Cloud 9 Act 1, Scene 3 Summary

  • We see Betty, Maud, and Mrs. Saunders sitting in a room with Victoria (who's played by a doll, remember). The blinds are down, and something seems to be happening.
  • We quickly find out that the men are "flogging" or whipping the African people who work in the family stables (the ones that Joshua ratted out). The women talk about who actually does the whipping, and none of them seem to know.
  • Mrs. Saunders expresses some reservations about the whipping, and Maud tells her not to question the men of the family. She says that Harry wanted the African people to be sent away instead of whipped. Betty agrees that this might have been best, but Maud strongly disagrees. She says that the African people would just make more trouble if they were sent away without brutal punishment.
  • Maud reminds them that the men never tell them about what's actually going on with the local tribes, so they as women have no right to make any judgments about anything.
  • Mrs. Saunders says there's no real answer to the question of the local villagers other than for the English to pull up stakes. As far as she's concerned, colonialism is a failed project and the English need to all leave Africa ASAP.
  • Edward comes in because he didn't want to see the people getting whipped. Mrs. Saunders says she can't stand waiting anymore and goes outside to have a look at what's going on. Maud takes the opportunity to remind Betty that this is why Mrs. Saunders is single.
  • Meanwhile, Edward has started playing with Victoria's doll again. Betty scolds him and tells him to put the doll down. She tells him to never ever let other boys know that he likes to play with dolls because he'll be an outcast. Edward says he hates his father and Betty calls him wicked for saying so.
  • Joshua comes in with Mrs. Saunders and she asks him if he doesn't mind beating his own people (i.e. the villagers). Joshua denies that they are his people and says that they got what they deserved.
  • Clive walks in and Edward runs up to him to tell him about playing with the doll. Clive says it's very manly of him to own up to what he's done and that there will be no more talk of dolls.
  • Clive decides that from now on, Edward will spend much less time around women and more time around men (like that'll help).
  • Clive tells Betty that he sometimes feels like the "natives" are the enemy, even though he knows it's his responsibility to "civilize " them and turn them into proper British subjects like Joshua. But for some reason, these people just can't get used to the feeling of being ruled by foreign invaders (again, go figure).
  • Betty tells him she has faith in him, but then Clive tells her that he basically knows about her and Harry.
  • Betty totally caves and begs for forgiveness. She says that Harry has rejected her and that she only loved him because she was bored and restless.
  • Clive makes a nice little speech about how women are treacherous and evil. But oh well, that's why it's a man's job to keep them in line (according to Clive). He says that everyone in England would applaud him if he shot Betty. But he won't because he's a generous guy. In the end, he forgives her, but promises that he'll never feel the same way about her he once did.
  • When they leave, Edward sneaks back into the room and grabs Vicky's doll. Joshua pops in and calls him a sissy girl.
  • Then Betty comes back in and apologizes to Edward for hitting him. She asks Joshua to fetch her some blue thread, but Joshua just tells her to do it herself. Edward stands up for his mother and tells Joshua to fall in line, but Joshua just laughs at the idea of Edward trying to act like a little man.
  • Eventually Joshua follows orders from Edward, and Betty tries to hug her son for acting so manly. Edward just moves away and tells her not to touch him.
  • The scene ends with everyone gathering onstage and singing a song about how a boy's best friend is his mother. Uh sure, okay.