The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion - Book Report/Review Example

The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion The history of the African-American community in America is interconnected with their fights against racial segregation, slavery and forced labor. Within this context, some of the members of the African-American community ignited the spirit of unity among their fellow beings. Stephen Oates’ work named as The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion deals with Nat Turner’s attempt to conduct a rebellion against slavery and forced labor. But Nat Turner’s rebellion led the African-Americans to be the victims of racism and related issues. Thesis statement: In the work The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion, Stephen Oates primarily deals with Nat Turner’s life but ultimately leads the readers towards the cause and after-effects of slavery and forced labor. Plot summary: First of all, the plot is interconnected with the life history of Nat Turner, who led a rebellion against the dominant race. The biographical information presented in the work is based upon the research conducted by the author. To be specific, the author visited Nat Turner’s birthplace, collected information, and made use of the same as the primary evidence. On the other side, the work’s plot is entirely different from other historical works based on Nat Turner’s life. Besides, the plot is in descriptive form and deals with the protagonist’s childhood days, his rebellion, and his downfall in the end. From a different angle, the work deals with the reason behind Nat Turner’s attempt to revolt against slavery. Critical assessment: This section is divided into: central argument, author’s perspective, and relation with American History. Central argument: In the work, the author put forth the grass root level reason behind the slave rebellion as the central argument. To be specific, the author makes use of his reasoning capacity to unearth the cause of the slave rebellion. But one need not misunderstand that the author provides ample importance to the protagonist or the leader of the rebellion. Instead, the author makes use of the protagonist’s life as a medium to unearth the after-effects of the slave rebellion. One can see that the slave rebellion resulted in the segregation of the underclass in the society. Still, the rebellion proved that the slaves are no longer ready to be under the yoke of slavery. In Stephen B Oates’s work, the narrator points out that, “He is the most famous slave insurgent in American history, the victim of a violent system who struck back with retributive violence” (ix). The protagonist and his followers were aware of the fact that they will be entrapped and prosecuted in the end. But they considered that their attempt to fight against slavery will open the eyes of the salves. In the work, the protagonist is portrayed as an individual who is aware of the influence of Christian faith to attract the mass. So, he made use of his charismatic personality to turn the slaves against their masters. The end result was bloodshed and death, but the reason behind the rebellion was slavery. So, the central argument of the work is the reason and the after-effects of the rebellion, not the description of the slave rebellion. Author’s perspective: One can easily identify the fact that the author’s perspective is beyond the limits of a historical work. To be specific, the author visited the Southampton County and collected information. The interviews with the local people helped the author to have deeper understanding of the socio-political setting of Southampton County during the slave rebellion. Then, the author amalgamated the historical evidences to the protagonist’s life history as a slave leader. So, one can easily identify that the author’s perspective is not altered by rumors or any other type of information. In the work, the author plays the role of the narrator who unveils the protagonist’s mind. Besides, the protagonist’s childhood life described in the work proves that the same was not so different from other children. The narrator points out that, “Clad only in a “tow” shirt which hung about his knees, Nat and the other children-white and black alike-played together like prattling sparrows, oblivious to that future time when white adults would permanently separate them, sending the white children to schools or tutors and the blacks to the fields, dividing them for the rest of their lives into free and chattel-into the blessed and the wretched of their Christian world” (7). He was allowed to play with the white children. Later, his friends were sent to schools and he was sent to work. This difference in treatment forced the protagonist to realize that his life is different. So, one can see that the author’s aim is not to attract sympathy towards the protagonist, but to uncover the reason behind the slave rebellion. American history: As pointed out, the work is related to the history of America, especially the problems faced by the African-Americans. After the brutal mutiny, almost all the rebels were captured and executed. Besides, strict laws and regulations were implemented to curtail the rights of the slaves. But this initiative did not help the authorities to extinguish the spirit of self-determination developed among the slaves. In addition, the slaves began to consider Nat Turner as a legendary person because he tried to revolt against dominant class. To be specific, the revolutionary spirit ignited by Nat Turner in 1830s indirectly influenced the Civil War in 1860s. Besides, the Emancipation Proclamation helped the slaves to enjoy freedom from slavery and forced labor. Nat Turner’s attempt was brutal but one need to consider the circumstances that led him to go beyond the limits. One can see that Nat Turner’s aim was noble, but the way he chose to attain his ultimate aim was inhuman and brutal. Besides, the freedom enjoyed the African Americans is indebted to those who decided to fight against injustice. So, the work’s theme is related to the historical revolt against slavery and forced labor in America. Personal Opinion: In my opinion, Stephen Oates’s work is entirely different from other biographies or historical works. To be specific, the author provides ample importance to the protagonist and his role in the historical rebellion against slavery. Besides, the author does not depend upon other historical works. Instead, he conducted his own research work by visiting Southampton County. This initiative is important because the author’s opinion is not biased by popular opinions. This work can be read as a biography or as a historical work. To be specific, the author cunningly amalgamates the biography with history. But this does not reduce the work’s importance as a historical sketch. The description of Nat Turner’s childhood experiences is helpful to understand the problems faced by the slaves. So, I like this work as a biographical sketch based on historical evidences. Summing up, the inhuman practice of slavery hindered the development of African Americans. The work The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion, tries to unveil the hidden cause behind the slave rebellion initiated by Nat Turner. Still, the author goes beyond the traditional mode of biography writing. Besides, the author is aware of the fact that a historical perspective can alter the aim of a biography. At the same time, the history of the African Americans is an integral part of this work. Still, the author tries to provide ample importance to the incidents that led Nat Turner to turn against the dominant race. The after-effects of the slave rebellion prove that Nat Turner’s initiative eventually led the African Americans towards freedom in the society. In short, the amalgamation of the cause and after-effects of slave rebellion within a biographical and historical perspective is the most important element behind the success of this work. Works Cited Oates, Stephen B. The Fires of Jubilee: Nat Turner's Fierce Rebellion. New York: HarperCollins, 2009. Print. Read More