Act 1, Scene 2 Summary

Sophie and Fannie await the arrival of the train carrying Minnie and her new husband Frank. It has been almost two years since they have all been together and the excitement is running high. Minnie is overjoyed to see her family, but Frank remains coolly distant and conducts himself in a condescending manner toward the others; it is evident that a stay in Nicodemus, Kansas, is not his preference. Frank and Minnie have lived in London since their marriage and are used to a more privileged, cosmopolitan lifestyle; in England, they mingle with white people, and Frank sees this prairie visit as degrading.

Act 1, Scene 2 Analysis

As striking a concept as the town of Nicodemus may be in 1898 America, the author illustrates through Frank's character that there are places in the world where Jim Crow laws do not apply and black...