Nat Turner is the story of slavery and the horrors that led Turner to lead one of the bloodiest revolts of the time. It is told vividly through wordless images and occasional confession excerpts from Thomas R Gray’s book “Confessions of Nat Turner”.. We learn and experience slavery and Turner’s tumultuous life story as he retells it in his confession to Thomas R. Gray. We learn about how Africans were hunted, shackled, branded, and transported in rat-infested ships; how they were humiliated, inspected, and sold; how they lived or existed; and the hopelessness and cruelty they experienced. We also learn about Nat Turner: how he was told he was special, bright and inquisitive, and how he heard others saying he was destined for greatness. We learn…
The Confessions of Nat Turner reveals techniques Whites used to enslave Africans. Whites learned that the best way to keep the African slaves under control was to destroy them mentally. This concept is not easily detected in The confessions of Nat Turner alone, but it is made clear reading Nat’s confessions along with Kyle Baker’s Nat Turner graphic novel. The novel captures the origin of Nat Turner’s rebellion by providing images of Africans before they were taken from Africa in comparison to…
After reading both Styron’s novel and Thomas Grey’s book, The Confessions of Nat Turner, I have come to the conclusion that both writings have holes in their accounts, that almost any historian can find fault in. Grey was a struggling writer that needed the money and could say anything he wanted after Nat Turner’s execution since Turner was no longer alive to point out inaccuracies. Then Styron openly admits that he is not a historian, he is a novelist. A novelist that cares more about…
“Nat Turner is asked, “Do you not find yourself mistaken now?” and he answered “Was not Christ crucified.” This excerpt is from The Confessions of Nat Turner. Being interviewed by Thomas R. Gray, Nat Turner reveals the nature of the rebellion. Turner was captured on October 30, 1831, after eluding capture for two months after leading one of the deadliest revolts in American history during the morning of August 31, 1831. The rebellion was suppressed in one day but remains iconic. What makes it…
Is the Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron a look into Nat Turner’s life or Styron’s mind? The Confessions of Nat Turner written by William Styron in 1967 tells the story of Nat Turner’s slave rebellion. However, there are many critics to this novel because there are many events that have not been proven to be factual to Nat Turner’s life. Many people also argue that Styron was racist, which could have impacted the way he wrote his novel. Styron uses Nat Turner to express his own…
Nat Turner was born a slave in a Virginia plantation owned by Benjamin Turner. He was very religious and believed that when he was little, he talked about events that had occurred before his birth. He claimed that he received divine visions and that god had spoken to him. According to Turner, the insurrection was god’s will that he was prophesized to carry out. These murders were carried out to terrorize whites, yet abolitionists still supported their actions, little did they know that the men…
Southampton County, Virginia, Nat Turner was the leader of one of the most bloodiest rebellion in America. The Rebellion of Nat Turner is a historical day where we can remember the bloody massacre that lead to the death of 55 whites and over 200 blacks. Turner remains a controversial figure in US History. Some considered him a man of god who acted against injustice and immorality. Others believe he was a terrorist motivated by pure evil. Regardless, Nat Turner is a pivotal figure in American…
Nat Turner's Confessions and Frederick Douglass' The Heroic Slave The names of Nat Turner and Frederick Douglass are remembered because of the fame that they earned as black Americans during pre-Civil War slave period. However, their names color the pages of history books for widely different reasons: Nat Turner led one of the greatest slave revolts in almost 150 years of slavery, while Frederick Douglass obtained his freedom and education, going on to become a renowned speaker, author, and…
The Fires of Jubilee The novel, The Fires of Jubilee, written by Stephen B. Oates is a well- crafted biography of Nat Turner and his rebellion. Throughout the novel you will realize how brilliant Nat Turner really was. You will also come to the conclusion that his experiences shaped him into the man he eventually became. Nat Turner was born on October 2, 1800 in South Hampton County Virginia to his mother Nancy, on a plantation owned by Benjamin Turner, a wealthy man. Nancy did not…
Nat Turner’s rebellion was a factor of the civil war. He was an enslaved African American who led a rebellion of slaves and free blacks in Southampton County, Virginia.Nat Turner led a violent insurrection.He and his slave followers killed over 50 white men. Even though this was a very horrible event Nat Turner didn’t like how African were treated he led this just because of slavery. 1 Nat Turner led a slave rebellion in 1831 in Southampton County, Virginia during the 1800’s. Nat…