Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in celia, a slave, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Celia, women, and slaves, are just side notes in this book. This study guide consists of approximately 39 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of slave ship. For female slaves, rape was an ever present threat and, far too often, a. Mclaurin, the accounts of one womans life are bound together in a vivid way to relay the circumstances surrounding a female slaves cruel life. Illuminating the moral dilemmas that lie at the heart of a slaveholding society, this book tells the story of a young slave who was. Enhanced by its sensitivity and brevity, this book is a provocative starting point for discussion of its many ethical, legal, historical, and social issues. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. No documentation of her birth date, birthplace, or parentage exists. The slave book by rayda jacobs makes a timely reappearance nb. Nicholas mcgee w1073395 history 320 fall 2012 how history exposes the system a significant portion of africanamerican history in the western new age democracy of the americas over the past four hundred years is a reminiscence of stories from the years when africanamericans were used as. Flores, kimberly history 1218 11292017 celia, a slave in the book titled celia, a slave, written by melton a. In response to celias upcoming execution, jameson and his two aides draft a remarkable letter to abiel leonard, a circuit court attorney, in which they express their personal feelings on the case.
It immediately makes him a likeable man, one deserving of respect for his desire to present his story in a straightforward manner and to give credit to. Jacobs, who lives in cape town, has won a number of major book awards, including the sunday times and herman charles bosman prizes for fiction. Learn celia a slave with free interactive flashcards. Linder 2011 for nineteenyearold celia, a slave on a missouri farm, five years of being repeatedly raped by her middleaged owner was enough. Many may get techical but black peoplewho were in this country in those dayswere african americans but unfortunatelythe term slave or black slave was. The book is about white dudes, how much property they had, what kind of dck measuring politics they were engaging in, who were their white dude fathers, etc. Among the moments of incredible violence that sometimes leave her in the hospital, nazer also makes the reader laugh with her discovery of certain commodities like running water.
Shortly after returning with celia to his farm, newsom raped her. A note on slavery book summaries, test preparation. On the night of june 23, 1855, she would later tell a reporter, the devil got into me and celia fatally clubbed her master as he approached. Mclaurin focuses sharply on the role of gender, exploring the degree to which female slaves were sexually exploited, the conditions that often prevented white women from stopping such abuse, and the.
Celia, a slave is a story that takes many different historical facts from the era that the book was placed in, and uses a slave named celias story to tie them all in and show how these events that didnt directly affect her, would indirectly affect her, and the other slaves in this time as well. Illuminating the moral dilemmas that lie at the heart of a slaveholding society, this book tells the story of a young slave who was sexually exploited by her master and ultimately executed for his murder. This book that i have consists of one hundred and fourth three pages. It is based on the true story of celia, a slave who was bought and sexually molested by robert newsom, a resident of fulton township in. As he gives us celias story, mclaurin clearly explains the history of slavery in missouri and how it intertwined with the national politics of slavery. The play opens in darkness, and the audience sits in dark silence for a long time. For nineteenyearold celia, a slave on a missouri farm, five years of being repeatedly raped by her middleaged owner was enough. Mclaurin includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 8 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Garners male slaves, life is bondage, longing, and potential death if they step outside the prescribed norms of behavior. Celia, a slave is a book written by melton mclaurin in 1991. Study celia, a slave discussion and chapter questions and find celia, a slave study guide questions and answers. It wasnt hard to figure that he had been a slave for women that wanted to spend time with a male that was experienced, endowed, and handsome. On the night of november 11, celia and a fellow slave escape from jail.
Based on court records, correspondences and newspaper accounts past and present, celia, a slave is a powerful masterwork of passion and scholarshipa stunning literary achievement that brilliantly illuminates one of the most extraordinary events in the long, dark history of slavery in america. She watched him, knowing in her own mind that he would have been in demand. You should come to class with your copy of the book and prepared to discuss the book. Both a welltold historical narrative about a slave girl sexually exploited by her master, whom she later kills, and a thoughtful examination of the moral tensions that strained the fabric of the antebellum south. Learn more about celia, a slave with a detailed plot summary and plot diagram. In the book celia a slave melton mclaurin describes in.
Celia, a slave summary from litcharts the creators of. His 315k notes on the patriot and 12 years a slave. Notes the preface is a wonderful indication of the sincerity and honest motivations of mr. Critical essays a note on slavery set on the bloody side of the ohio river, life at sweet home mocks the old kentucky home of stephen fosters saccharine, sentimental set pieces. Celia, a slave, was probably born in missouri in 1836. Chapter xxi is a flashback that tells the story of bass letters from the northern side, filling in the gaps that platt and bass couldnt know from their location in the south. Celia, a slave summary and study guide supersummary. The slave book by rayda jacobs makes a timely reappearance. Celia, a slavecelia, a slave, was probably born in missouri in 1836. To be a slave chapter 7, after emancipation summary.
The moral ambiguity results from trying to hold in place two opposing beliefs. The female slaves lack of a legal protection against rape illustrates the societys preference for sentiment rather than law, but only for women. Many may get techical but black peoplewho were in this country in those dayswere african americans but unfortunatelythe term slave or black slave was labeled to them by racist. The celia, a slave community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and. Celia s case demonstrates how one masters abuse of power over a single slave forced whites to make moral decisions about the nature of slavery. Very little is known about celia s life before she lived on newsoms property, but its known that when newsom bought her, she was fourteen years old. At the time, white america is terrified of slave uprisings. Her recorded history begins in the summer of 1850 when she was purchased by robert newsom, of fulton township, calloway county, missouri. He was not exceptionally muscled but appeared to be in excellent shape. But in 1855, driven to the limits of her endurance, celia fought back. An important addition to our understanding of the precivil war era, celia, a slave is also an intensely compelling narrative of one woman pushed beyond the limits of her endurance by a system that denied her humanity at the most basic level. Heckel 112315 celia a slave the book celia a slave starts off with mainly a young black girl named.
Celia, a slave summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Get all the key plot points of melton mclaurins celia, a slave on one page. Newsom purchased celia with the intention to purchase a replacement for his wife 18. Growing up white in the segregated south for which he received the lillian smith award, and celia, a slave both georgia. He had short brown hair with tinges of grey in it, cleanshaven, and in general, somewhat handsome. Celias case demonstrates how one masters abuse of power over a single slave forced whites to make moral decisions about the nature of slavery. In the year 1850, a prosperous missouri farmer named robert newsom buys a teenaged slave named celia. Celia, a slave theme moral paradox and ambiguity the books main focus is on the moral ambiguity of chattel slavery and how the sexual element of celias case forces the people around her to confront the morality of slavery with regard to rape. On the night of june 23, 1855, she would later tell a reporter, the devil got into me and celia fatally clubbed her master as he approached her in her cabin.
In the book celia a slave melton mclaurin describes in great detail the true story of a female slave who murdered her master and then disposed of him by burning his body on june 23, 1855. Analysis of the book celia a slave 96 words bartleby. To ensure that we have a good discussion, there will be a short 10 point quiz on 42. The book was published in 1991 by the university of georgia press. Shortly afterwards, shes recaptured, and the state sets a new execution date. The main character, ogbanje, is loved and embraced. His eyes closed, still breathing hard, he nodded yes to her. In the book celia a slave melton mclaurin describes in great. For the next five years, she was cruelly and repeatedly molested by her abusive masterand bore him two children in the process.
The celia, a slave community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Celia, a slave quotes from litcharts the creators of. A book report on celia, a slave essayscelia, a slave by melton a. Handout on celia, a slave the basics on 42 there will be a classdiscussion of celia, a slave. Mclaurin is a professor of history at the university of north carolina at wilmington. The question and answer section for celia, a slave is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. Mclaurins booklength analysis of the trial and execution of celia, a slave in callaway county, missouri who kills her master and burns his body in her fireplace. The defenses contention that slave women had a legal right to protect their honor, that the term any woman in missouris general statutes applied to slaves was a truly radical notion, threatening both a fundamental concept of slave law and the everyday operations of slavery. Celia was only fourteen years old when she was acquired by john newsom, an aging widower and one of the most prosperous and respected citizens of callaway county, missouri. Celia, a slave quotes from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. Nicholas mcgee w1073395 history 320 fall 2012 how history exposes the system a significant portion of africanamerican history in the western new age democracy of the americas over the past four hundred years is a reminiscence of stories. Slave is an interesting book full of both laughter and horror. Cotton was the primary cash crop grown by enslaved labor. This shocking event took place in calloway county, missouri during a tumultuous period in antebellum america in which the neighboring territory of kansas.
Because he is a faithful jew, jacob is an alien among the christians. It should be required reading for high school students. Notes on 12 years a slave 1 gender a many scenes with women focus on separation from children i slave named eliza is separated from her children masters wife tells her she will forget about them soon ii before eliza wound up in lousiana with solomon, she was owned by another master with whom she bore a child, she was favored by him and provided with extravagant. Celia, a slave we have been reading a novel called celia, a slave. The book reads much like a novel, but with the tension that this is in fact an autobiography. At the age of 14, celia was purchased by aging and prosperous widower john newsom. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. The slave community contradicted those historians who had interpreted history to suggest that african american. In 1850, fourteenyearold celia became the property of robert newsom, a prosperous and respected missouri farmer. Theinformation has been researchedby the author, and exposes the cruelties by the white anglo saxonslave owners toward the early african american people of the time. Here they stood, bride and groom, before john wesley starr, the coarse old preacher who a blink of an eye before had spent his sundays teaching white people that slavery was the manifestation of a human order ordained by god, and preaching to black people that theirs was a glorified place among the.
Mclaurin, the story of a young slave woman is narrated. Mclaurin details the events of a 19 year old slave girl who killed her master while defending herself against his sexual advances. Go to next chapter this ruling is issued less than two years after celia, a slave, celia becomes pregnant with another slave s child. And at the tender age of eighteen, the desperate and frightened. This very short introduction begins with the portuguese capture of africans in the 1400s and traces the development of american. Concluded that african americans could not be us citizens and therefore had no standing to sue in federal court. The slave appeared to be in his mid 40s, around 6 feet tall, in the neighborhood of 180 lbs. During the summer of 1850, newsom purchased from a slave owner in neighboring audrain county a sixth slave, a fourteenyearold girl named celia. This book was well written and well researched but was a very dry read. Nov 01, 1991 celia, a slave, a true story by melton a. School library journal provides a new chapter in the growing literature on slave women. The books main focus is on the moral ambiguity of chattel slavery and how the sexual element of celias case forces the people around her to confront the morality of slavery with regard to rape. Europeans, africans, and american indians practiced slavery long before the first purchase of a captive african by a white landowner in the american colonies. Celia had been bought at the age of fourteen by a male slaveholder named robert newsom.
It is based on the true story of celia, a slave who was bought and sexually molested by robert newsom, a resident of fulton township in calloway county, missouri. To ask other readers questions about celia, a slave, please sign up. So it seems like that celia will be punished to the full extent of the law. Choose from 500 different sets of celia a slave flashcards on quizlet. It immediately makes him a likeable man, one deserving of respect for his desire to present his story in a straightforward manner and to give credit to the man who helped make it possible. The slave book explores rayda jacobs trademark themes of religion, culture and identity, and is part of a trilogy, which includes her other earlier novels, eyes of the sky and sachs street. Plantation life in the antebellum south is a book written by american historian john w. Bass letters arrived in saratoga springs, new york, and were immediately forwarded to northups wife, anne. The sexual activities of black men were not left to sentiment, but rigidly controlled by law, since sexual relations between black men and white women challenged the power of the white man. Mclaurin contends slavery in callaway county, missouri was ironically similar to that in deep southern counties like jackson, mississippi. Published in 1972, it is one of the first historical studies of slavery in the united states to be presented from the perspective of the enslaved. Mclaurin, a historian, argues that celias case offers us important insights into how together. From elite protest to popular revolt, 17631783 21 terms. Mclaurins booklength analysis of the trial and execution of celia, a slave in.
1144 551 1265 1212 1543 244 1552 509 220 1546 898 429 1343 1089 1374 1413 1364 232 180 645 1315 1518 1222 1068 202 1004 507 387 604 528 874 822 614 1109