Intimate Apparel

“I reckon it is easier to haul silk than cotton, if you know what I mean.” 

Mrs. Dickson is describing a hierarchy of laborers, given the limited professional opportunities afforded to African Americans at the beginning of the 20th century. The work itself might be just as difficult, but there is prestige in being chosen to work for wealthier white people rather than poorer ones as well as a proximity to culture. Mrs. Dickson’s use of fabrics as a synecdoche for class and refinement connects to the repeated symbolism of fabric throughout the play.

“You can tell more about a man by where he shops, than his practiced conversation.” 

Mrs. Dickson is talking about Mr. Charles, but she is foreshadowing George. George arrives in a worn, poorly-fitted suit, an image that directly contradicts the poetry of his letters. The polished and practiced conversation in the letters turns out not to be his own, showing how easily attractive words can be manipulated to create a false impression.

“They say one day ships will pass from one ocean to the next. It is important work, we told. If importance be measured by how many men die, then this be real important work.” 

George is doing hard labor, digging the Panama Canal. On the most basic ground level, he is part of a massive feat of construction, engineering, and size. But the work was dangerous and there were enormous casualties.