Delilah Johnson in Imitation of Life

E792207
fictional character film character

Delilah Johnson in *Imitation of Life* is a Black housekeeper and devoted mother whose business partnership and complex relationship with her light-skinned, passing daughter explore themes of race, identity, and sacrifice in 1930s America.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Delilah Johnson 0

Statements (39)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character ⓘ
film character ⓘ
appearsIn Imitation of Life (1934 film) NERFINISHED ⓘ
appearsInGenre drama film ⓘ
associatedWithTrope mammy stereotype in American film ⓘ
basedOn character archetypes of the mammy stereotype ⓘ
businessPartner Bea Pullman NERFINISHED ⓘ
businessType pancake flour business ⓘ
characterTrait devoted mother ⓘ
loyal ⓘ
religious ⓘ
self-sacrificing ⓘ
closeTo Bea Pullman NERFINISHED ⓘ
coFoundsBusinessWith Bea Pullman NERFINISHED ⓘ
countryOfCitizenship United States of America ⓘ
surface form: United States
createdFor Universal Pictures NERFINISHED ⓘ
daughter Peola Johnson NERFINISHED ⓘ
ethnicity Black ⓘ
filmGenreContext melodrama ⓘ
filmReleaseYear 1934 ⓘ
firstAppearance Imitation of Life (1934 film) NERFINISHED ⓘ
gender female ⓘ
hasChild Peola Johnson NERFINISHED ⓘ
hasThemeConnectionWith Peola Johnson NERFINISHED ⓘ
languageSpoken English ⓘ
medium black-and-white film ⓘ
narrativeConflictWith Peola Johnson NERFINISHED ⓘ
narrativeFocus class and race in 1930s America ⓘ
motherhood ⓘ
passing ⓘ
racial identity ⓘ
sacrifice ⓘ
occupation housekeeper ⓘ
portrayedBy Louise Beavers NERFINISHED ⓘ
race African American ⓘ
represents Black maternal sacrifice in Hollywood cinema ⓘ
settingPeriod 1930s America ⓘ
symbolizes constraints on Black women in early 20th-century America ⓘ
worksFor Bea Pullman NERFINISHED ⓘ

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Louise Beavers → portrayedRole → Delilah Johnson in Imitation of Life ⓘ