The Confessions of Nat Turner

The Confessions of Nat Turner is a 1967 novel by William Styron.

Related Topics:
1967 - William Styron

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It is a historical novel, presented as a first person account by Nat Turner, who had in real life led a slave revolt in Virginia in 1831.

Related Topics:
Historical novel - Nat Turner - Slave revolt - Virginia - 1831

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The novel is based on a extant historical document, the "confession" of Turner to the white lawyer Thomas Gray. In the historical confessions, Turner claims to have been religiously inspired, charged with a mission from God to lead a slave uprising and slay the white race.

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Styron's ambitious novel attempts to recreate the character of Nat Turner from Gray's account. The novel is not meant to accurately or authoritatively describe the historical events that occurred. Indeed, most historians consider Gray's "confessions" to be largely fictitious. Styron takes further liberties with the historical Nat Turner, such as removing his wife from the story. The "Confessions" is largely sympathetic to the character of Turner, if not to his actions. Despite defenses by notable African-American authors Ralph Ellison and James Baldwin, the novel was strongly criticised by some black Americans for its treatment of Turner as a brooding and sexually disturbed figure. Turner and one of his supporters are shown as fantasising about sexually assaulting white women. As the "myth of the black rapist", painting black men as prone to sexual violence, particularly against white women, formed a longstanding racist stereotype, and had often been an excuse for lynching black men, this aspect of the book was understandably contentious.

Related Topics:
African-American - Ralph Ellison - James Baldwin - Sexually assaulting - Racist - Stereotype - Lynching

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Despite these criticisms, Styron's novel won critical acclaim for its beautiful (if tragic) writing. Perhaps its greatest accomplishment is its portrayal of the ways in which slavery corrupted and twisted ideals such as Christianity and innocence. It won the Pulitzer prize in 1968.

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