Sally, Jefferson’s Puppet in Paris

By Adam Baker

[1] Although most people are knowledgeable about Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings is a relatively unrecorded figure in history whose public image relies completely on publicity such as the 1979 book Sally Hemings, by Barbara Chase-Riboud and the 1995 movie Jefferson in Paris. Chase-Riboud’s novel helped shape Sally as a powerful, individualistic feminist through her depiction of Hemings as a caring mother who fought for her children’s freedom. Jefferson in Paris, however, seems to degrade Sally and portray her as a childish girl who is more of a puppet than an individual. The first scene in which Sally and Thomas are alone together leaves the viewers regarding Sally as nothing more than a confused child. Although Jefferson and Hemings are never overtly passionate throughout the film, this scene portrays the two as especially sterile toward each other and does not make a future relationship conceivable.

[2] Throughout the scene in which Thomas and Sally are left alone for the first time, Sally is portrayed as a helpless puppet controlled by Thomas and James. Immediately preceding the scene, James grabs Sally’s arm while trying to force her to ask for wages when Thomas suddenly appears and beckons Sally into his room. Sally’s actions throughout the rest of the scene are spurred on by the thought of James waiting outside of the room for her. Ironically, James’ attempt to liberate Sally by having her request wages ends up spurring her into becoming closer to Thomas. Throughout the scene the director makes sure to call attention to Sally’s multiple glances toward the door, reaffirming that Sally’s motive the entire time was to not disappoint James. However, Sally’s fear of displeasing her master, Thomas, if she asked for wages prevents her from actually completing James’ wishes.

[3] Sally’s conflicting fears cause her to flounder and actually anger both Thomas and James. Not only does she not ask for wages, but her prolonged presence at the side of Jefferson’s bed causes him to lash out and violently grab Sally’s hand. This volatile action also serves as the final image of the scene, imprinting Thomas’s blatant display of power over Sally into the viewer’s mind. Furthermore, this action does not appear to be an act of annoyance between two lovers but, instead, an act of a parent scolding a child. Instead of being serious and requesting a salary from Thomas, Sally is shown provocatively discussing her supposed fear of ghosts with him. Not only does this show Sally as a child but Jefferson’s patronizing responses in their conversation demonstrate his dominance over her.

[4] Although this scene begins to characterize Sally as a child, the full extent to which the movie degrades Sally is not finished. As the movie progresses, Sally loses more and more credibility as she is repeatedly manipulated and abused by surrounding characters. Thomas eventually voluntarily prepares to pay Sally but then quickly decides that it would be better if he kept the money for her in order to keep it “safe.” Sally happily agrees to this transparent scheme to control what she does with her money, furthering her appearance as a powerless child unable to control her own life. In the final scene of the movie, in which Sally’s fate is decided, Sally allows James and Thomas to debate her freedom, and when she finally is allowed to speak, she moans that she doesn’t know what she will do with her life when she has the freedom to do what she wants. This final scene not only demonstrates James’ and Thomas’s control over Sally but also the extent to which this control has dictated her entire life and left her as a feeble shell of an child who is not even independent enough to make a decision for herself.

[5] The film’s portrayal of Sally as a childish puppet completely refutes the image of Sally conveyed in the novel Sally Hemings by Chase-Riboud. Chase-Riboud wrote Sally Hemings in an attempt to drastically change the public image of Sally Hemings, who at the time was viewed as either a helpless slave or a corruptive influence on Jefferson. Through the depiction of Sally’s heroic striving to free her children, Chase-Riboud succeeds in her efforts and drastically converts Sally’s public image into a symbol of feminism and female empowerment. In Jefferson in Paris, however, this power is slowly stripped away from Sally as she feebly allows herself to be controlled by Thomas and James; she not only loses power over her own life but over her children’s future as well. The film’s first scene of Thomas and Sally alone together begins the wane of Sally’s public image as she childishly degrades herself, allowing herself to be controlled by James. In the span of a few minutes, this scene effectively counteracts years of work put in by Chase-Riboud and drastically changes the public image of Sally Hemings into an immature child.