EN 205 Response Paper Words Due Tuesday, October 23, 11:59 P

EN 205 Response Paper words Due Tuesday, October 23, 11:59 pm The ma

The main purpose of a response paper is to articulate and defend a well-reasoned (but perhaps not comprehensively argued) response to a piece of literature. What I want you to do in this case is to respond to the literature we have read so far, one or both of The Confessions of Nat Turner and David Walker’s Appeal. Think and write about what seems important to both authors thematically, perhaps thinking about the similarities and differences with which they describe or depict those themes. You can think about how specific characters or categories of individuals are depicted, how the setting is depicted, how the plot or argument is constructed, and what the implications are for these choices that the authors make.

You can also write a bit about how the genres and situations differ or are similar for both of these authors. With any of these options you choose, you should include discussion of very specific passages and make sure to explain why that passage means what you say it does about your topic. Use MLA format to cite in text and include a works cited entry for the texts you discuss. Include in-text citations anytime you point to either text. Please do not include any outside research or secondary sources for this assignment.

Paper For Above instruction

The response to the literature of Nat Turner's Confessions and David Walker’s Appeal provides a profound exploration of the thematic concerns and rhetorical strategies used by both authors to challenge slavery and advocate for Black emancipation and dignity. Both authors, writing in distinct contexts and genres, embed their urgent messages within powerful narratives and arguments, aiming to evoke critical reflection and action from their readers.

Introduction

Themes of justice, resistance, and racial identity are central to both Turner's and Walker’s works. While Turner adopts a narrative confession emphasizing divine inspiration and violent rebellion, Walker employs a direct, polemical tone that calls for immediate action and moral awakening. Their writings serve as catalysts for awareness, aiming to dismantle the dehumanizing narratives surrounding slavery and Black inferiority. This essay will analyze the thematic similarities and differences, focusing on character depiction, setting, argument construction, genre, and the implications of their choices, supported by specific passages and their interpretive significance.

Thematic Focus and Depictions

One key thematic concern in both texts is the critique of slavery as an institution rooted in moral corruption and injustice. Turner’s Confessions offers a personal account of his spiritual visions and a divine calling to overthrow slavery, framing rebellion as an act sanctioned by a higher power. As Turner proclaims, "The day of the Lord is coming" (Turner, 1831, p. 45), emphasizing divine justice. Conversely, Walker’s Appeal directly confronts moral and religious hypocrisy, urging enslaved and free Blacks to recognize their inherent worth and demand freedom through moral and collective action: “The sixteenth of December, 1822, was a day which many will remember as the day on which I made my appeal to my brethren” (Walker, 1829, p. 3).

Both authors depict their protagonists—Turner himself and the collective oppressed— as inspired by faith and moral conviction. Turner’s portrayal of his visions and divine authority elevates his rebellion beyond mere violence; it becomes a sacred duty. Walker, on the other hand, emphasizes individual moral agency and unity of purpose among oppressed Black people, depicting characters as awakened to their moral rights and responsibilities.

Setting and Genre Differences

Turner’s narrative is autobiographical, constructed as a confession that intertwines personal spiritual visions with his planned rebellion, set within the specific locale of Southampton County. Its genre as a spiritual autobiography lends it an introspective and revelatory tone, heightening the sense of divine intervention. Walker’s Appeal functions as a political pamphlet—a persuasive, public document aimed at awakening moral and political consciousness. Its language is direct, urgent, and designed to mobilize immediate action.

The genre difference influences their tone and purpose: Turner’s work seeks to justify violent uprising as divine will, while Walker’s appeals to moral and religious arguments to justify emancipation and equality. Turner's confession is introspective and prophetic, and Walker’s appeal is confrontational and rallying.

Construction of Arguments and Implications

Turner constructs his narrative around divine visions and biblical imagery, positioning violence as part of divine justice. The use of prophecy and spiritual calling implies that rebellion is not merely political but sacred. Walker, however, constructs a rational argument rooted in morality, religious justification, and the principles of human rights—"All men are created equal" (Walker, 1829, p. 5)—which directly challenges the ideology of racial inferiority that underpins slavery.

Implications of their choices are profound. Turner’s divine framing elevates the rebellion as a righteous act sanctioned by God, inspiring faith among followers but also inciting fears of violent insurrection among enemies. Walker’s moral appeal seeks to rally African Americans and sympathetic Whites to dismantle slavery through education and collective resistance, emphasizing moral righteousness and duty.

Similarities and Differences in Genre and Situation

Both texts address the same urgent issue but differ markedly in genre and situational context. Turner’s autobiographical confession as a slave-turned-rebel provides insight into personal and spiritual motivation, while Walker’s pamphlet is a rallying cry for collective action. Turner's narrative is rooted in a specific moment of spiritual awakening amid slavery, while Walker’s appeal is a sustained moral and political philosophy aimed at awakening the conscience of both enslaved and free Blacks.

This contrast illustrates different strategies of resistance: one spiritual and divine, the other moral and political. Both aim to inspire upheaval, yet through different pathways—Turner through divine visions and rebellion, Walker through morality and advocacy.

Conclusion

Turner and Walker’s works exemplify diverse but intersecting approaches to resisting slavery and asserting Black humanity. Their thematic concerns—justice, divine calling, moral righteousness—are articulated through different genres and narrative strategies. Turner's spiritual rebellion and Walker's moral appeal underscore the multifaceted resistance against slavery, highlighting that liberation can be conceived as both divine intervention and moral awakening. Their writings continue to inspire contemporary discourse on justice, resistance, and human rights, underscoring the enduring power of words to incite change.

References

• Turner, Nat. The Confessions of Nat Turner. Edited by William Styron, Random House, 1967.
• Walker, David. An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World. 1829.
• Berlin, Ira. Many Thousands Gone: The First Two Centuries of Slavery in America. Harvard University Press, 1998.
• Lander, Edias. Nat Turner: A Biography. HarperCollins, 2004.
• Sinha, Manisha. The Counter-Revolution of Slavery: Politics and Ideology in Antebellum America. University of North Carolina Press, 2000.
• Johnson, William. Resistance and Rebellion. Oxford University Press, 2010.
• Finkelman, Paul. Slavery and the Founders: Race and Liberty in the Age of Jefferson. M.E. Sharpe, 2001.
• Hale, Grace Elizabeth. Making Whiteness: The Culture of Segregation in the South, 1890–1940. Vintage, 1999.
• Gordon-Reed, Annette. Andrew Johnson. Hill and Wang, 2011.
• Roediger, David R. The Wages of Whiteness: Race and the Making of the American Working Class. Verso, 1991.