Jane's Marriage

While reading "Our Nig," I was intrigued by the story telling of Jane's selection of a spouse. The dilemma Jane faced is described over the course of six pages, a rather drawn out scene compared to most in the text. The amount of time devoted to talking about Jane's marriage made me question its significance and why it is important to Frado.
The cause of the mini-crisis presented in the text is due to the necessity for Jane to decide between two potential spouses: Henry, the man imposed on her by her mother, and George, the man she really loved. Unexpectedly, Frado seems confused that Jane even has such a choice because Jane is handicapped and chronically ill. Perplexed, Frado questions, "Was it strange she should seem a desirable companion, a treasure as a wife" (55)? Perhaps this is why the scene is so drawn out.
By writing about this occurence, Frado (and the reader) grows to understand that a white girl who is handicapped and dependent on others is more valued in society than a hard working black person. Despite her physical limitations and the restrictions on freedom due to those limitations, Jane still has the privelege of choice. In support of Jane's right to marry whom she wants, Mr. B says "A free voluntary choice was of such importance to her health. She must be left free to her own choice" (60). It is as if to say that even though Jane essentially is not free due to her physical limitations, her sense of freedeom can still be upheld by simply allowing her to choose. It is this choice that Frado does not have, and in some ways, does not believe herself to deserve. Though she is physically and mentally strong, her lack of choice in her life enslaves her.
In consequence, this raises questions of whether or not Frado would be perceived as free if she were given some choice of where to live, what to do. Even if she had to finish all the same chores, would she be considered freer if she got to choose when and how to do them? If she were given a choice between which family she worked for, even if conditions were similar, would this represent a higher degree of freedom?