As a serious historical text, there are relatively few symbols in Celia, A Slave. One notable exception is the fireplace in which Celia disposes of the body of her owner and rapist, Robert Newsom, shortly after she kills him in self-defense. By the end of the night, all that’s left of Robert’s body are a few bones and fragments of clothing. It could be argued that the fireplace is an apt symbol for the process of history itself. Over time, the historical record deteriorates: given enough time, it becomes almost impossible for historians like McLaurin to know the full truth about Celia’s life and trial. Therefore, it becomes necessary for McLaurin to speculate on what really happened. The “fireplace of history” eliminates concrete evidence of the truth; it’s up to historians to reconstruction the truth from the fragments that survive.
The Fireplace Symbol Timeline in Celia, a Slave
