Dream on Monkey Mountain by Derek Walcott

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(Literature of Developing Nations for Students)

Dream on Monkey Mountain opens in a small jail on an unnamed West Indian island. Corporal Lestrade, a mulatto official, brings in Makak, an older black man. Makak has just been arrested for being drunk and smashing a local café while claiming he was the King of Africa. Two other black prisoners already in cells, Tigre and Souris, try to undermine the corporal as he does his duty. The corporal grows frustrated and compares them to animals.

The corporal asks Makak for basic information, but the prisoner only wants to go home. Makak does reveal that he lives on Monkey Mountain and that he is ‘‘Catholique,’’ though he does not remember his real name. Next is a trial, where Tigre and Souris don judge's robes and the corporal defends Makak. The corporal presents the facts of the case to the judges. He reveals that Makak claims to have had a dream in which he was told he was a descendant of African kings. Makak was inciting people when he was arrested. Makak asks to be released because he is old. After telling them he has not looked at his reflection for thirty years, Makak relates a dream in which a white woman came to him. He claims to see her at that moment in the prison, but no one else does. Makak believes she gives him strength.

Scene One
The play shifts back to the time before Makak was arrested, though it is part of his dream. In Makak's hut on Monkey Mountain, he lies on the floor. He is found by his business partner and friend, Moustique, a small black man with a deformed foot. Moustique rouses him so they can go to the market and sell their coal. Makak does not want to go. He relates the experience he had the night before. A white woman appeared to him, singing. She knew all about him and wanted to come home with him. When they returned to his hut, she told Makak that he should not live there anymore, believing he was ugly, because he comes from a royal lineage.

Moustique grows frustrated by Makak's insistence that his experience was real. He asks where the woman is now, but Makak does not know. After Makak leaves to get the coal so they can go to the market, Moustique is shaken when he unexpectedly encounters a mother spider with an egg sack. He kills it, but both men believe this is a sign of Moustique's impending death. Moustique finds a white mask under a bench. Makak says that he has not seen it before. He orders Moustique to ready things for their journey to Africa. Moustique is now convinced Makak is crazy, but follows him down the mountain.

Scene Two
Moustique comes upon the family of a sick man. Sisters pray around him hoping to make him well. Moustique joins them in prayers, while asking them for bread. He learns that the sick man has a fever and his body will not break into a sweat. The sick man is basically given up for dead, and Basil, a local coffinmaker, lurks nearby. Moustique convinces them to let Makak help the sick man in exchange for bread.

Makak has everyone kneel around the sick one. He has a woman place a hot coal in his hand. As it sizzles, Makak prays over him. Nothing happens at first, which Moustique and Makak blame on those around the sick man. Still, the sick man's wife gives them food for their effort. Just as they are about to leave, the sick man begins to sweat and heal. After collecting gifts from those present, Moustique teases Basil and obtains his coat and hat. When Moustique and Makak finally depart, Moustique wants to exploit Makak's gift for healing for profit. Makak will only take as much as they need.

Scene Three
At a public market, people talk about Makak's healing miracles. In the meantime, the corporal and the market inspector discuss how they will keep order when Makak makes his rumored appearance. A man claiming he is Makak appears; it is, however, Moustique. Moustique plays to the crowd, asking for cash for his trip to Africa while promising to help them cure themselves. When a spider falls on his hand, he becomes upset. It is removed by Basil, who recognizes that he is...

(The entire section is 1,340 words.)