When Mr. Weaver refuses to honor his promise to sell the land back to the Kingdom at the agreed-upon price, Luella decides to purchase only a portion of the land back. How do you feel about her decision? Do you agree with it?
I understand her decision, but I wish she could have used more legal remedies to obtain a larger amount. I thought they had a contract and Mr Weaver was breaking that contract. There is a legal remedy for that and she should have pursued it.
I don’t think that as Black people they really had any legal recourse in the 18th century. Luella’s father almost got killed just trying to vote. I can’t imagine them bringing a successful court case, no matter their rights.
I think they were lucky to get any of the land back at all, and I think her decision was smart - making the best they could out of the situation.
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I do agree with her decision. Getting part of the land back is certainly better than not getting any. She received the part of the land that she loved and was important to her, the buildings, the garden and the graveyard.
I think Luella made a practical decision. What Mr. Weaver did was immoral and likely a breach of the contract, but Luella figured she would have to spend money to fight him in the white-controlled legal system with the outcome uncertain. She figured it would be better to buy a small amount of acreage rather than risk losing it all.
I don’t recall that she had a written agreement. But even so, often people felt it unnecessary to keep agreements. As sad as it was, Luella had no real recourse, so her decision saved half the land. Actually, I think it was rare for Blacks to own land, and more common for the land to be rented. Owning land at all was a victory.
I think Luella is being practical. Mr. Weaver would most likely keep raising the price over time. It was better for them to have the core of their settlement with the homes than nothing at all.
There’s nothing to add to your response because it was so unfortunately true. Luella was to realize something was better than nothing.
She did what she could to preserve some part of Happy Land. Black citizens had little recourse due prejudices of white people.
This broke my heart but it also reminded me of my own parents having to buy back the house we grew up in due to lack of proper will by my grandparents. However, seeing as how important the land is to Luella, I agreed totally with her decision that it was worth it to gain even a piece of it back rather than to lose it all.
I believe she was right to get back what she could, as she might have not gotten anything back. You know when to fight and when to take what you get and rebuild.
I do agree with it. Luella has limited resources and has to use them most effectively. She purchases the portion of the land that is actively being used. It is a shame that it has to be purchased back at all, but given the circumstances, it was the right decision.
What they took to be a verbal contract, because of the trust they put in the lawyer was a sham. She did the right thing purchasing what she could. A sorry state of law and life.
I agree with the users who stated that Luella made a practical decision to make the best of the situation. She and the Kingdom had already lost everything, the legal system was totally biased against them. Trying to fight for what was right would have been a waste of time and money and would have possibly exposed them to real physical injury.
I agree with the other comments already posted, and the reasons cited. As an attorney, I know how hard litigation is at this time in history. It would have been a horrible battle back then, and Luella would most likely not have prevailed, considering her limited resources and the societal/legal circumstances. She made a pragmatic decision that was heartbreaking to read about, but it was the best possible outcome after all factors are taken into account.
Yes, I do agree with her decision. As the old adage goes, something is better than nothing. However, they never should have taken Mr. Weaver’s word that he would give them their land back at the agreed upon amount. Luella and Robert were honorable people, and they made the mistake of thinking that Weaver was as well.