Melton A. McLaurin's book Celia, A Slave - Essay Example

“Quit the old man” (McLaurin 30) her boyfriend encourages Celia, but she is in a dilemma because she knows either way she will still lose him and endanger her life. 3. What did Celia have in common with Robert Newsom’s daughters Virginia Waynescot and Mary Newsom? During the period of slavery, all women were the weaker sex and were made to subdue to men’s ways. In this regard, Robert Newsom’s daughters, Virginia Waynescot and Mary Newsom were not equal to their father in terms of advocating for issues.

Similar to Celia they also depended on their father on food, shelter and they little rights he would accord to them. Due to this experience Celia and the master’s daughters seem to share a bond of oppression. A relationship based on moral comfort and mutual understanding in isolation. Celia pleaded with them to talk with their father on her behalf and they seem to agree but, it is not known whether they did so, but the sexual demand continued. 4. Why did Celia go on trial? It would not have been surprising if Celia had been declared guilty by a judge and executed without a trial.

Celia had to be taken to trial just as a formality so that she could get a hearing just like everyone else. This had been due to the political struggle that was apparent in the neighboring state of Kansas (McLaurin 46). There was a voting process that was taking place on whether to include the state into the union as a free nation or a pro slave state. This process also included the slavery supporters and freedom supporters in a bid to try and sway the votes on their side and as such, divided the country.

This sort of division threatened in Missouri if care was not taken in punishing slave wrong doers and as such Celia was taken to trial. 5. How could Celia be “morally innocent of murder”? In trying to give Celia a fair trial, the judge presiding over her case appointed three supremely competent attorneys to her defense which were chosen on the basis that they were neutral on the issues on slavery. The attorneys in their defense tried to prove that Celia was not guilty of the murder. To their defense, they brought up the issue of sexual abuse between Cecile and her then master.

This was to indicate that she committed the act of murder in order wade off the master’s sexual advancements that left her in a lot of pain both physically and mentally. This is also true due to the fact that as a slave, she had been raped for years, and this justified her intent to hurt the master to protect herself (McLaurin 43). Unfortunately in trying to hurt him, she killed him; it was all in self defense. 2. Could a slave master trespass on his own property? How an innocent verdict would have struck a “devastating blow to the authority of Slave-owners” and set a controversial legal precedent Celia’s trial of guilt or innocence in the case against the state for the murder of her master was of keen interest to the majority of the society.

The slave owners were particularly concerned with this due to the fact that it would spell out their rights. Most of people were aware of the existence of sexual offenses towards slaves, but no one talked about it probably because they viewed it as the right of the owner on his/her property (McLaurin 67). This meant that they owned the