| Episodes |
Langdon: The Trigger for Sally's Self-Discovery
Anna Robertson
[1] It is a historical fact that Sally Hemings and her children were listed as "white" in the 1830 Virginia census; however, Nathan Langdon, the census taker, is an entirely invented character that Barbara Chase-Riboud introduces in Sally Hemings, her 1979 account of the life of Thomas Jefferson's slave mistress. Chase-Riboud begins her novel with the last chronological event of Sally Hemings's life and uses Nathan Langdon as the trigger for Heming's self-discovery to allow the reader to consider everything leading up to the critical moment at which she truly finds her freedom.
[2] Establishing Nathan Langdon's purpose in her novel is a compelling and clever choice by Chase-Riboud. Langdon provides the reader with a first-hand account of Hemings's own personal narrative. Langdon also acts as the catalyst in Hemings's transformation from a technically freed slave to a truly free and independent woman. The introduction of Langdon, therefore, has less to do with the development of Langdon's character and more to do with the metamorphosis of Sally Hemings.
[3] In the early parts of her novel, Chase-Riboud characterizes Hemings as a lonely widow, who is callous and whose sons are "waiting politely for her to die" (3). She is very withdrawn, wearing a black dress and a black apron because she is "still in mourning" for a Thomas Jefferson who had passed away four years earlier (4). This portrayal of Sally Hemings calls into question the actual definition of freedom. In principle, Hemings is a freed slave residing in Virginia; in reality, Hemings is trapped and almost entirely consumed by nostalgia and her past relationship with Thomas Jefferson. In Hemings's mind, men had been defining who and what she was for her entire life. Although Langdon insists that Hemings is white by Jefferson's definition, Sally counters that by "Thomas Jefferson's life, [she is] a slave" (50), and so although she is favored by Jefferson, Hemings is still considered inferior to the rest of society. James Thomson Callender decides that Hemings is a "black wench," condemning her into history as the concubine of the president. Finally, Langdon records Hemings as a white woman in the 1830 Virginia census.
[4] When Langdon changes her official skin color, something inside of Hemings changes. She openly confronts Langdon, fuming that "instead of being black and a slave, I'm now free and white" (50). By altering her race, she considers his "insufferable arrogance" and "accuses him of playing God" (51). By telling Langdon to leave, Hemings takes control of her life; she discovers that she and she alone will define who she is.
[5] Chase-Riboud's use of Nathan Langdon therefore gives Hemings a "voice" through which she affirms her "blackness" and defines herself. She no longer allows him to change or establish her identity, and she instead responds vigorously when he attempts to erase her "blackness" by "deciding" that Hemings is white in the census. This was Hemings's first step towards freedom and towards taking control by no longer allowing Langdon, Callender, or even Jefferson to define her identity and her true self.
[6] Using Nathan Langdon to introduce Hemings to her audience is a brilliant move by Chase-Riboud. By "beginning with the end," the reader is forced to pay attention to all of the thoughts, events, and emotions that lead up to Hemings' self-discovery and self-liberation. Chase-Riboud uses Langdon to allow the reader to witness Hemings' assertion of her "blackness" and to trigger that discovery and self-definition. Finally, Chase-Riboud provides Hemings with a "voice" that counters all of the numerous rumors and false statements that have haunted Hemings throughout history, and thus she transforms Hemings's freedom into a reality.
