To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”
Save to my list
Remove from my list
In the book Celia, A Slave, Melton McLaurin describes a story taking place on June 23, 1865, the true story of a female slave who murdered her master and then disposed of him by burning his body. The shocking event took place in Calloway County, Missouri during a tumultuous period in antebellum America in which the neighboring territory of Kansas was in the midst of the debate over if it would become a slave state or a free state. Charles Sumner, author of The Crime of Kansas, suggested that white men utilized slavery as a facility to fuel their power and sexual urges (Sumner 265).
White Missourians in 1855 would likely view Celia’s tragic story in the light that Celia committed as an unforgivable act due to her murder of her master, but modern readers will view Celia’s tragic story as act of self-defense and would see George as a survivor of hate.
The local newspapers in late 1855 described Robert Newsom’s murder as a horrific crime by emphasizing “that [his] murder was committed ‘without any sufficient cause’” (McLaurin 46).
Verified writer
Proficient in: Free Essays
5 (204)
“ She followed all my directions. It was really easy to contact her and respond very fast as well. ”
Newsom is depicted as an innocent, old man who lives alone. Thus, making it seem to white Missourians that he was wrongfully and cruelly murdered by Celia. Newsom, a rich widower, who owned multiple slaves, including Celia and Celia’s lover George, was killed by Celia due to injustice done to her by Newsom. Newsom would go down to Celia’s room and force her to have sex with him without her consent. Newsom was a cruel, white man who did not care about the slaves he owned, so he mistreated them terribly.
However, in the late 1855s in Missouri, most families owned slaves and believed that they were the superior race. Keziah Goodwin Hopkins Brevard’s in her diary explained that blacks and whites cannot coexist with each other (Brevard 273). So, when Newsom was killed by a black woman, commotion commenced. White people were agitated and were in disbelief that a black woman could murder a superior white man. Because a slave had done injustice to the whites, they believed that she should receive the ultimate punishment, death.
The response of the white community of Missouri reveals the irony of the belief in slavery. Slave holders believed slavery was their right, and that it was not inhumane, yet in Celia's case and the exposure of Newsom's actions pushed them, to see its bad points. The jury failed to recognize Celia’s point of view predominately because most of the jury contained white Missourians who were pro-slavery. There was a law which stated that rape “when committed by any person… resisting any attempt to…commit any felony upon him and her” (McLaurin 91). The law stated that any person who committed this crime was to receive punishment, but since Celia was a black woman, she did not apply to this law.
Modern readers consider Celia’s story tragic in the aspect that she was not given justice. She was sentenced to be “hanged by the neck until dead” (McLaurin 103) which was wrong because she was trying to free herself from inhumane torture of rape through self-defense. Sexual abuse of a minor, which is called statutory rape, is to have sexual intercourse with someone under the age of 16 results in prison time or even the death sentence in certain states. Modern readers believe that rape is a brutal and wrong, which white Missourians neglected to see as immoral action. During the late 1800s people believed that only white men have rights, however in the present time all people of all races and genders have equal rights.
George, a slave under Newsom, who embarks on a romantic relationship with Celia, is seen as helpless due to his inability to stand up for Celia because he would be risking his own life as well. George and Celia were in love with each other, however because of Newsom and his abusive sexual relationship with Celia, George was powerless in the household and his affair with Celia was strained. George explicitly stated to Celia “to quit [having a sexual affair with] the old man” or she would lose George as a companion (McLaurin 30). Modern readers would see this as a tragedy due to the incapability of George acting against a white man. Although, George loved Celia very much he had no choice but to leave all the responsibilities on Celia herself, in fear for his own life. Newsom, Celia, and George all three had catastrophes in their lives, however the audience and the timeframe changes the viewpoints drastically. White Missourians would see only the crime against Newsom, however modern readers would see the murder of Newsom as justice for Celia and the killing of Celia as injustice.
Tragedy of Celia's Story. (2022, Jan 20). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/tragedy-of-celia-s-story-essay
👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!
Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.
get help with your assignment
