Plot Summary

Act I

Scene 1

• The play opens at a mission in a rural African village.
• Dr. Marta Gotterling and Major Rice discuss the rising tensions between the native population and the colonial government.
• Madame Neilsen, an elderly missionary, expresses her concern for the villagers.

Scene 2

• Tshembe Matoseh returns from Europe for his father's funeral.
• He is reunited with his brothers, Abioseh and Eric.
• Abioseh, now a Catholic priest, and Eric, the product of a rape by a white colonist, represent different aspects of the African response to colonialism.

Scene 3

• Charlie Morris, an American journalist, arrives to cover the unrest.
• Tshembe expresses his disillusionment with both European and African responses to colonialism.
• Tshembe's old love interest, an African woman named Ngago, urges him to stay and fight for their people's freedom.

Act II

Scene 1

• The tension escalates as native insurgents begin to attack colonial outposts.
• Major Rice demands that the mission align with the colonial government's efforts to suppress the rebellion.
• Tshembe is torn between his desire for peace and the call to join the fight for independence.

Scene 2

• Tshembe and Charlie Morris engage in a heated debate about colonialism and race relations.
• Charlie struggles to understand the complexities of African identity and the depth of the colonists' oppression.

Scene 3

• Abioseh reveals his intention to side with the colonial government, causing a rift between the brothers.
• Tshembe learns of the brutal actions of the colonial forces and begins to lean towards joining the revolution.

Act III

Scene 1

• The village is on high alert as news of an imminent attack by insurgents spreads.
• Madame Neilsen and Dr. Gotterling argue over the mission's role and responsibility in the conflict.

Scene 2

• Tshembe confronts his inner turmoil and decides to stay and fight for his people.
• Eric, feeling rejected and tormented by his mixed heritage, faces his struggle for identity.

Scene 3

• The insurgents launched an attack on the mission.
• In the chaos, Tshembe kills Major Rice, symbolizing his full commitment to the revolutionary cause.
• The play ends with Tshembe standing over the body, signifying the inevitable and violent clash between the colonized and the colonizers