Point of View

As plays without narrators, both The Trial of Brother Jero and The Strong Breed are able to show the action from a variety of characters’ perspectives. However, certain characters have more dominant points of view than others. For instance, in Brother Jero, the eponymous “Jero” gives the vast majority of the play’s monologues. Monologues have a unique ability to bring viewers into the mind of a particular character, and to show that character’s perspectives on the events unfolding in the play. From Brother Jero’s monologues, the viewer sees his thought process in work, which reveals his character, his past, and his ambitious schemes for the future.

In The Trial of Brother Jero, Chume is the only other character to give an extended monologue. However, his monologue is delivered in pidgin English and is shorter than Brother Jero’s speeches. As such, Chume...