Analysis: Children of Darkness
Nat Turner's belief that he was a mystic, born for some great purpose; a spiritual savior, chosen to lead Black slaves to freedom, justified his bloody rebellion against slave owners in Virginia. His actions did not so much spring from the fact that members of his family had been beaten, separated or sold, but rather from his own deep sense of freedom spoken in the Bible. From the time Nat Turner was four-years-old, he had been recognized as intelligent, able to understand beyond his years. He continued to search for religious truth and began to have visions or signs of being called by God. By the time Nat Turner reached manhood, the path his life would take was clear; his destiny would be to bring his fellow slaves out of bondage.
Nat Turner was born to a life of slavery in Southampton County, Virginia, in 1800. The state of Virginia had some diverse reactions toward slavery. Stephen B. Oates writes in his article "Children of Darkness" that "By southern white standards, enlightened benevolence did exist in Southampton County- and it existed in the rest of the state, too" (Oates, "Children" 42). There were some schools established for slave children, and religious meetings were openly allowed. Governor John Floyd was against the institution of slavery. The Fires of Jubilee, a book describing Turner's rebellion, explains his feelings on the subject. "He wanted slavery to be gradually abolished in Virginia and all the blacks colonized somewhere else, leaving the Old Dominion an unadulterated white man's paradise" (Oates, Fires 64). The unrest among slaves in Virginia was more evident than in the deep South because they had been given a small taste of freedom through activities like school and religion, but no sign that slavery would be abolished appeared. Instead, the economy of Virginia was the most important discussion in every session of the legislature. According to Boorstin and Kelley's History of the United States, "Blacks in some southern states outnumbered the whites, and there was no way for state leaders to handle this situation except by keeping the blacks in slavery" (Boorstin and Kelley 194). Nat Turner would grow up with a sense of frustration, not being able to see the end to the terrible injustice of slavery.
The fact that young Nat Turner was not like other young slaves was fostered by his parents. The family lived and worked on the Turner farm.
Nat Turner is by far the main character in the book. Born into slavery, Nat is a bright child who would eventually teach himself to read, a punishable offense for slaves during the period. His favorite book to read was the Bible, eventually interpreting it in a way that convinced him that he was a modern-day Moses, responsible for liberating slaves and recruiting a small band of slaves and freemen to begin the revolt. Governor John Floyd, who seriously considered drafting a law that would gradually abolish slavery throughout the state of Virginia, until the slave rebellion which would play an influential role in changing the minds of supporters and a threat to divide the state in two was made (ironically, this would eventually happen regardless). Vice President John C. Calhoun, whose reacti...
Because of Turner’s revolt, Virginia created more stringent laws on blacks and slavery and tried to fully illegalize blacks. Many innocent slaves were being punished for the actions of these revolts even though they did nothing wrong. Almost as if to show who was really in charge among slave
Born into slavery, Nat Turner was perhaps one exception to the rule; he was a master's worst nightmare come true. Nat Turner was not only an intelligent man, he knew how to read and write; but he was also determined, willing to go to tremendous measures to gain his freedom, even if it meant killing. He was liked by both the whites and fellow slaves, some of whom came to think of him as a prophet, a savior of slaves.
Nat Turner is the most famous and most controversial slave rebel on American history. He was living in the innocent season of his life, in those carefree years before the working age of twelve when a slave boy could romp and run about the plantation with uninhibited glee. Nat in his young years cavorted about the home place as slave children did generally in Virginia. He was first lived in Turner's house, who owned a modest plantationin a remote neighborhood "down county" from Jerusalem. His daytime supervisor was his grandmother, Old Bridget- who regaled the boy with slave tales and stories from the Bible. Nat had become very attached to his grandmother. The Turners had become Methodists, who held prayer services on their farm and took the blacks to Sunday chapel. Among such slaves were Nat's grandmother and his mother, Nancy, a large, spirited, olive-skinned young American, imported to North America before 1808, to toil as bondsman on farms and plantations there. By the time Nat was four or five years old, Nancy was extremely proud of him. Bright-eyed and quick to learn, he stood out among the other children. He never touched liquor, never swore, never played practical jokes and never cared a thing for white people's money. Being a Methodist, the old Master not only approved of Nat's literacy but encouraged him to study the Bible. The preachers and everybody else in the boy's world all remarked that he had too much sense to be raised in bondage, that he " would never be of any service to anyone as a slave.
Booker Taliaferro Washington was born a slave in Hale’s Ford, Virginia, in 1856. He was forced to labor from a young age and was confused when he saw white children his age sitting
Part one of The Fires of Jubilee “This Infernal Spirit Of Slavery” was in fact the most important section of the book. Part one starts out explaining Nat’s younger years (early 1800’s) detailing how slave children and white children had no racial boundaries and could freely play about the plantation. “He was living in the innocent season of his life, in those carefree years before the working age of twelve when a slave boy could romp and run about the plantation with uninhibited glee.” (Oates, 7). This section of the novel much like the second tells flashbacks and gives recollections of previous years and hops around the timeline before really emphasizing the growth of Nat Turner. The author goes on during part one to give more info about the Turners, whom owned the plantation and introduces the recurring theme of religion. “The Turners became prominent church folk in their community and did all they could to spread the faith” (Oates, 9). Religion was a large factor in Southampton County in t...
The slave owners we gaining with money for sold slaves or ganina free labor. Well Nat Turner had enough of all of this inequality and his signs from go was telling him that he was right to be so. Turner decided to take it to the extreme. In Justin Fornal article on Nat Turner’s Revolt, he explains who Turner decided to do now, “On August 21, Turner met with a group of fellow conspirators in the swampy woodlands around Cabin Pond. The group ate a meal and took a vow to kill all slave owners they encountered, including women and children,” (Fornal). He was tired for sitting back and not going anything. So he met up with other men who would follow him, and explained to them what the plan
Nat Turner began as an abolitionist as a slave. His first master was Samuel Turner. When his master died in 1822, he was sold to Thomas Moore. In the beginning year of 1830, Moore died and Turner was moved again to another master, Joseph Travis, the new husband of Thomas Moore’s widow. His official owner was Putnum Moore, but he was still a young child. Turner described Joseph Travis as kind, and didn’t have any complaints against. While he had these masters, he also had many visions.
Nat Turner was an African-American slave who had lived his entire life in Southampton County, Virginia, an area with predominantly more blacks than whites. After the rebellion, a reward notice described Turner as:
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass gives a first person perspective on the life of a slave laborer in both the rural south and the city. Frederick Douglass gave himself an education against horrible odds, and was able to read and think forever about the evils of slavery and good reasons for its abolishment. The primary reason for his disgust with slavery was its effect of dehumanizing not only the slaves, but their masters too. His main goal: to abolish slavery.
Nat Turner was an African American slave who was born in Southampton County, Virginia on October 2, 1800. He started working on southern plantations 1831. When he was younger, everyone thought of him as being very smart. They saw that he was smart when he was about 3 or 4 years old. While young Nat Turner was playing with some of his friends, his mother heard him tell the children about something that had happened to him when he was born. She later had asked him about what he told the children. She asked him details about the incident, and it confirmed that he knew about this past event. From that time on, other slaves believed that in addition to his unique view, his physical markings were a sign that he would be a prophet. He was brought up knowing that slavery was wrong. He was taught how to read and write by his masters son.
“My father and mother strengthen me, and this was my first impression of life saying in my presence, I was intended for some great purpose (Nat turner, Brainyqoute.com)”. From the very beginning Nat Turner knew that he was meant to do something great. On the day of October 2, 1800 the famous Nat turner was born to Nancy Turner his father an unknown slave. Turner grew up with the thought that his father was an escaped slave and was coming back when he got the money to retrieve him and his mother. Nat turner grew up and lived his life in Southampton County, Virginia. The place was predominantly African- American but it didn’t stop the use of slavery in the county.
In the favela of São Paulo, Brazil, 1958, Carolina Maria de Jesus rewrote the words of a famous poet, “In this era it is necessary to say: ‘Cry, child. Life is bitter,’” (de Jesus 27). Her sentiments reflected the cruel truth of the favelas, the location where the city’s impoverished inhabited small shacks. Because of housing developments, poor families were pushed to the outskirts of the city into shanty towns. Within the favelas, the infant mortality rate was high, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity, drug lords were governing forces, drug addiction was rampant, and people were starving to death. Child of the Dark, a diary written by Carolina Maria de Jesus from 1955 to 1960, provides a unique view from inside Brazil’s favelas, discussing the perceptions of good
In conclusion, Frederick Douglass starts his life as a slave determined to get his freedom. At the end of his life, he is one of the foremost figures of the abolitionist movement. Douglass' narrative takes advantage of the literal advantage in order to abolish slavery. Through depictions of dehumanization and freedom, Frederick Douglass' narrative is instrumental in swaying the views of the indifferent Northern residents.
In the novel Heart of Darkness, there are several themes including Good versus Evil, Power, Femininity, and Fate. Two themes are further prevalent and significant. These themes are restraint and identity. They are the two most noteworthy themes in the book because both capitalize on the complexity and flaws of human nature.