| Episodes |
Life Through Goodbyes
Sabrina Vasquez
[1] When Thomas Jefferson tells Sally Hemings that he has no sons, she thinks about murdering him for denying his relation to his own children, but he clearly does not feel this way about "his precious Harriet, his only other daughter" (312). Harriet Hemings has turned twenty-one, and she is about to leave her family. Towards the beginning of chapter 41, there is an overall feeling of new life and rebirth (311-19). When the chapter opens, the new spring is being described, and Chase-Riboud mentions how Thomas Hemings has just had a "white" daughter. These descriptions mirror the fact that Jefferson's daughter is leaving for a new life and passing as a white woman. There is a great deal of conflict with Harriet leaving, seen throughout the chapter. One by one, Harriet says goodbye to the members of her family. Chase-Riboud is trying to illuminate the difficulty the Hemingses had with establishing their identities by the different ways in which everyone handled Harriet's departure. She is doing this in order to add complexity to the standard image of Sally Hemings and give life and meaning to the rumors that still circulate today.
[2] Harriet Hemings says goodbye to her younger brother, Madison, first (316). Madison is angry with his sister for leaving. He tells her how much money she would be worth to some white man and how he would rather be sold than leave and pass for white. This makes Harriet feel sick, but she stays strong and does not cry or let her brother see the pain she feels. Through Madison's reaction, Chase-Riboud shows one way in which this situation could be dealt with. She portrays Madison as angry and almost embarrassed because he feels as though his sister is denying her family and her race. Madison believes that his sister leaving is the worst thing she could do, and he describes what Harriet is doing as "selling herself for whiteness" (317). Madison Hemings is a strong and proud character; he would never want to "steal" his freedom, much like his uncle James, and severely disagrees with his sister's actions. Part of this anger, however, may stem from the remorse he feels from losing his sister.
[3] Next, Harriet says goodbye to her mother (317). The two women speak in French. Sally tells her mother she will write to her and asks her if she will come with her, but Sally obviously says that she will not be going with her daughter. It is ironic that Chase-Riboud has Sally and Harriet speak French because Harriet is leaving as a result of her parents' time in France. While they were there, Jefferson promised Sally that her children would be freed, and we see this come true as Harriet says goodbye to her mother in French. Even further, Adrien Petit, Jefferson's servant in France, is coming to take her away. It is as if France itself is taking Harriet from her family. The scene between Harriet and her mother is much calmer than when she leaves her brother. The women say very few words to each other, and Sally does not even take her eyes off the sea. This silence and awkwardness indicates how hard it really is for the two to part, and it is just too painful to face. This is one of the scenes in which Chase-Riboud transforms the standard image of Sally. She endows Sally with emotional complexity and an identity. She is not only a black slave and concubine of Thomas Jefferson but also a strong woman and a mother.
[4] Lastly, right before she gets into the carriage, she sees Thomas Jefferson and "unlike her brothers, she would say good-bye to her father" (315). Interestingly, we see no words between them, but we can feel the emotion. Harriet held her father "much longer than she had intended," and then she sees him crying (318). Again, she will not cry, and she thinks of her father with "childlike logic" (318). Harriet wonders why he is crying now, for it is too late, and she wonders why he had not cried "twenty-one years ago when he could have saved them all" (318). It seems almost as if Harriet is bitter or angry with her father. She clearly does not appreciate or understand him crying, and she gets into the carriage and leaves. Harriet is already gone in a sense, she knows what she has to do, and no emotion will stop her. In this scene, we see a different side of Jefferson. It is as if there are no words for him to say to his daughter. His silence may partially be due to his sadness, but he never knew how to express himself or act towards the children he had with Sally. When she embraces her father, Harriet can feel "the frailty under the still imposing height and breadth" (318). Despite the fact that he is Thomas Jefferson, her master and her father, he is weak and hopeless at this moment. It is clear that nothing can be done nor said to stop Harriet from leaving.
[5] Though we seldom directly hear Harriet's thoughts, through Chase-Riboud's comments we can tell what she is thinking and feeling. Throughout the chapter Chase-Riboud questions whose fault it is that Harriet is a slave, and she constantly mentions the danger in passing for white. She knows that she will never truly rid herself of her slavehood unless she rids herself of her color. When Chase-Riboud explains Harriet's birthday, she says, "Hope had been her birthday. Now she was slave about to be free, black about to be white; girl about to become woman; without a past, about to be given a future; all for her birthday" (313). Harriet clearly is being faced with many contradictions, and she is in an overwhelming situation. Harriet is apprehensive, yet sure, about leaving. She refuses to cry at many points when she is leaving her home, and it is very evident that she is a determined and strong-willed woman. Chase-Riboud speaks of a "razor-sharp stiletto" that Harriet always carries with her in case any man "tried to force her" (314). Harriet is determined to go to her husband a virgin and will never be raped even if it means she has to kill a man or herself to prevent it. Harriet is a strong woman who knows what she wants.
[6] Every member in the family has different feelings and emotions towards Harriet leaving. Chase-Riboud strategically depicts every scene differently in order to develop the characters' individuality. Madison is angry, and he shows it. The scene between him and his sister is verbose and passionate. When Harriet says goodbye to her mother, they speak few words, and they speak mainly in French. It is clearly hard for them to separate, and her mother knows this is what Harriet is meant to do, and it is what she, herself, could never do. When Jefferson cries, Harriet seems to feel little emotion because she is sure of the move she is making. The two do not even exchange words. It is almost as if there are no words left to say; the decision is made, and she is leaving. Everyone is emotional about Harriet's departure. She is leaving her childhood, her family, and her race behind her, and nobody knows what the future will hold. Not only are they worried for Harriet, but also her departure brings out everyone's feelings about identity and race in general. No one is sure what is right or wrong. Chase-Riboud successfully depicts this through their goodbyes. Overall, Chase-Riboud gives the characters identities. They are no longer slaves, but they are all individual people. She gives life to the story of Sally Hemings and these characters.
