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Who is the antagonist of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson? Who is the protagonist? What is the dramatic conflict?

The protagonist in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom is Ma Rainey herself. The musicians wait around until Ma Rainey, an African-American singer who is regarded as the "mother of the blues," arrives at their studio in the South Side of Chicago in the 1920s. The musicians--Levee, Toledo, Slow Drag, and Cutler-- wait and discuss their frustrations dealing with a society that is filled with racial prejudice.


The antagonist is Levee, a trumpet player, who places hope in the idea that his music will help him gain respect from the white world that controls the music industry. Ma Rainey, for her part, knows that her power only comes from her ability to make money for her white managers. As a result, she is demanding, requesting respect until her days making music are over. The dramatic conflict is that Levee wants the producers to make his record, but he is crushed when the white producer, Sturdyvant, refuses and when Ma Rainey fires him. When Toledo mistakenly steps on Levee's shoes, Levee stabs him. Toledo is a supporter of the self-determination of African-Americans, so his stabbing is symbolic of Levee's rejection of this idea in favor of winning (and failing to win) respect from white people. 

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