Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin - Book Report/Review Example

Celia, A Slave by Melton A. McLaurin Introduction Celia was fourteen years old when she was picked up by John Newsom, an elderly widower and one of the affluent and esteemed citizens of Callaway region, Missouri. The pattern of sexual exploitation that would mark their whole connection began almost instantly. After buying Celia in bordering county, Newsom sexually abused her on the way back to his farm. He then established her in a tiny cottage near his dynasty and visited her frequently. Over the succeeding five years, Celia bore Newson two children; meantime, she became involved with a slave, George, and set on at his persistence to end the affiliation with her master (McLaurin, 12). When Newson declined, Celia one night hit him lethally with a bat and disposed of his body in her fireplace. Enlightening the moral confusions that lies at the mind of a slaveholding culture, the author expresses the narration of a young slave who was sexually abused by her master and finally executed for his killing. Melton McLaurin wrote the book to display the many issues and problems that the slaves are going through a way from their country. The evidence given by the author to prove the fact that the slaves are in great pain is the state where Celia, the slave is raped in many occasions where she even became pregnant and gave birth to two kids (McLaurin, 18). A review of Celia, a Slave book Much of Africa-America account in America in the previous four spans is a reminiscence of stories from the years when Africa-American’s were used as slaves on the estates of rich, white farmers. One fascinating story of slavery and the struggle after this is evident. Celia, A Slave was published as a real story of a young slave teenager who broke some of the utmost resilient of the rules functional to slaves and met more mistreatment than most of her colleagues. The work as an entire delivers an exact chronological lookout of the time leading up to the domestic war and some of the approaches held by the characters illustrate a picture that was undoubtedly very alike to the portrait that imitates pre-war account in the Deep South (McLaurin, 21). Celia, the name of a teenager female slave, who came to labor for a well-known Missouri family called the Newsom. The fascinating thing about Celia and her narration is that it relates a tale of social dissention and visibly designates the fact that slaves were playing with a profoundly stacked level in relation to their Caucasian colleagues. According to McLaurin, (18), in a period weeks of being bought by Robert Newsom, head of the Newsom family, Celia was uncovered to some dreadful treatment. In a struggle to create an example for future actions and to mark his assets, Robert Newsom raped Celia and covered the crime from public mindfulness. Forced into a tough state where she was not capable to state out about the things that had transpired to her, Celia was left with no alternative. While on the Newsom farm, Celia developed into romance with another slave. Only after shattering all other alternatives, she exposed the crimes to her boyfriend, George, who certainly became very troubled about the whole torment. As the raping continued, Celia developed more agitated until one night; she made a conclusion not to withstand it anymore. When Robert Newsom went into her slave house to obligate another dreadful rape, Celia used unsharpened stick to knock him unconscious and over and over again beat him until he was lifeless. She disposed off the body in the fire near her chamber. Knowing that her wrong doing would draw the anger of the white community, Celia ran away from the farm, creating a condition where queries were asked of all of the other slaves (McLaurin, 40). Her fiancé at the time was one of the first to be interrogated. The condition with him is significant as it shows the strategies that were used by whites in contrast to blacks at the time. While the lawful scheme was planned to defend the black peoples against this type of motion, it was often deployed by the white authorities of the time. He finally cracked and gave up some facts on the whereabouts of Celia, and she was ultimately apprehended. Celia was allocated with a lawyer, which was another significant condition (McLaurin, 121). A young hot shot with ambitions of defending her, this lawyer was a good one for Celia. However, she was finally sent to jail and after running away, she was hanged. The narration and dilemma of Celia is one that was mutual amongst the slaves of that time. She experienced both good and bad handlings from her white master, and had to respond to the humiliation that accompanied her rape. Newsom family associates hated her because of the father’s movements with her, and she was put into a no-triumph state by a fanatical master who had contentment on committing the same crime again and again (McLaurin, 39). The fact that he did not gain any kind of punishment before his death is an evidence to the holes in the legal system of the day. The themes shown in this book are themes that were seen all through the areas where slavery was common. They characterize events where the system does not labor, and are evidence to African-American struggle at the time. In my opinion, McLaurin did a great job exploring Celia’s job, and even though so much can be learned from the narration, some parts have been left in suspense. However, the book was so easy to read, and for a student who wishes to advance in his or her studies in slavery politics; the extent at which regular people closely followed the slave debate intensified in the country; or the life experiences of female slaves on small-scale ranches, parts of the book flow really systematically, exposing much on the antebellum society (McLaurin, 126). I agree with the author’s arguments as he solidly proves them with much evidence from practical experiences of a young slave. The evidence supports the argument because the narration is a great wrap up and hook of a unit addressing the topic of slavery, of which an instructor can use to create a big picture to his students when teaching on the same. It gives a personal identity and a face to a slave, which is an essential factor to make a reader have empathy for slaves and the author even made it more real by using Celia’s example. On the other hand, I realized a weakness in the inadequacy of factual information as well as the quantity of speculation included. His conclusions are rational and in realistic parameter, though they are not supported with facts. For example, when the author discusses hoe different whites involved in the act felt about the issue of slavery. All in all, it is normal for a book to have such weaknesses, but the book remains to be outstanding with the ease of reading and the lessons associated with the story. Conclusion Given that all humans are equal in the Lord’s eyes, slaves should also be given chance to defend themselves as they are just human like any other. In Celia, slave book we see that even if Celia is forced to defend herself from her master’s evil intention (rape), and even kill him accidentally, we see that the jury that convicts her of the murder accepts her confession as a fact but does nothing to her even after her rights are violated. Even after Newson is found guilty of raping Celia severally, the court is on his side as the judge says, “a slave has no right” and does not honor her pledges, hence sentencing her to death where she was hanged. Work Cited McLaurin, Melton Alonza. Celia, a slave. University of Georgia Press, 2011. Read More