Roth Edmonds

Roth Edmonds is the vitriolic and exasperated landlord of the Negro sharecroppers on his family's plantation. He has known his tenants, especially Lucas, for years, and he expects them to conform to his ideas about what to do and how to do it. These ideas stem directly from his racial views: "I wish somebody would come into this country with a seed that had to be worked every day, from New Year's right on through Christmas. As soon as you niggers are laid by, trouble starts" (231). 'Laid by' means 'having planted the cotton' - and 'trouble' means whatever goes contrary to Roth's desires.