The Black Prince by Shirley Ann Grau
"The Black Prince" by Shirley Ann Grau is a narrative steeped in fantasy that explores themes of legend, rebellion, and passion within a stark, fairy-tale-like setting. The story unfolds in a small, unnamed community characterized by its impoverished conditions and a magical atmosphere where wild elements exist, such as untamed cows. At the center of the tale is Stanley Albert Thompson, referred to as the Black Prince, who embodies a rebellious spirit and a mysterious charisma that captivates the local women while inciting fear among the men. His arrival disrupts the status quo, leading to violent confrontations and rekindling old feuds, all while he appears to wield supernatural powers, such as the ability to conjure endless silver coins.
The relationship between Stanley Albert and Alberta—whose name echoes his—serves as a focal point of the story, marked by obsessive love and jealousy amidst community turmoil. Their courtship is intertwined with elements of magic and desire, culminating in a tragic climax that leaves behind a legacy of misfortune and haunting memories. As the narrative concludes, Stanley Albert and Alberta transcend their earthly existence, becoming legendary figures whose influence continues to resonate in the community through whispers and tales of woe. This story encapsulates the essence of folklore, blending reality with myth to explore the human experience in a unique, evocative way.
On this Page
The Black Prince by Shirley Ann Grau
First published: 1953
Type of plot: Fantasy
Time of work: Probably the mid-twentieth century
Locale: The American South
Principal Characters:
Stanley Albert Thompson , the Black Prince of the story, a mysterious, folklorish hero with supernatural powersAlberta Lacey , a young black girl loved by StanleyMaggie Mary Evans , a young black girl who loves StanleyWillie , a black bar owner who loves Alberta and hates Stanley
The Story
The emotions are so simple, primitive, and stark in this story that one realizes immediately that this tale is Shirley Ann Grau's attempt to create a legendary fantasy. The opening situates the story not only in the poorest part of the smallest and worst county in the state but also in a fairy-tale realm where the cows are wild and unmilked and the winters are short and cold. The characters, drawn simply and directly, also suggest the two-dimensional personages of a folktale romance. Alberta first appears walking down a country road proclaiming her superiority to the birds, and Stanley Albert Thompson appears out of nowhere, calling to her like some rare bird himself, claiming that he came straight out of the morning and that he saw her name in the fire.
Stanley Albert is the central figure in the story; his designation as the Black Prince, coupled with the quotation from Isaiah at the beginning of the story—"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning"—suggests that he is the Prince of Darkness. He is not so much an embodiment of pure evil, however, as he is the personification of the rebel, the outcast, the mysterious, powerful figure who arrives out of nowhere. As soon as he arrives in the small community (which does not even have a name on the map), he establishes his superiority by winning fights at the central gathering place, Willie's Bar. In these fights, in which razors, bottles, and knives are used, Stanley Albert gets a reputation that earns for him the fear and hatred of the men and the admiration and love of the women.
Stanley Albert's supernatural aura is established by his inexhaustible supply of silver coins—coins that he can shuffle through the air the way that other men shuffle cards and that never seem to run out, although Stanley Albert apparently does no work to earn the money. Primarily what Stanley Albert does is stir things up. Because the men are afraid to fight him, they begin to fight one another and thus rekindle a feud that has lain dormant for several years. All this action as a result of Stanley Albert's arrival seems quite aimless, for the Black Prince has no ostensible purpose either in being in the small crossroads or in creating such turbulent activity. The only event toward which the story seems to aim is Stanley Albert's finally gaining the girl for whom he has been waiting nearly all winter—the girl he met in the beginning of the story, Alberta.
Stanley Albert's wooing of Alberta (whose similarity of name is surely not coincidental) primarily consists of singing songs to her in which he promises to give her an apron full of gold if she will only let her hair hang low. Indeed, although he does not give her gold, he manifests his supernatural power by picking off gobs of wax from the candles in his house and flipping them to Alberta, making them turn into silver coins as they flash through the air. Their courtship is marked by obsessive passion and fraught with tension as the feud rages about them and as Willie (who loves Alberta) and Maggie Mary (who loves Stanley Albert) are filled with jealousy.
The story reaches its supernaturally tinged climax when Willie uses several silver coins that he has received from Stanley Albert to make four silver bullets, with which he shoots the Black Prince. Stanley Albert and Alberta disappear, to become legendary figures who continue to haunt the area, becoming the cause of evil acts and general bad luck, such as Willie's death and weevils getting in the cotton. Children still hear the jingle of silver in Stanley Albert's pocket and the women whisper together about the legendary couple whenever there is a miscarriage or a stillbirth.