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Jones's Uniform
The silver bullet represents Jones's tenuous hold on power. Jones clings to his one silver bullet the same way he clings to his emperorship, and refuses to let either of them go. When he finally does shoot the crocodile god with his final silver bullet, it symbolizes Jones's final step in his return to being a man. Further, the fear involved in Jones's decision to use the silver bullet makes it abundantly clear that Jones has truly returned to being human, and that with the acceptance of fear, Jones also rejects his godliness.
The Silver Bullet Quotes in The Emperor Jones
The The Emperor Jones quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Silver Bullet. 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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Scene 6 Quotes
Oh, Lawd, what I gwine do now? Ain't got no bullet left on'y de silver one. If mo' o' dem ha'nts come after me, how I gwine skeer dem away? Oh, Lawd, on'y de silver one left—an' I gotta save dat fo' luck. If I shoots dat one I'm a goner sho'!
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As Jones crawls into the "clearing" that becomes the ghostly slave ship, he laments that he's out of options and has only his silver bullet left to protect him. Interestingly, Jones seems fully aware that his silver bullet is the final thing connecting him to his godliness and sense of security. By this point in the play, Jones is far away from his palace, and his uniform is little more than a loincloth. Both of those symbols of power, then, are absent, leaving Jones with nothing but his very human body. When Jones recognizes that shooting his silver bullet will 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 v
Scene 7 Quotes
What—what is I doin'? What is—dis place? Seems like—seems like I know dat tree—an' dem stones—an' de river. I remember—seems like I been heah befo'.
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Jones wanders into the final clearing by the river, where there's a rocky altar set up, and feels as though he recognizes the place. Taking this scene as a whole, Jones's feeling of familiarity suggests that this kind of instinctive memory and familiarity is something inherent to individuals who are descended from slaves (at least in O’Neill’s view). In turn, this implies that the entire legacy of slavery, from people's origins in Africa to the subjugation African Americans experience in the US in the early 20th century, is part of a person like Jones's experience that he cannot separate himself 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. Commod
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!
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After Lem's soldiers bring Jones's dead body out of the woods, Smithers insults Jones's body and his superiority complex in life. Smithers, as the figure in charge of interpreting the first and last scenes for the reader or viewer, makes it clear to the audience that Jones was misguided from the start—as a black man, Jones never had any right to hold the kind of power he did on the island (per Smithers' racist logic). Further, Smithers was aware that Jones could be killed with lead bullets like any other man, which makes Smithers the only character who was aware 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 volu
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The Silver Bullet Symbol Timeline in The Emperor Jones
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Silver Bullet appears in The Emperor Jones. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Scene 1
...that Smithers thinks this was all luck, but Smithers insists that the trick with the silver bullet is absolutely luck. Jones laughs and agrees, but explains that he made that luck by...
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...which isn't luck. Smithers points out that the natives will never be able to obtain silver bullet s, and it was only luck that the native's gun malfunctioned. Laughing, Jones says that...
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...the subject. He asks Jones if the rumors are true that he actually had a silver bullet made, and Jones explains that he did. Jones says that he told the natives that...
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Astonished, Smithers asks again if Jones actually had a silver bullet made. Jones pulls out his revolver, unloads it, and pulls out five lead bullets and...
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...ignores this and suggests that it might be time for Jones to resign and use his silver bullet .
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...he has five lead bullets to shoot the natives, and then he'll shoot himself with his silver bullet . Smithers jeers that Jones will die in style, and Jones says that he'll play...
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...the Church will protect Jones. He reminds Smithers again that he also has his lucky silver bullet .
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Scene 6
...can barely filter through. Jones asks God what he'll do now, since he only has his silver bullet left, and he needs to save that for luck. He remarks that it's very dark,...
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Scene 7
...hear his prayers. As he cries out, Jones reaches for his gun. He shouts that his silver bullet will keep the crocodile from getting him, and he shoots the crocodile between the eyes....
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Scene 8
...Smithers asks how Lem knows that Jones is dead. Lem explains that his men have silver bullet s, and when Smithers looks astonished, Lem elaborates that since lead bullets couldn't kill Jones,...
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...his "airs" are now. Smithers smiles and remarks that Jones did die in style, with silver bullet s and all. Lem motions for the soldiers to carry Jones away, and Smithers turns...
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