The content of these sermons was often consistent with themes from the Old Testament concentrating on deliverance, such as Moses and Joshua, which were the same stories that the white slaveholders wanted to shield from the minds of their slaves. ... However, in the minds of blacks, America took on the role of Egypt in the Exodus story and is well illustrated the words of Maria Stewart, a free black reform activist: America, America, foul and indelible is thy stain! ... The slaves, to prove to them that freedom was a promise of God, used the stories of Exodus, the Promised Land, and Canaan. ...

• Word Count: 1954
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

What often makes his stories interesting, and sometimes fascinating, is that the characters are capable of being surprised and overwhelmed by something they learn in the course of the story. ... Don't ask me why: in 1927 colored asked fewer questions than they do now."" ... In letting a rural black woman with little education tell a story that affirms the value of her heritage, Walker articulates what has since become two central themes in her writing: the importance of the quilt in her work and the creation of African American Southern women as subjects in their own right. "I did somethi...

• Word Count: 905
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate