Sierra Hellemans

ENGL 233

Dr. Langendorfer

7 April, 2023

Georgiana: Escaping The Bubble of The Antebellum South

Abstract

Within William Wells Brown’s novel, Clotel: The President’s Daughter, there are a

plethora of stories relating to the lived experiences of enslaved African Americans in the United

States prior to the abolition of slavery. This essay focuses on Georgiana’s purpose and role in

this novel. So, what was Brown trying to convey to his white American and British audiences

through his focus on Georgiana's 'complete' education?

Brown seems to have curated her character to embody many cultural values of white

American and British audiences, though she also reflects the abolitionist views, desires, and

beliefs of other audiences. Christopher Stampone, a professor of English, discusses in an issue of

African American Review how Brown created her character as a hero to “incite sentiment” as

well as “spur revolution – by allowing readers to conceive the possibilities of a free American

society” (2).

Georgiana’s education in the north allowed her to escape the ‘bubble’ of the antebellum

south because they taught from a different perspective. Though she was raised on a plantation

and came from a place of privilege, she still managed to set an example for those around her by

fighting for slaves' equality and liberation. Many people who resided in the south did not have

access to any ideas in this realm due to skewed education or poverty. This knowledge and fresh
perspective allowed her the confidence to speak up, be heard, and her status allowed her to be

proactive about making a difference. Once her father passed, she was given the opportunity to

take over his plantation which put her in a unique position. Neighboring plantation owners saw

the success that she had in her new practices and had been influenced to follow in her footsteps.

This is meaningful because it shows that despite how or where someone was raised, it’s not an

excuse to treat others unfairly and it’s possible to change your perspective through education.

Additionally, this is significant to acknowledge when reading Clotel because it allows the reader

the opportunity to see into Brown’s mind and sparks curiosity about why he chose her to express

some of his ideas.

Analysis

William Wells Brown’s novel, Clotel: The President’s Daughter, is a powerful piece of

literature that portrays the brutal reality of slavery in the United States during the early 19th

century. While the character Georgiana is not mentioned until the sixth chapter of this novel, she

plays an extremely important role. Brown tends to focus Georgiana’s ‘complete’ education in the

north and how her time there separated her views from her peers in the south. In choosing a

white character to express this, I believe he is trying to get the white American and British

audiences to better understand and resonate with his ideas.

We are introduced to Georgiana Peck through her father. Mr. Peck was the owner of a

large plantation in Natchez, Mississippi, an area known to be the worst of the South due to the

“inhumanity and barbarity of its inhabitants,”(15). He is connected to the main plot of this novel

through his purchase of Clotel’s mother, Currer, as someone to help around his house. Georgiana

was raised on this plantation until her father decided it would be best for her to finish her

education in Connecticut, a northern state. Having spent five years there, she was given the
experience and opportunity to contrast the virtues of Christianity and liberty in the North to that

of the South (24). By the time she returned, she “had learned to feel deeply for the injured

Negro”, meaning she had a different outlook on slavery and the treatment of enslaved Americans

(24).

I believe that Brown tends to express his outlook on various topics through Georgiana, as

well as her husband-to-be, Mr. Carlton. Therefore, disguising the voice of a black American

through white characters. In today’s society we might ask, why would this be necessary? Why

Georgiana? During this time racial relations were nowhere near what they are today as a result of

racism and the culture of slavery. Christopher Stampone, a professor of English, states in an

issue of African American Review that Brown created these characters “to reflect his abolitionist

views as well as the cultural values, beliefs, and desires of his target audience”(3). This decision

insinuates that he sensed the white American and British audiences would inherently resonate

with her character more, making them more receptive to ‘her’ ideas. The importance of this

decision lies in the fact that if he were successful in inciting sentiment in the readers, then the

novel could spur revolutionary change “by allowing readers to conceive the possibilities of a free

American society” (3). Georgiana sets an example for these white audiences at the time because

she shows that change is possible. If she was able to liberate herself from the bubble of the

antebellum south through education, and make a positive impact on those around her, others

could too.

The scene in which Georgiana is introduced surrounds a conversation between her, Mr.

Peck, and one of his school friends visiting from Connecticut, Mr. Carlton. In this discussion the

three speak of the inherent rights of African Americans, and whether or not the bible supports the

institution of slavery. Both Carlton and Georgiana seem to take similar stances in the sense that
they both “can see no difference between white men and black men as it regards liberty" and

would allow them the same rights as white people given the chance(23). This similarity in

opinion can be linked to their education and experiences outside of Mississippi. Carlton also

went to school in Connecticut, was taught in a different manner, and lived in a different society

than that of Natchez. I believe Brown was trying to show that to gain a full perspective on life

and equality as it truly was, one would have to ‘escape the bubble’ and broaden their ideas of

life. With one being surrounded only by the institutions of slavery and corruptness of the

educational systems, progress would not be seen. An example of that could be seen in

Georgiana’s father, Mr. Peck, who was more of an abolitionist before settling in the south.

Georgiana is able to attest the idea that the Bible supports slavery’s institutions in an

eloquent manner. This is significant because many southerners were accustomed to hearing only

about how the Bible defended slavery, and even used Christianity as a tool to degrade their

slaves. Where Georgiana was educated in the north many christians cited the Bible to argue

abolitionism, and taught drastically different morals of Christianity. She clearly picked up on this

in her time there and shared it with her father and Mr. Peck. One example of this contrast in the

text from Georgiana can be seen when she talks of God's will, “whatever in its proper tendency

and general effect destroys, abridges, or renders insecure, human welfare, is opposed to God's

will, and is evil,”(24). She adds to this by saying “True Christian love is of an enlarged,

disinterested nature. It loves all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, without regard to

colour or condition" (25).

In contrast, you can see an example of the southern perspective through Mr.Peck when he

says, “but it is the will of God who hath by his providence made you servants, because, no doubt,

he knew that condition would be best for you in this world, and help you the better towards
heaven,” or “Now, when correction is given you, you either deserve it, or you do not deserve it.

But whether you really deserve it or not, it is your duty, and Almighty God requires that you bear

it patiently”(27). In this, Mr. Peck is suppressing the enslaved people’s free will and justifying

their mistreatment in the name of god. Here, I believe Brown is trying to convey through

Georgiana that a ‘complete’ education outside of the south allows one to expand their views, and

he is exposing the skewed interpretation of the bible through these characters.

Georgiana was successful in her explanation of the bible's reinterpretation and did it so

eloquently that even “The father's heart was touched; and the sceptic, for the first time, was

viewing Christianity in its true light.”(24). In this conversation Georgiana also touched Mr.

Carlton, the mentioned skeptic, who previously said he was “no great admirer of either the

Bible”(23). This led to the beginning of his relationship with Georgiana. Their relationship

brings an interesting foil in the story where Georgiana is given the opportunity to teach him

about his ignorances even though he was already progressive. I believe Brown’s intention in this

was to address various misconceptions even among the educated and more progressive people of

the time. A few examples of this can be seen towards the end of the novel after Georgiana’s

father dies of cholera. Carlton was shocked that the slaves weren’t grieving his death, and even

called them ungrateful for not doing so since Mr. Peck was ‘kind’ to them. Georgiana brings up a

great point by telling him, “If we would not consider the best treatment which a slave receives

good enough for us, we should not think he ought to be grateful for it”(51).

Another prominent misconception which Brown seems to address through this foil

regards how they would liberate the enslaved people now that they were in possession of her

father’s ‘assets’. Carlton proposes that they should liberate the enslaved people on the plantation

by sending them to Liberia. Many people of the time thought this would make sense since that’s
where they seemed to have come from, but this was far from the case since the institution of

slavery had been going on for so long. Through Georgiana, Brown defends this and says, "Is not

this their native land? What right have we, more than the Negro, to the soil here, or to style

ourselves native Americans? Indeed it is as much their home as ours, and I have sometimes

thought it was more theirs. The Negro has cleared up the lands, built towns, and enriched the soil

with his blood and tears; and in return, he is to be sent to a country of which he knows nothing.”

Brown had a number of motives backing this novel and the various decisions which

characters made. With Georgiana in particular, she seemed to be used as a voice of reason

mitigating between the cultural values and perspectives of white American/British Christian

audiences and African Americans. He made it clear that this change only happened as a result of

her northern education which gave her the means to learn new ideas other than what was taught

in the antebellum south. By curating this middle ground through literature he created an

opportunity for the white audiences to better sympathize with their situation, creating an

opportunity for revolution. This brings us back to Stampone’s point where he mentioned that this

allowed “readers to conceive the possibilities of a free American society,”(3). All of this can be

tied to Georgiana's choice to liberate the enslaved African Americans which lived on her fathers

plantation, and how her success in that influenced other plantation owners which surrounded her.

Brown told us through Georgiana that a fair and ‘complete’ education would lead to better

understanding and revolutionary change.

 Works Cited

Brown, William Wells, 1814?-1884. Clotel, or, The President's Daughter: a

Narrative of Slave Life in the United States.

Nabers, Deak. “The Problem of Revolution in the Age of Slavery: ‘Clotel,’

Fiction, and the Government of Man.” Representations, vol. 91, no. 1, Summer

2005, pp. 84–108. EBSCOhost,

https://doi-org.utk.idm.oclc.org/10.1525/rep.2005.91.1.84.

Stampone, Christopher. “‘[H]Eroic Bravery in More than One Battle’: The

Creation of Heroes in William Wells Brown’s Multi-Edition Clotel.” African

American Review, vol. 49, no. 2, Summer 2016, pp. 75–91. EBSCOhost,

https://doi-org.utk.idm.oclc.org/10.1353/afa.2016.0019.