To Cuba and Back · Character

Coolies

Chinese indentured laborers whose contracted presence on Cuban plantations reveals a labor system stretching far beyond African slavery.

supporting

Also known as the Coolies, The Coolies, their

First appearance: iii

As a supporting figure in To Cuba and Back, Coolies is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The narrator notes the presence of Coolies in Cuba, their importation, and their appearance in the streets and as cooks at the hotel.

In the storyVIIOpen this moment free

See Coolies in VII Book page

Free preview opens at this moment — character cards, Character Web, and themes sit beside the text as you read.

They appear in the narrator's plantation statistics alongside hundreds of enslaved people, a second stream of bound workers feeding the sugar economy. Their arrival signals that Cuban planters were already diversifying…

Continue beside the text

The fuller portrait of Coolies sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Coolies in iii

Character Web

8 connections

A slice of how Coolies sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Social
Professional
Other

Character groups

Social and Religious Groups
Protagonist
Individual Characters and References

+3 more in the full Character Web

Open in reader

Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Aftermath
Closing

The narrative climax occurs in the juxtaposition of the trivial, universal Cuban habit of smoking—where a dyin…

Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.

Follow the arc while reading

Relationships

Unknown Narrator
social · ambivalent
The narrator observes and interacts with the coolies as part of his travel experience,… How this plays out →
The Master
professional · negative
The Coolie
social · ambivalent
The Jesuits
social · ambivalent

Unknown Narrator
The narrator observes and interacts with the coolies as part of his travel experience, noting their conditions and treatment.
The Master
The Master oversees the coolies as laborers on the ship, maintaining authority and control over them.
The Coolie
The Coolie is an individual representative of the coolie group, with whom the narrator has more direct interaction.
The Jesuits
Coolies and Jesuits have limited interaction, likely in contexts of religious outreach or labor oversight.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

See Coolies in iii

In the story

Coolies appears across 13 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

VII
The narrator notes the presence of Coolies in Cuba, their importation, and their appearance in the streets and as cooks at the hotel.
IX
Mentioned as a file of Coolies in Chinese costume marching under overseers, seen by the narrator on his morning walk.
X
Seen carrying stones under a taskmaster; described as thin and frail, with details about their import and labor conditions.
XI
Coolies work as brakemen on the train and are seen chewing sugarcane at a station.
First Day on a Sugar Estate
Mentioned indirectly as part of the labor force; the chapter focuses on enslaved Negroes and the engineer.
XIII
Mentioned indirectly as part of the labor force; the narrator notes the routine of the 'people' (la gente) on the plantation.
XIV
Mentioned implicitly as part of the labor force; the text refers to Negroes and the 'great crew of Negroes'.
XVI
Mentioned as part of the labor force on a sugar plantation, alongside slaves.
Habits of the Cubans, Visit to the Bishop, and the Coolie Mart
Imported Chinese laborers kept in a market, described as having shaved heads, Chinese garments, and subject to contracts for eight years of service.
XXII
Observed working in a nail factory in Regla.
XXIII
Not explicitly mentioned in this chapter, but the context of labor includes discussion of Negro labor and importation.
Slavery
Discussed as imported laborers from China, bound by contracts for eight years, kept under strict confinement and forced labor, with uncertain tenure and no family or religious support.
Material Resources—Education
Mentioned as part of Cuba's complex social and labor composition, contributing to internal difficulties.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Coolies unlock in the free preview.

See Coolies in iii

See Coolies in VII