Essay Questions

How is heavenly intercession emerging as one of the main themes in the book?

Nat Turner claims that his powers to lead a rebellion are from God, but he gives credit to himself. Tuner tries to compare himself with Moses in the Bible, who led the Israelites from the hands of Pharaoh. Despite being a slave child, people told Tuner that he would be a prophet. When the time came to lead slaves against their masters, Tuner was the key mastermind. Many people died during the rebellion, but Tuner argues that he is not to blame

How ironic are Tuner’s confessions?

Turner compares himself to Moses, but his actions contradict his divine intervention. Despite slaves believing that Turner is the holy one, who serves the living God, Turner knows that his actions contradict God's ways. Unlike Moses, who served God and gave Him credit in every aspect, Turner believes that his power enables him to free the slaves. Therefore, Turner's confessions reveal that he is not a faithful servant of God, and he cannot be compared to Moses as he claims.

Is Turner's revolution efficacious?

Nat Turner is an angry man who wants to revenge for all the wrongs he went through as a slave. The primary aim of Turner's uprising is to punish the slave owners because they once mistreated him. However, Turner does not have enough army to fight off the slave owners. Turner manages to convince slaves that God has sent their only salvation and him to save them. Unfortunately, the uprising fails because Tuner does not have the divine powers he purports to have.