1

Read The Confessions of Nat Turner and analyze how Nat Turner is represented within the document. Use textual evidence to support your reading. After analyzing what kind of person Nat Turner appears to be, provide your interpretation of how this document could be used in the context of slavery. To elaborate on your thought, you may want to use the following questions as prompts:

What kind of person is Nat Turner in this text? What characteristic can you find or is emphasized? You may want to pay attention to the fact that the document is written by Thomas R. Gray and he uses specific words to describe the incident and Nat Turner. Can you tell which words may belong to Gray’s? What seems to be missing or what would you want to know more? How does that omission affect your perceptions of Nat Turner as a person? What kind of effect do you think this document would have on readers?

2

Select one of the questions and answer for your Daily Post.

1) With the new development in the murder case of Mrs. Ochiltree, analyze what this whole incident leaves afterward. For example, what does Mr. Delamere do and what happens to him in Chapter 27? You may want to pay close attention to images used to describe him to analyze how the conclusion of the murder case affects him and his belief. Or how does a mob react to the conclusion of the murder case? Chapter 28 describes what remains after the incident surrounding Sandy and Mrs. Ochiltree. How does “public sentiment” affect the issue of racial discrimination and the legal system?

2) Probably it is time that we talked about Jerry. What is the importance of this character in the novel? You may want to take into account past sections as well as today’s to analyze what his behavior and attitude tells about one aspect of interracial relationships. You may feel an impulse to judge this person. Why? Is he just a simple character or can we find anything complicated in his perceptions of the situation?

3) In Chapter 30 and 31, Olivia learns an important fact about his father and Julia. Use evidence to analyze how this learning affects her. What changes in her understanding and perceptions of the situation? What still seems to be assumed by her own bias?

4) Create your own discussion question. You need to pose an open-ended question that would stimulate your classmates’ thoughts (e.g. “What is the importance of the concept of . . . ?” “How does this conversation complicate our understanding of . . . ?”) To give a concrete foothold for your classmates, explain which passage or scene led to your discussion question. Suggesting how you may answer the question or even explaining what you find interesting/confusing/strange will help your classmates to respond in a specific manner.