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The Price of Freedom: Caldonia and MosesinEdward P. Jones’
The Known World 
 
Anjuelle D. Floyd
In Edward P. Jones’
The Known World 
the relationship between Caldonia Townsend, thewife and widow of Henry Townsend, and Henry’s overseer, Moses, symbolizes the psychological fallout that occurs, that is inherent, when one individual chooses to harbor the life of another in an effort to ascertain financial freedom.From the outset Jones presents Caldonia as a person with secrets in her family, possiblykept from her, or worse denied by herself. She is a person of mixed and torn emotions.Caldonia, “…was young and naively vigorous…had known but one death in her life, thatof her father, who had been secretly poisoned by his own wife [Caldonia’s mother,Maude] …” (p. 5)Midway the epic Jones amplifies his characterization of Caldonia and the nature of howslavery ensnares not only the slaves, but also those who hold the slave(s) captive.Jones reveals that, “…Maude fears that Caldonia in her grief would consider selling theslaves... as if to accomplish some wish Henry...had been to afraid to try...” (p. 180) “…Maude Newman…admonishes Caldonia, “…The legacy is your future…For Maude
9/28/2007
(all excerpts taken from Edward P. Jones’
The Known World 
of 5
ISBN
-0007195303
)
1
 
The Price of Freedom: Caldonia and MosesinEdward P. Jones’
The Known World 
 
Anjuelle D. Floyd
the legacy meant slaves, and land... the foundation of wealth…” (p. 180) She later adds,“‘…like your father, you have too much melancholy in your blood…’” (p. 181)“….Tilmon Newman,” Jones exposes”… like Augustus Townsend [Henry’s father] hadworked to purchase his own freedom. His plan had been to buy the freedom of all in hisfamily [and then] to find a way to get all his slaves to freedom…” Of Maude NewmanJones writes, “…Her own family free for generations….they had never had enough to buy even one slave…” (p. 183-184)Maude closes her exhortation to Caldonia with, “…It is so easy to go down indestitution…” (p. 183)The true legacy Caldonia has inherited is the desire for financial freedom and the illusionthat possession of money procured by whatever means, not excluding the ownership of human beings. Yet Caldonia's soul, like that of her father’s, is torn. Her actions reflect thisinternal juxtaposition.Evidence of this division emerges in the last third of the story when, “
…Caldonia madelove to Moses for the first time
…” (p. 284) On rising the next “…
morning…Caldonia …
9/28/2007
(all excerpts taken from Edward P. Jones’
The Known World 
of 5
ISBN
-0007195303
)
2
 
The Price of Freedom: Caldonia and MosesinEdward P. Jones’
The Known World 
 
Anjuelle D. Floyd
 stretched and yawned and wondered what in the end she would do about Moses. She did not think of him the way she thought of Henry Townsend the first morning after she met him...
[a]
morning she had gotten out of bed, afraid...she would [never] have the pleasureof seeing Henry again. Had she known that he had had similar feelings, she would havehad the strength she had this morning 
…” (p. 285)Caldonia never felt free in her marriage with Henry Townsend.What was it that Caldonia witnessed in Henry that she did “…
not…have the pleasure of  seeing again?”
How and what about becoming intimate with Moses, her overseer and a slave, rekindledwhat she has briefly experienced with Henry, then dead?Was the lack of intimacy between Henry and Caldonia rooted in Henry’s ownership of slaves, a venture of which Caldonia’s mother vastly approved and participated in—the participating of which Maude is afraid Caldonia will abandon?And how interesting it is a member of what some might term, the weaker gender, Maude Newman, an African American woman—who clings so vehemently and holds up the banner of slavery?
9/28/2007
(all excerpts taken from Edward P. Jones’
The Known World 
of 5
ISBN
-0007195303
)
3
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