Fires Of Jubilee

Fires Of Jubilee

Fires of Jubilee Response Paper
In the book Fires of Jubilee Stephen B. Oates writes a sad tragic story about a brave man names Nathaniel Tuner.   Born into slavery and his fight to be free Nat turner was willing to do anything, even commit murder to gain his freedom which ironically leads to his own death.   Just by the title alone the reader can grasp the chaos, trouble and havoc brewing.
My overall impression of the book was actually quite sad and depressing. Stephen B. Oates talks about what it was like being a young slave and all the hardships Nat had to go through.   In part one “This Infernal Sprit of Slavery” Oates talks about what life was like for Nat and other slave boys under the age of twelve living on the plantation, “in those carefree years before the working age of twelve when a slave boy could romp and run about the plantation with uninhibited glee…Nat and the other children---white and black alike---played together” (Stephen B.) It seemed carefree. All the children played together they didn’t seem to care about what the color of their skin was. Nat was a very smart boy and many of the other slaves believed he was destined for greatness.
Part two “Go Sound the Jubilee”. It was so frustrating to read about what Nat Turner was going through he would spend days by himself reading the bible and not eating and how he got visions sent to him by God. “Holy Ghost revealed itself and Nat at last understood the meaning of these miracles. ‘For as the blood of Christ has been shed on this earth, and has ascended to heaven for the salvation of sinners, and was now returning to earth again in the form of dew---and as the leaves on the trees bore the impression of the figures I had seen in the heavens, it was plain to me that the Savior was about to lay down the yoke he had born for the sins of men and the great day of judgment was at hand.” (Stephen B.) All Nat wanted to do was to change his destiny he wanted to be free like he thought all slaves should be....