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.
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.