Slavery and Black Thunder - 8056 Words

BLACK THUNDER SUMMARY The Work Black Thunder, Arna Bontemps’ defining novel, is a fictionalized account of the early nineteenth century Gabriel Insurrection, in Virginia. The novel, which chronicles the Gabriel Prosser-led rebellion against the slave owners of Henrico County, was generally lauded by critics as one of the most significant black American works of fiction. Richard Wright praised the work for dealing forthrightly with the historical and revolutionary traditions of African Americans. Gabriel, a slave convinced that anything â€Å"equal to a grey squirrel wants to be free,† urges other slaves to revolt against their owners. The rebellion is hastened when a tyrannical slave owner whips another slave, Bundy, to death. Although the†¦show more content†¦From the Dark Tower: Afro-American Writers, 1900-1960. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1974. Chapter on Bontemps deals insightfully with Black Thunder and several of his other novels, making thoughtful comparisons among them. Illuminates the psychological validity of Bontemps’ characterizations. Gloster, Hugh M. Negro Voices in American Fiction. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1948. Still illuminating assessment of Black Thunder. Acknowledges the novel’s shortcomings, but takes no exception to A. B. Spingarn’s contention that Black Thunder is the best historical novel written (up to the mid-1940’s) by an African American. Jones, Kirkland C. Renaissance Man from Louisiana: A Biography of Arna Wendell Bontemps. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1992. The first full-length biography of Arna Bontemps. An excellent source not only for information about the man himself but also for information about the background of his works, including Black Thunder. Includes a bibliographic essay that serves as a handy guide to primary and secondary material about Bontemps. Sundquist, Eric J. The Hammers of Creation: Folk Culture in Modern African-American Fiction. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1992. Originally presented as a series of lectures, the three chapters in this book are more informally and more accessibly written than much modern literary criticism. The chapter on Black Thunder specifically focuses on Bontemps’ use of folk culture andShow MoreRelated Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is a very powerful975 Words   |  4 PagesRoll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is a very powerful novel about the Logan family living in Mississippi in the 1930s. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is a very powerful novel about the Logan family living in Mississippi in the 1930s. The story is told through the eyes of nine-year-old Cassie Logan, who has to learn throughout the entire book, how harsh the world truly is for blacks. Cassie has to learn that it is a white mans world out there, and thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article The Central Theme Of Southern Slavery 951 Words   |  4 Pages In 1928 Ulrich B. Phillips wrote an argumentative essay about the reasons for the massive support that slavery received from both slaveowners and Southerners who didn’t possess slaves. The essay was well-received and supported by critics in the 1930-s. However, closer to 1950-s critics started doubting the objectivity of Phillip’s writing. It’s important to note that Ulrich B. Phillips is a white historian from the South, writing from a perspective of a white Southerner. When he was writing hisRead More How Mildred Taylor uses the Characters and Events to show the Prejudice in Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry1405 Words   |  6 Pagesauthor of Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry clearly depicts racism in her novel. 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He was just trying to eradicate slavery and everything it stood for, and that shows what kind of person he was and speaks volumes to who he was as an individual. He was a tough person who never backed down, the best word to describe him would be a fighter, he fought for his country in a time whereRead MoreFrederick Douglass Essay841 Words   |  4 PagesFrederick Douglass once said, â€Å"If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom, and deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground, they want rain without thunder and lightning† (Think Exist). Frederick Do uglass, a man born into slavery overcame numerous obstacles to eventually become a chief abolitionist as well as a diplomat. Frederick Douglass got his hands on a book entitled â€Å"The Columbian Orator† and introduced himself to the word abolitionistRead MoreAnalysis Of The Novel The Peopling Of The Story 1144 Words   |  5 Pagesdescribes an image of a physical storm. In the text, â€Å"When it thunder an’a-lightnin’, an the wind begin to blow†¦Cause mah house fell down an’ I cain’ live there nomo’† may possibly be referring to a literal meaning of a tornado. Due to the description of the physical setting, as well as the language used in this story, my understanding of the setting in this text comes from the time period of when it was written, which is most likely the era of slavery. This also leads me to believe that the location wasRead MoreThe Intelligent Civil Rights Activist By Frederick Douglass1084 Words   |  5 PagesThe intelligent civil rights activist Frederick Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland on February 1818. His born given name, Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, seemed to be a fairytale name to an unusual life because his father was a white planation owner who was most likely Douglass s first slave master, named Captain Anthony. Possibly it was Harriet Bailey who gave her son Frederick such a distinguished name wishing that his life would be superior than hers. His mother couldn’t imagineRead MoreRoll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor Essay1545 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"There was a sinking f eeling in my stomach and I felt as if the world had turned itself upside down with me in it† (Page 129, Taylor). The author, Mildred Taylor, of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry has triumphed on writing the book while delivering the painful message of how African Americans were treated in the times of the Great Depression. Cassie has encountered many difficulties when having to accept the way she was treated outdoors along with all the other African-Americans in her society. In theRead MoreThe Slavery Of The Civil War1701 Words   |  7 Pages it was a common occurrence to witness Black families torn apart, sold off as property, and treated in hateful, vile manors in the name of a higher God. Many slave owners retained the firm belief that due to slavery being beneficial to them and the lack of clear-cut condemnation in scripture, it was a divine institution beneficial to both the slave and slave owner themselves. As a result, these ideals led to further enslavement and abuse, exp loiting Blacks so that the slave owners could capitalize