"This is my family. Though far from home
We serve the Queen wherever we may roam
I am a father to the natives here,
And father to my family so dear."
In this boisterous song, Clive explains how his dominion feels to him. He considers himself a magnanimous leader, responsible for caring for the native Africans by extension of his British imperialism. The most important thing to him is that everyone remain under his grasp. His subject's loyalty to him is his measure of self worth.
"I live for Clive. The whole aim of my life
Is to be what he looks for in a wife.
I am a man's creation as you see
And what men want is what I want to be."
Sweet Betty has confused her role as wife with that of slave. She lacks her own identity, having long ago abandoned it in sacrifice to her husband's desires. What she doesn't understand is that she's sabotaging her relationship by abandoning her calling in life. Whatever she was supposed to accomplish for herself has been forfeited, and a marriage cannot be successful between a man and a cardboard cutout of a wife.
"I hate my tribe. My master is my light."
At the beginning of the play, Joshua expresses extreme loyalty to Clive. He's been adopted into this wealthy British household on the condition of his abnegating loyalty to his native tribe. As becomes obvious later in the play, forced loyalty is meaningless. Joshua is still an African who loves his people and his home and is proud of who he is. No amount of swearing the opposite can nor should erase his heritage.
"I used to think Clive was the one who liked sex. But then I found I missed it. I used to touch myself when I was very little, I thought I'd invented something wonderful."
Due to Clive's selfish and overbearing nature, Betty has never enjoyed sex. After she leaves him she realizes that it was just him she didn't like. She has a wonderful time in her own company because she is allowed to really embrace the pleasure.
