Nat Turner

Nathaniel Turner was born into slavery in the American South in the year 1800. The author, William Styron, grew up near one of the plantations where Turner lived, and became fascinated from a young age by this "Black Spartacus" who fought for freedom and the end of white dominion over people of color in this country. Nat Turner is seen as a hero by many people today, but at the time of the uprising, he was viewed as an evil lunatic by the horrified white Southerners.

Part of the criticism that Styron faced for writing The Confessions of Nat Turner stems from his depiction of Nat as a man who believed God spoke to him and called upon him to kill the white slave-owners. Naturally, many people of faith think that the idea of God promoting violence is insane and that Styron's depiction of Turner is a portrait...