Of course, the major conflict in
Jubilee is the conflict of masters against slaves. This is
demonstrated particularly through the character of Vyry who, among other things, is
subject to the torturous brutality of Salina, her master and father's wife. Another
character who embodies this theme is overseer Ed Grimes who is in the position and takes
the opportunity to torture and even murder slaves.
[Some] of the trouble had to do with Aunt
Sally's boy, Sam, and some words he had with Grimes, who struck him with his whip, and
then pulled his gun on
him.
Another conflict is the
universal conflict of love and marriage. In a Romeo and Juliet
style story of who can marry whom, Randall and Vyry are denied the rights of marriage
because marriage to a free man would free Vyry, and Dutton would permit no such thing.
Again in a Romeo and Juliet type impulse, Randall and Vyry flee to Brother Zeke to wed
as slaves are wed amongst themselves. Though no one's death occurs, Randall eventually
is forced away from Georgia; Vyry's attempt to escape and go with him fails; and she
eventually marries slave and field hand Innis Brown.
"[By that] which regulated all slave marriages,
she's still my wife, that is if she wants to be."
"Innis and me has
got a marriage, Randall Ware. We has been through everything together, birth and death,
flood and fire, sickness and
trouble...."
No comments:
Post a Comment