12 Years A Slave By Solomon Northup

At the beginning of the movie, Solomon Northrup, while his wife and kids are on a trip, was invited by fellow performers to play the violin at circus events with a generous pay for doing so. He ate dinner with these performers and then woke up in chains. It turns out that the men who invited him to perform ended up drugging him and taking him to slave hunters, claiming he was Platt, a runaway slave from Georgia. Northrup and others either accused of being slaves or actual slaves traveled by carriage and ship until he and Eliza, an actual slave and mother, were sold to Master Ford, making Solomon Northrup a slave. At the end of the movie, Solomon’s second owner, Master Epps, hired a Canadian man to help build a gazebo near his house. Since the Canadian outwardly admitted his belief in racial equality, Northrup asked him to do one favor: send some letters he would write to people he knew as an attempt to tell people of

12 Years a Slave is a historical drama, directed by Steve McQueen, which was released in 2014. The film won best picture at the 87th Academy Awards, and budgeted over 187 million dollars worldwide at the box office. The brutally violent film is about a slave named Solomon Northup, and all his struggles through being a slave. It starts with Northup thinking that he was offered a job, but instead is brought into slavery. Perhaps the most despicable character shown throughout the film is Edwin Epps. He not only beats his slaves, but is also shown frequently raping Patsey, who is also a slave. One of the characters in the film, Samuel

Solomon Northup is a free black man. One day while he was out at the park, he was approached by a man, and the man introduced him to two men. The two men offered Northup a job, and Northup was without work so he accepted. At first, things were going well, then one night Northup was not feeling well. He went to bed because he thought that he could sleep off this illness. When he woke, up he was shackled and chained. Northup initially thought that there was a misunderstanding of some sort. He soon realized that there was no misunderstanding and he was now a slave. Northup tried to tell the men that took him that he was free, but he would only get whipped for it. They threatened Northup, “He swore that he

to work in sugarcane plantations. Solomon was put in charge of a gang of up to 100 slaves for three years. The only time the slaves got off on Epps’ plantation was three days around Christmas. One plantation in the area hosted a celebration for all the slaves from the surrounding area. Solomon was called upon to play his violin at the celebration. The celebrations were usually happy and everyone looked nice and there were even marriages, but it only existed for three days of the year. Solomon became a driver on Epps’ plantation. Drivers were black slaves who helped the white overseer and were forced to whip some of the slaves in their gang. Solomon was very reluctant to do this but still did it without letting up when Epps was around. If Epps

Retold by Solomon Northup (and edited by David Wilson), Twelve Years A Slave is a memoir and slave narrative that captured the author 's incredible story- he was a free black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold to the Southern of the United States as a subject to slavery from 1841 to 1853 before being rescued by the efforts of his family and friends. Using detailed imagery to recounted Northup 's arduous experience as a slave, the book eloquently exposed important controversies associated with slavery to the public during the years leading up to the Civil War, which eventually abolished slavery nationwide.

Edwin Epps was a cruel man that ruled over his slaves with an iron fist. Solomon tried to pay a white man, who came to work on the plantation, to mail a letter to his family to let them know where he was and to help him. The man betrayed Solomon and told Epps about the letter, luckily Solomon convinced Epps that the man was a drunkard and liar. Eventually, a man named Bass with Canadian origins, came to build Epps a house on the plantation. Bass tells Solomon (2014), “I’m tired of Slavery as well as you. If I can succeed in getting you away from here, it will be a good act that I shall like to think of all my life. And I shall succeed, Platt; I’m bound to do it” (p. 121). The persistence of Bass and Solomon

Before President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, claiming a human being as property was the norm—slavery was completely acceptable. As portrayed in the film 12 Years A Slave, main character Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Throughout his twelve year, heartbreaking, journey as a slave, Solomon is stripped of his name, beaten, overworked, belittled, and dehumanized. Taking a sociological view of Solomon’s experiences, can lead to a different perspective than the average person interpreting scenes from this film. This essay will concentrate on theoretical perspectives, social/cultural context, sociological concepts, and one research method.

This man, the first owner of Solomon “Platt” Northup, was revealed in the early part of the book and the movie. He plays a major role in the story because of how he treated Solomon and how he held him captive in Washington D.C. He treated Solomon very harshly and he also didn’t let him speak very much. All of these things occur around the first beginning of the book and affects Solomon’s life as the story goes on.

After Solomon arrives on a sugar cane plantation, his master, William Ford (Benedict Cumberbatch), gathers all the slaves to read scripture and deliver a sermon in which he quotes from Luke 17:2, “It were better for him that a millstone was hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea than that he should offend one of these little ones.” Another example of When Solomon is sold to Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), the oppressive owner of a cotton plantation, the commentary deepens. Epps quotes Luke 12:47 to his slaves: “And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.” He then shuts the Bible and says, “That’s scripture.” Epps takes this verse literally and whips the slaves who pick the least amount of cotton each day. When he has a good harvest, Epps attributes it to “righteous living”; when the crops die, he claims it must be a “biblical plague” brought on by his slaves’ unrighteousness. Both slaves members are using the bible as a source for justifying exploitative systems of

12 Years a Slave details the life of Solomon Northup and his experience as a slave on plantations in Louisiana. He was illegally captured and sold by a slave trader, James Burch while traveling with his violin skills. He was sold to Ford, the master who he is most fond of. He was then sold to Tibbits, who was randomly violent towards Solomon. He had many fights with him, even whipping him once. Lastly, he was sold to Epps. He was the most violent towards Solomon. He was made to whip his fellow slaves. When Bass, a contractor hired by Epps came to the plantation, Solomon made a third attempt to send letters home to Saratoga Springs. Lawyers eventually came to free Solomon. Many historians view the book as an important historical account as

Solomon is assigned to work with Bass and discovers that he is from Canada. He overhears Bass and Epps having friendly arguments about the benefits and evils of slavery. Bass proves to be a faithful friend and secretly sends letters on Northup’s behalf. Bass becomes Solomons only hope to achieving freedom. Not only does Bass represent hope, but more specifically the hope to abolish the fraudulent system of slavery. Bass is portrayed as the most honorable, faithful white man Solomon Northup, other than Ford, encounters during his years as slave in the South. He is described as generous, pleasant, good-natured, and loyal. Bass is an intelligent individual who stand up in arguments with Edwin Epps, against the idea of slavery, while avoiding to

The relationship between Solomon and Mr. Epps demonstrates a stereotypical though of how the Old South slave masters treated their slaves. However, it is the relationship between Solomon and Mr. Ford that demonstrates to everyone how one can overcome the stereotypical outlook and instead do what is right not only by society, but also by everyone else. It is through both of these relationships that the viewers can see how Solomon displayed true honor and integrity (through never giving up on his capability of reaching freedom) and through his bravery (of displaying his beliefs and thoughts to the masters about how slaves should truly be treated in life). Solomon Northup becomes an outstanding leader, as he displays how it is important to overcome the stereotypical aspects and instead be the person whom God created you to be in

“12 Years a Slave” by Solomon Northup is a memoir and slave narrative edited by David Wilson based on a true story. This book tells the story of Northup a free black man who was born in New York. Northup gets tricked to go to Washington D.C. and Northup gets kidnapped and sold to slavery in the Deep South. For 12 years he was cover and taken to Louisiana. In secret, he was able to get information to his friends and family in New York, and they secured his release with state aid.In the narration by Solomon gives details about the slave market of Washington D.C and Louisiana and all slaves were treated in the plantations. He narrates the major struggles to survive and maintain his dignity.He writes the struggles that he faced violent treatment,harassment,racism and white privilege.This book had been eye-opening according to reviews from The New York Times and Rolling Stone.

In his true-life narrative "Twelve Years a Slave," Solomon Northup is a free man who is deceived into a situation that brings about his capture and ultimate misfortune to become a slave in the south. Solomon is a husband and father. Northup writes:

Northup and others were to be shipped to New Orleans. New Orleans had the biggest slave market in the South. It was a place no slave ever wanted to encounter. Before arriving in New Orleans, they made frequent stops at other slave pens to resupply goods and acquire more slaves. Escape always came to mind while on the ship but never came to fruition, as opportunity was lost. Arriving in New Orleans Northup was given the name “Platt” and placed in another slave pen similar to that in Washington. While in the pen they were to be kept in a presentable manner, washed, shaved and dressed in a cheap suit everyday. Slaves were instructed in moving to their spots and “looking smart”. Each slave was to stand in their spot while potential buyers viewed and analyzed them thoroughly. Northup became well known for his violin skills, so much so that Freeman was able to exploit such skills in pricing. However, after being exposed to small pox earlier from another slave, Northup got deathly ill and was rushed to the hospital, decreasing his value. Though still weak, he returned to the slave pen where he was sold to Mr. William Ford.