The Abolitionist

'THE ABOLITIONIST' is a three-act play occuringbetween the years, 1851 - 1861. The protagonist isJonah MacKenzie, a wealthy minister renownedthroughout the nation for his abolitionist activities. His aristocratic wife, Elizabeth, is a partialinvalid from a stroke; and their only child, Reuben,adoring his father, has gone on to become a ministeras well.In Act I we learn that Jonah is torn between anequally intense love and hatred for his son whom heand his wife have banished. Mary Beaton, a youngwell-to-do neighbor, once engaged to Reuben butsecretly in love with his father Jonah, comes to visitand implores Jonah to find his son and reconcile. Elizabeth, overhearing Mary’s entreaties, and wary ofthe young lady’s intentions toward her husband, wheelsherself in and commands Mary to leave, never toreturn.Act II occurs in the past (1851) and focuses upon theabolitionist activities of father and son. We findthem in the Free state of Ohio where Jonah delivers animpassioned sermon against slavery in a little churchnear the Kentucky (a slave state) border, dodgingstones. Jonah then visits his friends, Moses andKathleen Pendleton, leaders of the UndergroundRailroad. Meantime, Reuben is in Kentucky, present ata slave auction. He is smitten with love for anexquisitely beautiful mulatto named Veronica. She ispurchased by a murderous slave-holder, RolandJeffries, from whose Kentucky plantation early in themorning Reuben rescues her. He brings her to thePendletons. Determined to retrieve the slave-girl,Jeffries barges in, shooting and wounding Jonah who isbarring the way. Reuben enters in time to saveVeronica and Jonah. Reuben escorts Veronica on theUnderground Railroad to Canada where he proposesmarriage to her. At first dissenting, pointing outthe probable social consequences, Veronica yields. Though proud of his son’s rescue of Veonica, uponlearning that his son intends to marry a negro Jonahbecomes enraged and forbids the marriage, threateningdisinheritance and banishment. The act ends with asoliloquy by Reuben expressing horror at his fate.Act III returns to the present. Elizabeth thinks shehas convinced Jonah to accept a professorship he’sbeen offered at Oxford University in England but he issecretly determined to find Reuben. After initialhesitation, but then swayed by Jonah’s charm, Reubenand Veronica consent to leave Toronto and live withJonah. When Jonah returns home to Boston he findsthat Elizabeth has suffered a new major stroke whichhas left her in a vegetative state. Mary, once againin vain, pursues Jonah, who, in turn - flattered bydaughter-in-law Veronica’s coquetry and succumbing tohis own weakness of mind, impulsively attempts toseduce her. Veronica’s initial attraction to himquickly turns to repugnance. Once again, Jonahbanishes Reuben and his daughter-in-law from hishousehold. The play ends on a catastrophic note justbefore we hear the booming sound of cannon announcingthe advent of The Civil War.Barry Bennett Blander