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Tom Woodson's Journey Toward Enlightenment
Meredith Weiner
[1] One of the most intriguing and enduring mysteries of the Jefferson-Hemings controversy is whether there is a connection between the Jefferson and Woodson families. Even though there is no other proof of their family lineage, Minnie Shumate Woodson (1987) and Byron Woodson (2001) have both written books based on their longstanding oral tradition to prove that their families are descendants of Thomas Jefferson by Sally Hemings. Minnie's The Sable Curtain, written well before the 1998 DNA tests that showed no match between the Woodson and Jefferson lines, is a novel about the life of Tom (Hemings) Woodson, the putative oldest child of Jefferson and Hemings, the one conceived in Paris according to the account of Madison Hemings. The Sable Curtain begins with Tom's banishment from Monticello to Dover Mansion, Virginia, where he changes his name to Woodson, follows him to Greenbrier County, Kentucky, and ends with his move to Chillicothe, Ohio. Minnie's Tom starts off as a naïve boy ignorant not only of the institution of slavery but even the very fact that he himself is a slave. Tom encounters and overcomes a series of obstacles as he moves from place to place, undergoing new experiences that transform him into a mature man with a profound understanding of the difference between slavery and freedom. At the end of the novel, Tom has a secure sense of self-identity both as a black person and as a descendant of Thomas Jefferson. Minnie's goal as wife of John S. Woodson, a legitimate direct descendant of the "real" Tom, is to use their oral tradition to strengthen the bonds, identity, and pride of the Woodson family.
[2] The Sable Curtain begins at Monticello in 1802 with Tom as a young, innocent boy who is oblivious to the slavery that surrounds him. President Jefferson has grown nervous about the damaging effects of James Thomson Callender's articles on the scandal at Monticello on his second presidential election, articles that specifically mention his resemblance to young Tom. Jefferson has come to the realization that Tom has been receiving special treatment compared to the other slaves, so he quickly ends the favoritism, assigning Tom to live under the same conditions as the other slaves by delegating him chores and forcing him to sleep on the cots rather than in his own room. These changes ultimately adversely affect Tom's mood and, in response, Jefferson decides to banish his son from Monticello. Prior to his banishment, Sally was quite concerned about Tom's change in attitude and behavior. She worries about how he will survive on his own when he leaves Monticello since he has been dependent on his family for so long. She disagrees with Jefferson's decision to banish Tom because, in the end, he is still their son, and the election should not be his priority over his family. Jefferson responds that "I don't want to do this, Sally. It hurts me, too. But he must not have so much freedom. It's too risky. He has become a threat to my bid for a second term" (6). This harsh sentiment shows how Jefferson cares more about his presidency than his treatment of his children; he will go as far as exiling his son to save himself during the election. Understandably, Tom grows increasingly angry at his father for his decision: "Sometimes I think of him as my father," he admits, "and at other times, Mr. Jefferson" (11). Tom does not understand where his father is coming from and cannot grasp that he is being forced to leave his home. He also does not understand the concept of slavery because up until his banishment he has been treated favorably his entire life.
[3] After banishment to the Woodson farm at Dover Mansion, where he eventually takes the Woodson family name, Tom really learns what slavery is all about when he attends a church service for the first time and realizes that slaves have to wait outside until all of the white people are seated. This shows him segregation, which he had never experienced at Monticello. Another significant encounter of Tom's at Dover Mansion is with a man named Dungeness who tells Tom that the lighter a slave's skin is, the easier it is for him to escape and that "Free people be like the wind and the birds. Not like when you a slave. They can go where they want, go when they want. . . . A free man can hold up his head and have a family. . . . Free people don't have no master to tell them what to do" (66). Tom can not understand the concept of freedom because at Monticello he believed he was free. Until he is in the "real-world" without special treatment from his father, he does not know what it means to be a slave. Tom is ashamed of his ignorance because he never had to deal with unfair treatment just because of his skin color. Thus, at Dover Mansion he thinks about escaping slavery but realizes that would mean separating from his past and especially his mother, which he can not bear to do. But his stay on the Woodson farm helps Tom start to understand slavery and that he will be treated poorly because of his skin color and social status.
[4] Just when Tom thought he was settled at Dover Mansion, he is assaulted by two white men who have been stalking and taunting him since he left Monticello and forced to move to Greenbrier County, Kentucky. Here, he continues his transformation because of two significant events and experiences. First, he meets his wife Jemima, who helps him overcome his grief at separation from his mother and his home. Now he turns his focus to his wife and their children. After Jemima's first husband was killed, she is forced to separate from her sons, which reinforces everything Tom was taught by Dungeness about the evils of slavery. Second, when Tom asks his master Payton Riddle for permission to marry Jemima, Riddle does not see the need for a minister to officiate. Riddle responds to Tom's request with, "Preacher? You go jump over the broomstick like the others" (173). This shows Tom that his master does not recognize him and Jemima as human beings, thus emphasizing the immorality of slavery. His understanding of slavery has led to his maturation, however, for he now identifies himself as a black person and knows what that means. When he returns to Monticello in 1810 because his father promised him freedom when he came of age, he fully identifies himself as black, which all of these encounters and experiences have helped him do. The mature Tom now believes that family is the most important thing, and he will sacrifice anything to keep his family bonds intact. His primary concern used to be his father and his mother, but now his focus is on Jemima and their children. In an effort to purchase the freedom of his family, he returns, now free, to Dover Mansion so he can find a job and make enough money. He pretends to be white so he can get a job doing laundry; however, "passing" -- lying about his true, "black" identity -- ultimately makes him feel guilty.
[5] After Tom buys the freedom of his family with the money he earns in Dover Mansion, he enters his third and final stage with the move to seek a peaceful life in Chillicothe, Ohio. He has eight children to whom he teaches the evils of slavery, something he was not informed about growing up. "In this free state everyone should be educated together," he tells them, "Segregation won't help this nation . . . all it can bring is turmoil. Fostering bigotry is an unhealthy state of affairs" (318). Tom's children go to school and notice that there are no white students, which shows the divide between blacks and whites. However, his children don't see a problem with the whole school being black until Tom explains that everyone should be meshed together. There should be no distinction between people just because of their skin color. Tom conveys his feelings to his children by sharing personal stories from his youth, and, since others need his knowledge as well, he establishes the African Methodist Episcopal Church and becomes heavily involved in the cause of African-American rights. Tom feels the need to help others undergo the transformation he experienced. All of the stages of Tom's life helped him to be able to identify himself as a black person, to fully understand what that means, and to desire to teach others.
[6] Surprisingly, in the end, Tom admires his father for banishing him rather than holding a grudge against him. His experiences away from home and out of his bubble of "freedom" taught him lessons on slavery that guided him towards self-awareness and a positive transformation. Jefferson's actions forced Tom to embark on a path towards enlightenment about slavery. His experiences helped him understand why his father acted the way that he did.
[7] "Illegitimacy haunts the black identity," says Shelby Steele, and through her intense genealogical research published in The Woodson Source Book (1978 and ff.) and her role in promoting the Thomas Woodson Family Association, Minnie Shumate Woodson has been instrumental in constituting family legitimacy and unity. In the fictional pages of The Sable Curtain Minnie's Tom comes "alive" for her readers; he's not just a ghostly figure on the edge of the controversy or even a name on a genealogical chart. He's "real." Minnie's Tom finds his identity and through him so does the entire Woodson family.
