Celia, A Slave. By Melton McLaurin. (New York: Avon Books. c. 1999. 192 pp. $6.99.).
Celia, A Slave is a book based on the true story of an African, female slave. The book, set in rural Missouri, highlights the suffering this young woman’s life faced. In the book, Celia, experiences a supposed love with another male slave, she offers an unconditional love to her family, and she also showed the strength and willingness to survive that which was typical of any woman regardless of classification. Throughout the narrative she and the moralities of all people were tested with the trials and tribulations presented in this unfortunate story.
In the summer of 1850, Robert Newsom purchased an adolescent female who would immediately become his only concubine. He would continue to “have” her as his until his ill-timed murder, committed by the abused slave. She then went on to trial, and was sentenced to death by hanging for her crime.
“Love knows no boundaries.” (Unknown) It is obvious that Celia found everlasting love in fellow slave George. It was because of her devotion to him that she committed the righteous crime. As her lover, and unable to stop the continued rapes on his own, he gave Celia an ultimatum. Moreover, this case is a testament of the frailty of a male slave to protect his loved ones, his bitterness against his companion whom is forced into a sexual relationship with the master, and the male slave's natural act of jealousy. Strain between black men and women was an inescapable outcome of slavery. She was willing to risk her entire being in order to continue to be in his embrace. While she did not intend on killing Mr. Newsom, she knew she could not be without her one true love. Unfortunately, it is believed that George is the one who gave the master’s family information on who was responsible for the heinous crime. After the master’s death, Celia carried on for approximately several days as if she knew nothing of the atrocity she committed. She knew she could not tell anyone because of the fate of not only herself but also her children and lover. She thought of an escape, but ultimately decided to confess due to her offspring being so young and unable to travel for long periods of time.
Before Celia murdered her master, she sought out aid from his unmarried daughters still living on the farm. She went to them because she believed they would sympathize with her once informed of her recently discovered pregnancy. Being that the sisters were still spinsters, they were still very much so dependent on their father. It is unclear whether or not she received any kind of compassion because the assaults continued. Historians believe the young women
