Scottsboro by Ellen Feldman
By Dera Williams • Jul 17th, 2008 • Category: Book Review •
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I had heard of the Scottsboro Boys and the tragedy that surrounded them when they were accused of assaulting two white women in 1920s Alabama. I was excited Scottsboro: A Novel by Ellen Feldman was chosen as my local book club selection for June. It became apparent however, that this story had a different slant, that of the lives of the two women who accused the men of rape; what drove them and what motivated their lives. Feldman took literary license by adding a fictional character, Alice, a journalist, while all other characters in the book were real life figures.
Ruby Bates and Victoria Price were two women riding the trains dressed as men. When a brawl between young black and white men broke out, afraid of the possibility of going to jail, the two women committed an act of deceit and lies that would forever alter the lives of, not only the nine young black men, but their own, forever. Ruby and Victoria were what was known as “poor white trash.” Poor, ignorant, uneducated and mired down by hard living, this was an opportunity for them to get some respect. They were revered as the pure and desirable white women that needed to be protected from the dangers of the feared black man.
The nation was thrown into a tailspin by a crime that never occurred and the ILD, a Communist organization took up the cause, besting out the NAACP whose members’ middle and upper middle class backgrounds caused a class difference and therefore distance from the poverty-stricken, country, unlearned Scottsboro defendants and their families. This case, that went before the Supreme Court, became a battle between the backwoods, uncultured, racist Southerners against the charismatic, Jewish attorney, Samuel Leibowitz and arrogant, pseudo liberal “Yankee” Northerners who defied and defiled Southern customs and traditions– traditions that could hang a black man for the smallest infraction.
Feldman, the author of at least two other fictionalized accounts of real events, Lucy and The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank depicted the “Scottsboro Women” as victims of societal ills, such as poverty and lack of opportunities, not unlike the Scottsboro Boys. Although Victoria held unto her lie of being wronged until her death, Ruby, under Alice’s tutelage, recanted and reaffirmed her story over and over which brought about appeals all the way to the Supreme Court to save the men’s lives. Although this was a hard read for most of my book club members; we wanted to know why was it important for Feldman to write the story from the point of view of the accusers, we however, came away appreciative of the intricacies and complexities of this tragedy that has gone down in American history. This infamous case charted new legal statutes, one being, defendants are entitled to proper legal counsel. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading fiction against a backdrop of historical events and figures.
Dera R. Williams
APOOO BookClub
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Dera Williams is a writer and lives, works and plays in the Oakland/Bay Area where she works in curriculum at a local community college. She has contributed to several anthologies and journals including Life Spices from Seasoned Sistahs and Honoring Our Black Fathers and has written academic profiles for Greenwood press reference books. She is a reviewer/editor for APOOO Exchange Team and Affaire de Coeur magazine and active in literary events. Her book club affiliations include Marcus Book Club, East Bay Page Turners Book Club and Women of Words Book Club. Her other interests include genealogy, Black history and culture and travel.
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Great review, Dera. I am now adding this one to my “books to buy” list. Its interesting that the story is mostly told from the view point of the accusers. The two women must have led very pathetic lives if the only way they could have garnered attention, and sympathy from their own was by ruining the lives of others. It amazes me that the possibilty of putting nine Black men to death based upon the word of questionable circumstances and evidence was so easy to do. And I am anxious to know why in the heck were these women riding the trains dressed like men. Anyhoot, thanks for the great review.
Raven, good question why were they riding the trains dressed like men?
xoxo
Ha, ha. Hopefully I can find out before summer’s end. I have gone over to Amazon and placed the book in my “cart”. I saw that most of the reviewers there had good things to say about the novel. I read Phyllis’ comments on it as well. I know its going to piss me off, but in a “I can’t believe they were able to do that” way. Its amazing how so much has changed and how so much has stayed the same in this wonderful country of ours.
LOL…and I hear you about change a lot of times I feel like the more things change the more they stay the same.
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