In his powerful abolitionist essay, 19th Century author David Walker is forceful and unyielding in his argument that the enslavement of Africans by Europeans and their descendants is categorically wrong by every humanistic standard. From the essay’s provocative (and some say incendiary) title “David Walker’s Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World, but in Particular, and Very Expressly, to Those of the United States of America,” and throughout its scholarly and fiery pages it is clear that Walker authors not only an abolitionist bible but a literary classic. Basing my discussion upon James Turner’s definition of a literary classic, I will argue that the quality of Walker’s didactic literary style raises the work above its original intent: a vehicle to advance the end of enslavement, to establish “The Appeal” as a classic worthy of study throughout the ages.

In the introduction to David Walker’s “Appeal”, writer James Turner defines a classic as such: the work must articulate a particular genius, address universal human needs and elevate the universal intellect (Walker 9). In all areas, Walker’s work fulfills this criterion, and because of his brilliance a

That Walker’s work is persuasive is clear from historical records. For written evidence shows that “The Appeal” provided a shot in the arm to the abolitionist movement, for according to Turner, it “crystallized the universal principles against slavery, and its influence was a crucial impetus to the antislavery crusade and its coherence and organization as a movement” (Walker 9). The nature of the theme advanced in the four-part “Appeal” -- enslavement and abolition -- should not to be considered the dominant factor in declaring “The Appeal” a literary classic, for indeed one can point to many other historical documents whose intent was to dismantle the slave state.

Walker’s skill became evident from the moment his preamble hit the streets in pre-Civil War America. Clearly, his study, comprehension and articulation of multiple disciplines was a feat not easily matched by even the white scholars of his day, who were imbued with the right to read and write for as many centuries as the African had been disenfranchised. According to Turner, Walker’s appeal belied,

In these first words of his preamble, Walker already establishes that this work has much to offer. Firstly, he underscores his meticulous research and study of this topic, which of course, qualifies him to expound on its constituent parts. Secondly, it is immediately evident that his flair for the dramatic would render this a very powerful argument, in that he uses his words in a manner not necessarily conforming to the conventions of the written page, but more in-keeping with a powerful speech from the mouth of a fiery personality at a lectern. Consequently, when he delivers his most “accurate observations” that Africans are the most “degraded, wretched, and abject set of beings that ever lived since the world began” (21), the words have even more muscle because of the implicit dramatic tonality of the words propel them off the written page and into the annals of literary brilliance. Indeed, it is very applicable when reading Walker to envision him as Christopher Pearse Cranch’s se

Some topics in this essay:
Central Walker’s, Literary Terms, Malcolm X’s, Jews Irish…, Pearse Cranch’s, Turner Walker’s, James Turner, Indeed Walker’s, James Turner’s, Roman Slaves, “the appeal”, literary classic, walker’s appeal, indeed walker’s, wretched abject set, according turner, preamble walker, written page, turner’s definition, walker 9, didactic literature, abject set lived, set lived world,