Melton A. Mclaurin's Celia, A Slave

Celia, A Slave: A True Story Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin is the story of Celia a fourteen year old slave that is purchased and abused by her master, until one day she kills him. The relationship that Celia and Robert Newsome had was very interesting and the book touches on race and gender hierarchies, power in the relationship, and the involvement of others who supported or contested the power structure. Was Celia forced by society to commit this crime, did gender, race and power struggle push Celia to kill her master? This essay will analyze the situations in which Celia was put into and how ultimately society in the mid 1800’s failed her. The Louisiana Purchase took place in 1803 by Thomas Jefferson; this was new land that
Over the years the town flourished and the people of Callaway began to build up the town with government offices and churches. By the 1855 Robert Newsom was making a comfortable living on his land, he owned eight hundred acres and had herds of live stock. Along with his land and animals Robert Newsome owned five male slaves (McLaurin 9). In 1850 Newsom purchased a slave named Celia, around 14 years old she was purchased to work as a cook. By the time that Newsom purchased Celia, he had been widowed for almost a year; he would begin to sexually assault Celia. Over the next five years Robert Newsom would rape Celia on a daily basis. By the age of nineteen she had two children with Newsom and one more on the way (Mclaurin 23-28). George a young slave owned by Newsom began to establish a relationship with Celia. George made Celia tell Robert Newsom that she could no longer continue to sleep with him and if he continued she would have to defend herself from him. Robert Newsom did not take her seriously because as his property he could do as he wished with her, later that night he appeared at her cabin that he had built for her. Newsom began to try and have intercourse with Celia but she defended herself and hit him over the head with a wooden stick and kills him (McLaurin 29-35). Later the next day neighbors and family members became
He could do anything with her and she was no more than property. We can assume that she probably tried to resist him but raping her showed her that he was in control and that he could have sex with her whenever he wanted. This sets up the next five years of Celia’s life, she was raped on a daily basis and she had no protection from anyone. Newsom made her a house sixty feet from his, with a chimney and gave her the luxury of privacy. This is a way of him showing Celia that her life is better because of him, that he has power. He has enough power to decide whether she lives or dies, where she lives, what she does, and he has power over everything in her life. Celia had children with Newsom and like any mother she loved them, but this also allowed Newsom to have more power. If Celia was not a good slave there was always the fear that he could sell her children. This created fear and caused Celia to be obedient and it reduced the chances that she would try to escape. Running away from a plantation was hard enough alone but with children it made it impossible. When Celia tried to end the relationship with her master, it clearly shows how much he respects her as a person because he just tells her that he will be there at night (McLaurin 31). She has no opinion in this relationship and by just telling her that he was going to be at her house later that