The Emperor Jones
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Scene 1 Scene 2 Scene 3 Scene 4 Scene 5 Scene 6 Scene 7 Scene 8
Themes
All Themes Racism History and Collective Memory Power and Systemic Oppression Godliness, Humanity, and Fear
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Brutus Jones Smithers Lem The Witch Doctor
Symbols
All Symbols The Color White Jones's Uniform The Silver Bullet The Crocodile God
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Dialect Dramatic Irony Flashbacks Foreshadowing Frame Story Genre Imagery Irony Mood Motifs Personification Setting Similes Situational Irony Soliloquy Style Tone Unreliable Narrator
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The Emperor Jones

by

Eugene O’Neill
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Lem Character Analysis

Lem is the chief of the natives on the island in the West Indies. He's an older man and very wise—he is spare with his words and says, simply and confidently, that he and the other natives will catch Jones. Finally, he explains to Smithers that he and the natives spent the night melting silver coins to cast silver bullets to kill Jones, a canny plan that is ultimately successful.

Lem Quotes in The Emperor Jones

The The Emperor Jones quotes below are all either spoken by Lem or refer to Lem. 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:
Racism Theme Icon
).
Scene 5 Quotes

Lawd, I done wrong! And down heah war dese fool bush niggers raises me up to the seat o' de mighty, I steals all I could grab. Lawd, I done wrong! I knows it! I'se sorry! Forgive me, Lawd! Forgive dis po' sinner!

Related Characters: Brutus Jones (speaker), Lem, Jeff, The Prison Guard
Godliness, Humanity, and Fear Theme Icon
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 8 Quotes

Well, they did for yer right enough, Jonsey, me lad! Dead as a 'erring! Where's yer 'igh an' mighty airs now, yer bloomin' Majesty? Silver bullets! Gawd blimey, but yer died in the 'eighth o' style, any'ow!

Related Characters: Smithers (speaker), Brutus Jones, Lem
Related Symbols: The Silver Bullet
Racism Theme Icon
Power and Systemic Oppression Theme Icon
Godliness, Humanity, and Fear Theme Icon
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:
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Lem Quotes in The Emperor Jones

The The Emperor Jones quotes below are all either spoken by Lem or refer to Lem. 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:
Racism Theme Icon
).
Scene 5 Quotes

Lawd, I done wrong! And down heah war dese fool bush niggers raises me up to the seat o' de mighty, I steals all I could grab. Lawd, I done wrong! I knows it! I'se sorry! Forgive me, Lawd! Forgive dis po' sinner!

Related Characters: Brutus Jones (speaker), Lem, Jeff, The Prison Guard
Godliness, Humanity, and Fear Theme Icon
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number: 43
Explanation and Analysis:
Scene 8 Quotes

Well, they did for yer right enough, Jonsey, me lad! Dead as a 'erring! Where's yer 'igh an' mighty airs now, yer bloomin' Majesty? Silver bullets! Gawd blimey, but yer died in the 'eighth o' style, any'ow!

Related Characters: Smithers (speaker), Brutus Jones, Lem
Related Symbols: The Silver Bullet
Racism Theme Icon
Power and Systemic Oppression Theme Icon
Godliness, Humanity, and Fear Theme Icon
Page Number: 58
Explanation and Analysis:
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