In her novel The Bondswoman’s Narrative, Hannah Crafts highlights the impossibility of southern Christianity. While many southerners claim to be men of God, their pledge to preserve the ‘peculiar institution’ of slavery supersedes their Christian morals.
When relaying the legend of Rose and her execution, Crafts notes of Sir Clifford that he “made it a boast that he never retracted, that his commands and decisions like the laws of the Medes and Persians were unalterable” (22). This boast is an apparent reference to the Persian Empire as described in the Old Testament. In the Book of Daniel, the presidents of the kingdom of Persia convince King Darius to ban prayer for thirty days “according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked” (Daniel 6:8). The King does so and is soon after forced to throw Daniel, his most distinguished and faithful servant, into a pit of lions.
Through this literary allusion, Crafts endows Sir Clifford with a profound knowledge of the Bible at the exact moment that he needlessly sentences Rose and her innocent dog to death by torture. In this scene, Clifford knowingly commits a grave sin while comparing himself to the “villains” of the Old Testament, yet calls himself a Christian. Just as the strange immutability of Persian law forces King Darius to kill his beloved servant Daniel, the inherent evil of slavery forces Sir Clifford to kill poor Rose and her dog. Through this passing allusion, Crafts proves that it is impossible to be both a slaveowner and a Christian.
- Where else in the text does Crafts criticize southern Christianity?
- Most of the epigraphs Crafts uses at the beginning of each chapter are also from the Bible. What implications do her biblical reference have for the intended audience?
Alex, thanks for bringing this Biblical allusion to our attention. I missed this reference my first time reading this passage and I found the explanation of this allusion really helpful for thinking about Sir Clifford. This allusion shows that within the system of slavery, Sir Clifford’s word is law. Furthermore, the fact that he boasts about his unwillingness to go back on his word shows how absorbed he is by the power that the system of slavery allows him. Additionally, the fact that he seemingly draws this allusion himself as part of his boasting adds to his villainous atmosphere. In my interpretation, this paints Sir Clifford in the role of the tricky and conniving presidents rather than in the role of King Darius, who did not want to risk David’s life but who’s hand was forced.
Your question about the epigraphs also makes me think about the way in which people interpret the same religion or religious texts in very different ways. Although on paper Crafts believes in the same religion of Sir Clifford, her understanding of it and attachment to it is vastly different. For Crafts, the Bible holds sentimental value, as it is one of the first texts she learns to read. I think that this, coupled with the messages of love that it conveys may be what compels Crafts to include the epigraphs.