Act 1, Scene 3 Summary

As dinner preparations get underway in the kitchen, Minnie and Frank settle in the guest bedroom. Minnie is careful to avoid Frank's attentions and re-positions her hat lower on her face so that the others will not see the big bruise above her eye. Minnie's attempt at concealment is short lived, however, as the women soon ask Minnie to get comfortable and remove her hat. None of the others believe Minnie's story about tripping in the train car and injuring her eye, yet they cannot pursue any questions at that time, since Frank appears for dinner.

At dinner, Frank steers the conversation to life in London and his life as a black writer. Particularly pleased to be free of oppression, Frank is quite happy to live where few other blacks do. Minnie, on the other hand misses the ethnic and cultural...