A patriot of the United States is one who would sacrifice their life to uphold the liberties that this country stands for. If this is the definition that we go by, then William Wells Brown’s character Clotel, in his novel, Clotel, is a fine example of a patriot. In Brown’s novel, Clotel’s family is under the stresses of the institution of slavery in the United States. Clotel’s family must face separation, injustice, and countless humiliations and trials. Brown’s character of Clotel makes the choice to escape slavery in the hopes of reclaiming her daughter but becomes trapped by slave holders on either side of the bridge. She is faced with the question: to live in bondage or die in freedom. Clotel makes the choice to die in freedom. The cost
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Not unlike most slaves Clotel is separated from her family, where she led an almost comfortable life among people that she loved. However, as Brown states in the novel, “A slave is one who is in the power of a master to whom he belongs….He can do nothing, possess nothing, nor acquire anything, but what must belong to his master,” (82) and the concept of this applies to how a slave such as Clotel and her family interacts with society. Before Clotel’s mother, Currer, was sold on the auction block, she was allowed to live a more privileged life and gather her own industry underneath her previous master. In this way – before being sold – the family is allowed to have a flourishing social life or as much as one can have while being a slave. The family is allowed better social movement in society, not only because of Currer’s well known and industrious status but also because they fall under the rank of “mulatto”. This priveledge that comes with being of lighter skin allows them to take advantage of “negro balls”, where Currer takes her daughters in the hope of finding men, who will eventually free and if not marry them, then at least take care of them. However, this changes in an abrupt way when they are sold on the auction
Not unlike most slaves Clotel is separated from her family, where she led an almost comfortable life among people that she loved. However, as Brown states in the novel, “A slave is one who is in the power of a master to whom he belongs….He can do nothing, possess nothing, nor acquire anything, but what must belong to his master,” (82) and the concept of this applies to how a slave such as Clotel and her family interacts with society. Before Clotel’s mother, Currer, was sold on the auction block, she was allowed to live a more privileged life and gather her own industry underneath her previous master. In this way – before being sold – the family is allowed to have a flourishing social life or as much as one can have while being a slave. The family is allowed better social movement in society, not only because of Currer’s well known and industrious status but also because they fall under the rank of “mulatto”. This priveledge that comes with being of lighter skin allows them to take advantage of “negro balls”, where Currer takes her daughters in the hope of finding men, who will eventually free and if not marry them, then at least take care of them. However, this changes in an abrupt way when they are sold on the auction