TOW #9 - Coatesville by John Jay Chapman

In his address, Coatesville, John Jay Chapman discusses the importance of human morality and the need for equality throughout America. Very disturbed by the lynching of a black man that took place in the town of Coatesville, PA in 1911, Chapman travels to the town in 1912 to recognize and remember the tragic event by holding a prayer meeting. Although only two people attended, he speaks to the entire population of the town and America and addresses the serious issue that this event highlighted. In his address, Coatesville, John Jay Chapman uses personal anecdotes and metaphor in order to emphasize his beliefs on what America needs in order to become a better place, where these awful crimes do not occur. His use of personal anecdotes have a major effect on the entire piece. He says, "I will tell you why I am here; I will tell you what happened to me. When I read in the newspapers of August 14, a year ago, about the burning alive of a human being, and of how a few desperate, fiend-minded men had been permitted to torture a man… I seemed to get a glimpse into the unconscious soul of this country…I seemed to be looking into the heart of the criminal - a cold thing, an awful thing" (72). This recounting of how he learned of the situation explains how he realized the flaws of the American people and what was needed for change to ensue. He thus continues to explain how he believed that the issue was deeply rooted with the slave trade and that the only solution was new life, life in which the human disposition in hearts and souls will change. His strategic use of metaphors also plays a significant role. He says, "The people stood like blighted things, like ghosts about Acheron, waiting for someone or something to determine their destiny for them" (72). This quote paints a very vivid and horrifying picture of the lack of action that the bystanders took while watching the lynching. He explains that one of the central issues was not only the lynching, but the fact that there were hundreds of witnesses and that no one even attempted to stop it. I believe that Chapman definitely achieved his purpose. The personal anecdotes and metaphors made the address extremely powerful and I felt that it was a very important and revolutionary text of the time. In Coatesville, John Jay Chapman attempts to address the needs of America and highlights racial issues in an extremely revolutionary way.