45 pages • 1 hour read
Branden Jacobs-JenkinsAn Octoroon
Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 2015A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins is a metatheatrical adaptation of Dion Boucicault's 1859 melodrama. It follows BJJ, a Black playwright, who, while dealing with depression, decides to re-stage the original play about George Peyton, who inherits a debt-ridden Louisiana plantation, and his love for Zoe, a technically enslaved, white-passing woman. The play critiques historical and contemporary representations of Blackness in American theater. Depictions of systemic racism, slavery, and violence may be distressing for some readers.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins masterfully reinvents a 19th-century melodrama, blending sharp humor with potent social commentary. Critics praise its bold examination of race and identity, though some find its avant-garde approach disjointed. The play’s inventive staging and provocative themes both challenge and engage audiences, making it a notable contemporary work.
Who Should Read An Octoroon?
Readers who enjoy complex narratives that tackle race, identity, and American history in a provocative and satirical manner would find An Octoroon by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins compelling. Fans of works like The Sellout by Paul Beatty and White Teeth by Zadie Smith can appreciate its bold reimagining of a 19th-century melodrama.