasting time, girl, he’s ripe for the plucking. You can always tell with men, they begin to walk sideways. And if you don’t—
MARY. Don’t start. I listened to you once before.
DABBY. What would you have done without that lanky sailor drooling over you?
MARY. I would have been less of a whore.
DABBY. Listen, my darling, you’re only a virgin once. You can’t go to a man and say, I’m a virgin except for this one lover I had. After that, it doesn’t matter how many men go through you.
MARY. I’ll never wash the sin away.
DABBY. If God didn’t want women to be whores he shouldn’t have created men who pay for their bodies.
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Act Two, Scene Five Quotes
I have seen the white of this animal’s bones, his wretched blood and reeky convict urine have spilled on my boots and he’s feeling modest? Are you feeling modest, Sideway?
(He shoves SIDEWAY aside.)
Modesty.
Bryant. Here.
(DABBY comes forward.)
On all fours.
(DABBY goes down on all fours.)
Now wag your tail and bark, and I’ll throw you a biscuit. What? You’ve forgotten? Isn’t that how you begged for your food on the ship? Wag your tail, Bryant, bark! We’ll wait.
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Act Two, Scene Seven Quotes
DABBY. When dealing with men, always have a contract.
MARY. Love is a contract.
DABBY. Love is the barter of perishable goods. A man’s word for a woman’s body.
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When I say Kite’s lines I forget everything else. I forget the judge said I’m going to have to spend the rest of my natural life in this place getting beaten and working like a slave. I can forget that out there it’s trees and burnt grass, spiders that kill you in four hours and snakes. I don’t have to think about what happened to Kable, I don’t have to remember the things I’ve done, when I speak Kite’s lines I don’t hate anymore.
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Dabby Bryant Character Timeline in Our Country’s Good
The timeline below shows where the character Dabby Bryant appears in Our Country’s Good. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act One, Scene Five
...Mr Clark, you see the skill,” Sideway says conspiratorially. At this point, two convicts named Dabby Bryant and Mary Brenham approach. Ralph has specifically requested to see Mary because he heard...
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“Where do I come in, Lieutenant?” Dabby interrupts, and when Ralph asks if she can read, she admits she can’t, though she...
(full context)
Act One, Scene Seven
...To cheer her up, he suggests that she join Ralph’s play. He then explains that Dabby Bryant and Liz Morden are also in the cast, and Duckling agrees to participate. “How...
(full context)
Act One, Scene Eight
Dabby and Mary sit together trying to learn their lines. Despite Mary’s effort to get Dabby...
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Mary accuses Dabby of exploiting her on the convict ship, since she encouraged her to sleep with the...
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As Liz and Dabby fight, Ketch Freeman enters and asks why they’re “at each other’s throats.” The two women...
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Act One, Scene Eleven
...of The Recruiting Officer, Ralph gathers the convicts he’s casted, including Sideway, Wisehammer, Mary, Liz, Dabby, Duckling, and Ketch. As Ralph tries to begin, the prisoners insult Ketch because he’s the...
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Act Two, Scene Five
...he received on the convict ship on the way to the colony. Ross then orders Dabby to get on her hands and knees and pretend to be a dog. “Isn’t that...
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Act Two, Scene Seven
After the Aboriginal Australian man leaves, Mary and Ralph rehearse in front of Dabby, Wisehammer, and Arscott. After a moment, they pause to discuss the script, wondering why Mary’s...
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...right for the character.” Soon after this exchange, the cast discusses The Recruiting Officer, and Dabby complains about how little she identifies with her character. Arscott, on the other hand, is...
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Despite Arscott’s good attitude, Dabby is still upset, saying that she wants to do a play that more closely resembles...
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Act Two, Scene Eleven
...to see the play. Noticing Duckling—who is mourning the loss of Harry—Liz tells her that Dabby could fill in for her, but Duckling insists upon doing it herself. Apparently, Ross kicked...
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Sideway insists that everyone practice their bow. Dabby, however, says she won’t be taking a bow and that she doesn’t want to be...
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Wisehammer doesn’t understand why Dabby wants to go back to England. “It’s too small and they don’t like Jews,” he...
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