Anabell Jones
Sociology 1301
Tues/Thurs
November 12, 2010
Reading Synopsis #2
Love and Race Caught in the Public Eye
By Heidi Ardizzone and Earl Lewis
This short story was an extraordinary read and it made me realize how big of an
issue race was and still is and how it can get in the way of anything, even love. I thought
that it was very surprising that someone of the Rhinelander status would even think of
marrying a servant. The love that Leonard Rhinelander had for Alice Jones seemed to
run so deep and it appeared that nothing could get in the way. It was so shocking to read
that once the public was aware that he married a servant girl and that she might be of
mixed race that an annulment was even brought up. He did stand by her in the beginning
when their private lives were made public but after two weeks he left her and signed an
annulment. He obviously didn’t love her unconditionally because if he had he would
have been willing to give everything up for her. But once it was found out by his family
and the public of her origin he could no longer be with her. His love for her was
obviously worth money because once his family threatened to disown him and cut him
off financially that is when he ended the relationship.
It is always so amazing to hear about two people united especially if they are from
two totally different backgrounds. The Rhinelander’s were old money and acquired their
wealth way before the Vanderbilts. Alice came from a family of modest means, her
mother and father both immigrants from England. Alice’s father George owned a
number of taxi cabs and some small properties. Alice’s mother, Elizabeth, her sisters and
herself all worked as servants. They were all members of the working class and earned
their living serving families like the Rhinelanders. The story of how different their
backgrounds were and how strong their love was reminded me a lot of Cinderella or
Snow White both which are truly magical stories. It made me so angry to hear how they
were ripped apart by an issue like race but only so when it was made public. Leonard
obviously knew about her racial origins but once everyone found out about it and his
reputation was on the line he left Alice. It was especially absurd that this case was even
taken to court. The Rhinelander family wanted Alice Jones to be out of their lives
completely and they felt like taking her to court was justified. They had no idea what
was to come and believed up until now that Leonard was unaware of her racial
background.
Alice was charged with misrepresenting her racial identity to her husband making
it seem that Leonard was unaware of her race when they were married. It made me feel
so terrible to read that he just abandoned his love because a racial issue might ruin the
family reputation. And acting like he wasn’t aware of her racial background in the first
place was totally unbelievable. The family was trying to accomplish getting the marriage
annulled but it first had to be proven that Leonard was unaware of her race when they
first married. Alice’s mother who was white married her father who was what she called
a mulatto so he was mixed with black blood. Alice and here sisters were very light
skinned and I guess hard at times to tell apart but they never lied about what race they
were anyway. It’s not like it really matters because during that time there was the one
drop rule in America which said anyone with one drop on black blood was considered to
be black. Again Alice never denied her race but the Rhinelander family was trying to
make it seem like she did. The family wanted to be cleared of here name and they
wanted this whole thing to be forgotten. Well, they again would be surprised at the
lengths that Alice’s lawyer would go to prove that Leonard knew that she was black
before he married her.
I wasn’t really sure how this was all going to be settled and how her lawyer was
going to prove her racial background to the judge but what ended up happening shocked
me. Her lawyer sent her in to the judge’s chambers and made her disrobe so the judge
could see her breasts and other parts of her body. Upon seeing this it was made clear that
Leonard knew of her race and was just lying this whole time so the marriage would be
annulled. When I read this it made me feel so terrible for Alice and it made me feel
violated. It’s hard to imagine what it would be like to have your husband leave you over
a lie and then having to go to court to prove your race to a judge by taking your clothes
off. But after all that, she did win the case and the annulment was dropped and the
marriage was upheld. Leonard moved to Nevada which was the only state that would
recognize a divorce. He settled out of court with Alice paying her a lump sum and then
money once a year for her to not use the Rhinelander last name or to have anything to do
with them. I think that Leonard’s behavior was truly appalling and I think that he was
such a coward. But as we know she got the last word. Her gravestone reads Alice
Rhinelander.
I experienced a lot of different feelings reading the story of Alice and Leonard. I
was very happy in the beginning when they fell in love and they were to be married. I
was very upset to find out about the annulment and the court case. I was completely
outraged about Alice having to disrobe in the judge’s chambers. I was happy that she
ended up winning the case because I thought that the Rhinelanders would have for sure
figured out a way to win. And I was completely overjoyed in the end to hear that she got
the last word and put their last name on her grave. I truly enjoyed this story and I deeply
admired the strength and courage of this woman to stand up against the Rhinelander
family. She did it with grace and in the end she got what she wanted and she ended
having the last laugh.