Men We Reaped Analysis

If a person was to take a closer look at Jesmyn Ward’s Men We Reaped, they could clearly relate to the tragedies that occurred in Delise, Mississippi. Thus, Jesmyn Ward’s novel is completely genuine and the title of the novel gives reverence to the black lives that were lost during the struggle for equality, acceptance and justice. Although the deaths in Men We Reaped occurred during a modern era, the tragedies are similar to the ones that Harriet Tubman witnessed throughout her lifetime. The events that occurred in Jesmyn Ward’s memoir have an undeniable connection to the incidents of the past. According to Harriet Tubman’s famous quote, many people were murdered for their progressive beliefs regarding slavery. It is well known that African

After the death of Lincoln, it became evident that civil rights activists would pay the ultimate price for their progressive beliefs. In Men We Reaped, Charles Joesph Martin, Jesmyn Ward’s cousin, was killed in an automobile accident, but there is a connection between Abraham Lincoln and Charles Martin. Despite the fact that they are from different eras, both of them were passionate about their beliefs. For instance, Charles dated Charine regardless of the fact that the two were cousins because he believed that love was the only important factor. Therefore, Charles died while he was still in love with his cousin and it is clear that his family’s opinions in regards to the relationship did not hinder him from being with the person he loved. Likewise, the negative responses from the people of the South did not change President Lincoln’s mindset about slavery. Furthermore, the deaths of the two men share the same

During the summer of 1831, a slave preached led a group of black people throughout Southampton County, Virginia and these blacks were a part of the largest slave revolution in the history of the United States of America (Williams, 2012). The infamous force behind the rebellion was Nat Turner and he succeeded in his plans by influencing the other African slaves of his community. However, Nat Turner was eventually captured during the revolt and he was hung for his crimes. The story of Nat Turner does not appear to relate to the tragedies in Men We Reaped, but it does. Before the death of Jesmyn Ward’s friend Roger Daniels III occurred in the novel, the readers were introduced to a few of Roger’s demons and it becomes clear that his death may have been caused by his own actions. Regardless of the fact that Roger and Nat may have searched out trouble in their mistakes, it appears that fate does not show any mercy in regards to black men. Both of the black men made terrible decisions, but the odds were against them from the start. For example, Nat Turner’s actions were gruesome, but he was a slave and there was no hope from the beginning of his life to the end. Thus, Nat Turner believed that the slave rebellion would make a change and he even risked his own life to spark a revolution. Additionally, Turner’s sins against humanity and