Celia, a Slave review PDF

Preview

Summary

Book review on the book, Celia, a Slave...

Description

Devin Copperthwaite

AMH 2010

Celia, a Slave Book Review Celia, a Slave was based around the 1850’s and published in the year 1991. The book was based around the actions that took place at the slave estate owned by Robert Newsom. Melton A. McLaurin was the author of this book as well as many more; all the books written by Melton was based on his education. He received his Ph.D. in American History at the University of South Carolina and later became a professor at the University of South Alabama teaching history. After teaching at the university, he became a chairperson for the UNCW department of history from 1977 until he retired in 2004. He is the author of nine books and other articles relating to the history of the American South and race relations. (Melton, Goodreads 2019) For this reason, Melton is believed to be a reliable source in the writing of Celia, a Slave. The book is chronologically ordered based on the events presented in Celia’s time at the slave estate; it is a detailed account of the life of Celia who was a slave and bought by Robert Newsom at the age of 14. This is significant because just before he purchased Celia, his wife had passed away and he had never bought a female slave before this. The same night that Robert buys Celia, he rapes her. This continues for years because she is young and cannot defend against the force a grown man. However, later in the time she had at the estate, she began having a relationship with one of the other slaves on the estate named George. When George finds out that she is having affairs with Robert, he tells her to make a choice between him or her owner. In this time, she finds out that she is pregnant and doesn’t know what to do. Celia not wanting the relationship with Robert in the first place chooses George and tries to stop the “affairs.” She does this by telling Robert’s to daughters that she has been feeling sick because of the pregnancy and does not want Robert to intrude and try making advances on her sexually. Being a slave, she did not get the reaction that she wanted, later that night, Robert left his house and went to Celia’s

Devin Copperthwaite

AMH 2010

cabin to do what he has done for the past years. Celia warns him to stay back, but when he advances she hits him with a big stick causing him to fall to the ground. When he gets back up, he advances towards her again and she swings the stick one last time, which kills him. In doing this, she is frightened and does not know what to do, so she burns the body over night until there are just ashes left. Eventually after being questioned by Roberts neighbors and family, she is found to have killed him and disposed of the body. She has her trial for the murder of Robert Newsom and has been given a man named John Jameson that is to defend her in the trial. He has a good reputation in the community and builds the case for Celia based on the argument that her as a person has the right to defend against rape. However, at this time, she was purchased and still considered property instead of having human rights. This is proven in one of the quotes presented in the book, “as her master he considered sexual relations with her his privilege,” (McLaurin 28-9) this shows the amount of choice that the slaves had once they were purchased and considered property to the owner. Later in the trial, regardless of the strong argument that was made in the court of law, she was presented as guilty and later to be hung for her actions. The defense of the trial was presented based on law that should have been enough to provoke her death sentence as a human. McLaurin gives the attorney, Jameson, a quote that shows his personality and explains why he is considered such a well-known attorney. “Whatever his motives, his performance revealed that, in this case at least, Jameson believed even a slave accused of her master’s murder deserved the best possible defense.” (McLaurin, 87) This quote within the book is made important because it shows that regardless of the time that the trial was held, she was given a partially fair court case that would decide her future. However, the rest of the court that was to make the decision, ultimately finding her guilty which would lead to her death. However, this was not the end of the trial. This court case where a slave was heard spread

Devin Copperthwaite

AMH 2010

throughout the other estates so that the other slaves heard. This was a turning point in the slave’s revolution because it was giving more rights than previously. Her death may have a relation with the timing of the civil war that broke out only a few years after Celia’s death. This book was made to inform readers of the life of Celia and her struggles being a slave, however, those struggles that she was apart of, could have led to a bigger picture that helped in the formation of the civil war that lead to human rights that the slaves had never had before.

Devin Copperthwaite

AMH 2010

Works Cited "Melton A. McLaurin (Author of Celia, A Slave)." Goodreads. Accessed March 26, 2019. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/103958.Melton_A_McLaurin.

"Celia, a Slave : McLaurin, Melton Alonza : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming." Internet Archive. January 01, 1991. Accessed March 26, 2019. https://archive.org/details/celiaslave00mcla/page/n11.

LitCharts. "Celia, a Slave Summary." LitCharts. Accessed March 26, 2019. https://www.litcharts.com/lit/celia-a-slave/summary....