Belle begins with establishing the year of 1769, when “Britain [was] a colonial Empire and a slave trading capital.” Dido Elizabeth Belle Lindsey was born from the union between Captain Lindsey and an enslaved woman from a captured Spanish slave ship. She was born on English soil, which brings into question her status as either a slave or freed. According to Virginia laws which were in effect during this period, children followed the status of her mother. However, the dialogue between Lord and Lady Mansfield emphasizes that she was born on English soil, and it is implied that she was born free. Although from her aristocratic birth, she is entitled to be raised in the Mansfield residence, her race is always brought into question. At first, Lady
As explored by Fischer in “False, Feigned, and Scandalous Words’: Sexual Slander and Racial Ideology among Whites in Colonial North Carolina,” women often sued when their virtue or sexual purity was taken into question. Further, accusations of interracial sex were more destructive to a woman’s virtue than unmarried sex with a white man. The first time Dido encounters John Davinier, she turns her back and states that they have not been properly introduced. Any form of interaction between them at this point, especially without a guardian present, would be seen as promiscuous. In addition, when a suitor asks Elizabeth if he can call upon her at home, he emphasizes that it is only with her guardian’s permission he would do so. If he were to visit Elizabeth with no other company present, rumors of her promiscuity could arise. Without virtue, women were essentially considered damaged cargo and were not considered to be of marriage material for any respectable family; essentially, her lack of a virtuous reputation could cost a woman her entire livelihood, since she has no other means of income other than through her
Davinier exemplifies the revolutionary abolitionist thoughts of how blacks and white were equal. He represents the idealism that was present in even the founding fathers who believed all men were equal. Lord Mansfield represents the status quo, and he must tread carefully because his decision on the case could serve as a blow to the institution of slavery. Mansfield reserves judgment on the morality of slavery, while Davinier is outwardly critical of the barbarism. The movie portrays Mansfield as eventually yielding and ruling that the deaths were indeed murder, and the insurers do not have to pay for the cargo’s deaths. Throughout the movie, the two are often in conflict with their ideas, Mansfield who adheres to the law, and Davinier who wants to change the laws. In the end, Mansfield is shown to be shifting to increasingly agree with Davinier, hinting at the gradual societal shift that is accepting of the previous radical ideals. This leads to the eventual abolition of slavery and the slave trade in