Throughout the play, I was really drawn to the relationships that were shown. The main couple of the story, Dr. Gaines and Mrs. Gaines was one that little by little, it was easy to distinguish the disastrous relationship they truly had and not a marriage to admire.
Dr. Gaines & Mrs. Gaines: The white slaveholders and owners of the farm at Muddy Creek, Missouri. I was able to tell that with this relationship, there was no love- at all. In fact, throughout the entire play Dr. Gaines is shown to be a an unfaithful coward. He attempts to make Melinda (mulatto character) his mistress, as he's succeeded in doing with others. At the beginning of the play, Hannah (one of the slaves) states, "we mistresses do have a hard time in this world; I don't see see why the Lord should have imposed such heavy duties on us poor mortals...I long to leave this wicked world and go home to glory" (7, Brown).
Other than Dr. Gaines being unfaithful, one can tell that his relationship with Mrs. Gaines is not a happy one. Mrs. Gaines is more concerned about the materialistic things that Dr. Gaines will provide her with. In one particular part of the story, he asks her to call him Colonel instead of Doctor. "Call me Colonel, and I'll give you any thing you wish for", Dr. Gaines says, and she replies, " Well, as I want a new gold watch and bracelets, I'll commence now" (21, Brown). Although enslaved marriages were denied, the marriages of the free whites was clearly not the best either.
They're constantly fighting, and disagreeing on everything. Especially, when Mrs. Gaines starts getting the hint that Dr. Gaines is in love with Melinda and wants to sell her, while Mr. Gaines obviously does not. At one point, Dr. Gaines is talking to himself and he says, "That woman is the pest of my life, if there is any place in heaven for her, I'd be glad if the Lord would take her" (32, Brown). But then right after, he contradicts everything he says, and tells her, "I don't know what I should do if the Lord should take you home to heaven" (32, Brown). Dr. Gaines at times is very naive, and thinks that Mrs. Gaines is oblivious towards his
thoughts of her but she is no fool. "You know very well if the Lord should call me home to glory tonight, you'd jump for joy", she says (33, Brown). What is even more surprising is, Dr. Gaines's reactions. He is so emotion-less, and does not seem concerned that his wife is freaking out. "Come, my dear, don't make a fool of yourself. Come, let's go to supper". I was shocked, and could not believe how calm and not understanding he was. It was truly unbelievable the marriage that they have in this story. And then it is revealed that Mrs. Gaines never really wanted to marry Dr. Gaines deep down in her heart. She could of chosen another man, who actually loved her, and she realizes that she made a mistake.
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