In The Confessions of Nat Turner. Thomas R. Gray attempted to supply the populace with a better apprehension of “the beginning and advancement of this awful confederacy. and the motivations which influences its devilish actors” ( Gray. 3 ) . Gray hoped to replace “a thousand idle. overdone and arch reports” with a individual. important history of the event. To make so. he had to set up that the confession was voluntary. that the transcript was accurate. and that Turner was stating the truth.
As for the earnestness and truthfulness of the captive. Gray said he cross-examined Turner and found his statement corroborated by the confessions of other captives and other fortunes. While he claims that these confessions were recorded “with small or no variation” . Gray’s long-winded debut addressed to the populace was intended to border Turner and as a psychotic scoundrel that was truly punished for his improper Acts of the Apostless against society.
In an attempt to do Turner look more sinister. Gray described Turner as being “a glooming overzealous revolving in the deferrals of his ain dark. bewildered. and distraught head. strategies of indiscriminate slaughter to the whites” ( Gray. 3 ) . Though he may non hold been every bit barbarous as Gray portrayed him to be. the description was meant to “to convey its object into a field of vision. to do that object ‘speak’ for itself convincingly and to give it organize. character. and tone” ( Browne. 319 ) .
This hideous image of Turner was intended to determine the heads of the populace in such a manner that their heads would be made up before even making Turners existent confessions. Browne points out that “by guaranting the reader of the text’s veracity… and by denominating the monstrous motivations that drove him to such workss. Gray prefigures non merely the narrative to follow but establishes the readers’ preferred stance toward it” . which given the events is a negative 1 ( Browne. 319 ) . The genuineness of this papers is something to be contested.
As a attorney working on Turner’s instance and a protagonist of bondage. Gray likely did non experience compelled to show Turner’s motivations and description of the rebellion. Grey appears to portray Turner in a manner intended both to ease the insurrection’s impact and to assistance in the strong belief of Turner for his actions. He argues that the rebellion was an stray event entirely fueled by Turner’s spiritual extremism and non revenge against the establishment of bondage. Even though Turners state of affairs was a alone one. break one’s back proprietors at the clip had to acknowledge the potency for force iven “the curious mix of societal. psychological. and racial tensenesss determining life on the antebellum plantation therefore required a certain logic with which menaces to that manner of life might be explained” ( Browne. 316 ) .
In an attempt to do the booklet even more persuasive. Gray makes another really interesting move. He claims that. “without being questioned at all. Turner commenced his narrative in the undermentioned words” ( Gray. 5 ) . By saying this. it is implied that Turner gave his histories of that dark freely and candidly and that Gray transcribed Turner’s narrative word for word.
The text of the “confession” besides suggests that neither of these statements is really accurate. While nil about the narrative suggests that Gray forced Turner into stating his narrative. Grey structures the narrative put an accent on Turner’s spiritual strong beliefs and the revolt’s malicious force. which portrayed Turner as being violently vindictive. Another interesting thing about the “confessions” is the talking manner Gray claims Turner’s confessed the events of the insurgency in.
Though Turner was an educated slave. the voice portrayed in the text is of person with a more superior instruction. The diction and overall construction used to depict the events may really good hold been those of Gray. who held a jurisprudence grade. The first line. purportedly spoken by Turner reads. “Sir you have asked me to give a history of the motivations which induced me to set about the late rebellion. as you call it” ( Gray. 5 ) . The obvious incompatibility between the voice purportedly talking and the existent linguistic communication used in this papers lessens its genuineness.
Even though the histories in this confession may non be wholly accurate. Gray’s written texts represent Turner as being steadfastly spiritual. Rather than merely depicting the events of the rebellion as they happened. the narrative delved deeper into Turner’s character. The confessions begin with a description of events from Turner’s childhood that. harmonizing to Gray. led him to believe that he destined to carry through a prognostication. Turner described himself as “uncommonly intelligent for a child” ( Gray. 6 ) .
He claims to hold learned to read with no aid. and he says that faith “principally occupied my thoughts” ( Gray. 5 ) . He besides says that he had a natural endowment for planning and leading. so that. even when he was a kid. the other black kids expected him to be after their “roguery” because of his “superior judgment” ( Gray. 5 ) . A series of godly happenings in Turner’s childhood confirmed his belief that he was “intended for some great purpose” and that he would “surely be a prophet” ( Gray. 5 ) .
He was influenced by those closest to him. including his male parent and female parent “strengthened him” in the belief of his Godhead gift. along with his grandma. “who was really religious” ( Gray. 5 ) . Turner was instructed to expect the visual aspect of a mark in the celestial spheres before pass oning his “great work” to any others. Harmonizing to Gray. an “eclipse of the Sun in February” inspired Turner to confide in four fellow slaves: Henry. Hark. Nelson. and Sam. “It was intended by us to hold begun the work of decease on the 4th July last” ( Gray. 7 ) .
Gray. who claimed to hold had small influence on Turner’s narrative. asked him at one point if he did non happen himself “mistaken” now that the prognostication which he had been called upon to carry through ended in calamity. Turner reportedly answered. “Was non Christ crucified? ” These “confessions” were intended to make a powerful. yet barbarous. image of Turner and his grounds for originating such a devastating. Gray’s description of his ain apprehensivenesss while transcribing Turners confession was intended to show the insurrection’s consequence on slave proprietors at the clip.
Gray vividly describes Turner’s grim nature as. “The composure. calculated calm with which he spoke of his late workss and purposes. the look of his fiend-like face when excited by enthusiasm. still bearing the discolorations of the blood of incapacitated artlessness about him ; clothed with shreds and covered with ironss ; yet make bolding to raise his manacled custodies to heaven. with a spirit surging above the properties of adult male ; I looked on him and my blood curdled in my veins” ( Gray. 11 ) .
Gray’s chilling reaction to Turner’s confession suggests the type of terror this papers created amongst white’s slave owners throughout assorted parts of the United States. Give the grounds. Gray’s representation of Turner is far from accurate. Gray used Turner’s voice to function his ain docket. which was to ease the impact if the rebellions and to reaffirm slave proprietors as to why bondage is justifiable.
