Previous Next

That's when I discovered the power of death. See, a n***** that ain't afraid to die is the worse kind of n***** for the whiteman. He can't hold that power over you. That's what I learned when I killed the cat. I got the power of death too. I can command him. I can call him up. The white man don't like to see that. He don't like for you to stand up and look him square in the eye and say, "I got it too." Then he got to deal with you square up.

The young Boy Willie discovers the "power of death" when he finds himself unable to resurrect his dog through prayer and, as a result, goes out and kills a cat. This power is not only the capacity to kill. It also requires the risk of one's life. Willie believes that this power—again, the power to risk one's life and kill another—is the only one left to a Black man denied property to build something for himself. More importantly, it makes the Black man the white man's rival. As Willie declares: "See, a n***** that ain't afraid to die is the worse kind of n***** for the white man." With the power of death, he can look the white man "square in the eye and say, 'I got it too.' Then [the white man] got to deal with you square up." As he notes later, Willie is all too aware of the fear the sound of a "n*****'s heart beating" can inspire. By discovering the power of death, Willie undermines the master/slave distinction that haunts the difference between white and Black, a distinction in large part founded on the master's capacity to kill his servant. The power of death makes both players masters engaged in a struggle to the death, masters who are willing to murder and die in a battle for recognition.

Previous section Important Quotes Explained Page 1 Next section Important Quotes Explained Page 3

Popular pages: The Piano Lesson

Take a Study Break