Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson
"Gem of the Ocean" is the ninth play in August Wilson's ten-play cycle that explores the African American experience throughout the twentieth century. Set in Pittsburgh's Hill District, the narrative centers around Aunt Ester Tyler, a symbol of resilience and history who is portrayed as 287 years old, having lived through significant periods of American history, including slavery and emancipation. The play delves into themes of freedom and justice as it features a diverse cast of characters, including Solly, a former slave who risked his life to help others escape via the Underground Railroad, and Citizen Barlow, a man grappling with the consequences of a crime that highlights the racial injustices of the legal system.
The story unfolds against a backdrop of discontent among black mill workers, culminating in dramatic actions driven by desperation and a quest for dignity. Through its haunting narrative, "Gem of the Ocean" sheds light on the moral complexities faced by African Americans in a society that often denies them equal opportunities. Wilson's work invites reflection on the broader implications of race, justice, and survival in America, making it a poignant piece in the tapestry of American theater.
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Gem of the Ocean by August Wilson
Excerpted from an article in Magill’s Survey of American Literature, Revised Edition
First produced: 2003 (first published, 2006)
Type of work: Play
The Work
This ninth play in August Wilson’s ten-play cycle examining African American life in the United States during the twentieth century had one of the shortest runs of any Wilson play. The play, which originally ran for over three hours, was reduced to a two-and-a-half hour production when it was brought to Broadway after its Los Angeles premiere.
Audiences are immediately forced to suspend their disbelief when they learn that the play’s protagonist, Aunt Ester Tyler, is 287 years old. She was born when the first slave ships left Africa for the New World, has survived more than two centuries of slavery, and now experiences a freedom legally granted by the Emancipation Proclamation but withheld by most of the dominant, white society.
The characters that Wilson creates in this play are arresting. Besides Aunt Ester, in whose house in Pittsburgh’s Hill District much of the play takes place, there is Solly, a slave who escaped to Canada but returned at his own peril to help slaves escape via the Underground Railroad. He points to sixty-two slaves whom he has helped to free in this way. Citizen Barlow is a troubled character who has committed a murder that was pinned on an innocent man, who drowns himself rather than face prosecution in white-dominated courts.
Much of the action of the play involves discontent among black mill workers. This unrest results in the torching of the mill by Solly and Citizen Barlow, who have to flee from Caesar, the constable out to find the perpetrators of the unrest and subsequent fire.
As in all the plays in this cycle, Gem of the Ocean exudes an irony that demonstrates how it is almost impossible for poor African Americans to lead ethical lives in a society that is unwilling to grant them equal opportunities. If black people commit crimes far in excess of those committed by white people, then it is largely because their backs are to the wall in an unjust society.
Bibliography
Bogumil, Mary L. Understanding August Wilson. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1999.
Booker, Margaret. Lillian Hellman and August Wilson: Dramatizing a New American Identity. New York: Peter Lang, 2003.
Clark, Keith. Black Manhood in James Baldwin, Ernest J. Gaines, and August Wilson. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2002.
Elam, Harry J., Jr. The Past as Present in the Drama of August Wilson. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2004
Elkins, Marilyn, ed. August Wilson: A Casebook. New York: Garland, 2000.
McDonough, Carla J. Staging Masculinity: Male Identity in Contemporary American Drama. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 1997.
Pereira, Kim. August Wilson and the African-American Odyssey. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1995.
Poinsett, Alex. “August Wilson.” Ebony, November, 1987, 68-71.
Wolfe, Peter. August Wilson. New York: Twayne, 1999.