The Emperor Jones

Scene 3 opens in a darkened forest clearing where “nothing can be distinctly made out” (172). The relentless drumbeat has intensified, now beating louder and faster. A clicking sound accompanies the tom-tom every few seconds. In the background, a middle-aged man sits, mechanically rolling dice on the ground.

Jones reflects on the length of his journey as he stops to catch his breath. Growing increasingly anxious due to the approaching islanders, he readies himself to keep moving. However, Jones notices the mysterious clicking sound and rushes into the clearing, afraid of encountering another vision.

Jones sees Jeff, the man sitting in the clearing, and recognizes him from their time working as Pullman porters. He calls out to the man with a mixture of relief and incredulity. However, terror creeps in as he remembers killing Jeff after he cheated on a dice game. Jones now questions whether Jeff is a supernatural entity and, overwhelmed by fear and rage, fires his revolver at him. Jeff vanishes, and Jones, still shaken, compels himself to keep moving.

In Scene 4, Jones stumbles upon a wide dirt road in the forest, his exhaustion evident as he looks around in surprise.