Act 2, Scene 5, Part 1 Summary

Doaker sits at the table playing solitaire and listening to Boy Willie finish telling Maretha the story about how the Ghosts of the Yellow Dog push people into their wells. As he screws casters onto a plank of wood, Boy Willie explains that the real name of the Yellow Dog railway was the Yazoo Delta Railway. It got its nickname because of the yellow boxcars the rail line used, and also because the wind along the rail line sounded like the howl of a dog. Berniece comes in and tells Maretha to go upstairs and get ready to have her hair done, reminding Boy Willie that she told him to get out of her house. When he sees that Maretha is frightened of going upstairs Boy Willie goes up with her.

Berniece asks Doaker why Boy Willie is still...