Sunset Limited Playing the Dozens Summary

  • Black asks White why the Bible talks more about the wrong way than the right way. White has to think about this and eventually says, "the dialectic of the homily presupposes a ground of evil."
  • Black reacts to this with amusement before asking what it means. White explains that since there's only supposed to be one true path, but tons of wrong ones, the Bible focuses on cautioning or condemning these missteps.
  • Black is amused, joking that White could go on television—White thinks he's making fun of him, but Black says he isn't.
  • White asks Black why Black keeps calling him "honey." Black says it's a Southern expression meaning you're among friends and should relax and stop worrying.
  • White wants to know about more of Black's heresies, but Black refuses to tell him, implying White just wants something negative to latch onto and shore up his unbelief.
  • White says he needs to go, yet again, but Black points out that White wants to go whenever "the dozens" gets intense.
  • He then has to explain that the dozens is a kind of contest from the African-American community where two guys insult each other and the first one to get mad loses.
  • White says he doesn't understand, and Black claims this is because he's white.
  • In Black's view, White could only win at the dozens—even if they're just talking and not really playing the game—and leave Black's apartment if he didn't want to leave anymore (i.e. didn't want to kill himself).