An Analysis Of Solomon Northup 's 12 Years A Slave Essay

The book’s first chapter, “The Meaning of Slave Religion”, explores how the conversion of African slaves in the British colonies of North America to Christianity became an

The act of violence also contributes to the dehumanization and the “breaking down” of the slaves. Slaves were beaten, and whipped daily, subjected to cruel torture. Northup describes these acts of violence in his narrative very vividly.

“Not only did slaves believe that they would be chosen by the Lord, there is evidence that many of them felt their owners would be denied salvation” (34). Levine claimed that the slaves uses their beliefs and religion as a “means of escape and opposition” because it gave them a “serious alternative to the societal system created by southern slaveholders” (54.)

Douglass’s narrative is a courageous work, as it confronts the slavery institution, and the misuse of Christianity by the slave owners

The brutality that slaves endured form their masters and from the institution of slavery caused slaves to be denied their god given rights. In the "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," Douglass has the ability to show the psychological battle between the white slave holders and their black slaves, which is shown by Douglass' own intellectual struggles against his white slave holders. I will focus my attention on how education allowed Douglass to understand how slavery was wrong, and how the Americans saw the blacks as not equal, and only suitable for slave work. I will also contrast how Douglass' view was very similar to that of the women in antebellum America, and the role that Christianity played in his life as a slave and then

Many people believe that Christians played a great role in abolishing slavery. However, Douglass’ ideas about religion and its connection to slavery shine a light on the dark side of Christianity. Douglass’ account of his own life is a very eloquent first hand retelling of the suffering and cruelty that many slaves were going through. His account gives a detail of the ills that were committed against the slaves. The atrocities committed by the various different masters varied in intensity depending on the masters’ individual personality (Glancy 42). This first hand narrative gives us a glimpse in to the connection between religion (Christianity) and slavery.

After years of enslavement, the African slaves became Americanized and later converted to African-Americans, understanding English but not all could read or write English. The master’s thought their slaves Christianity; the stories of Moses, Jesus and the Bible in whole. The slaves endure hardship after hardship, that today Americans couldn’t hold the strength capacity to survive. The slaves had white masters that looked at them as nothing more than cattle or property; not all but most. The slaves were field workers of inhuman tolerances, house workers, toys for the master’s children, and forced sexual objects (rape). The slaves may have not known yet how to physically escape the endeavors of their white slave master’s but

So many people wanted slaves, especially in the South. They had more farms than they could handle on their own. Northern owners wanted them because they would have to do less work. Very few owners treated their slaves nicely and paid them to do work around the house. They would not be treated like family but would get treated a whole lot better than your “typical slave.” Those kinds of circumstances occurred more in the Northern states than the Southern states.

Douglass proves how ingrained Christianity is in slave culture as he takes biblical stories and writes about them in the context of his life. For instance, when discussing the minimal amount of food on the plantations, he recalls a garden that slaves often stole from. He writes, “This garden was not the least source of trouble on the plantation. Its excellent fruit was quite a temptation to the hungry...Scarcely a day passed, during the summer, but that some slave had to take the lash for stealing fruit” (15-16). This subtle allusion to the parable of Adam and Eve and original sin exemplifies the strong influence religion had on slaves’ daily lives, exceedingly so that Douglass cannot help but write about his experiences in a biblical sense. This appeals to ethos by substantiating his theological knowledge so that when he starts to question religion in the south, his audience is sure that he is qualified to be speaking on the subject since he is familiar with the material and views his life in a religiously conscious way. At the time, it was imperative for Douglass to prove his credibility because of the stereotype that slaves were uneducated. In doing this, he inadvertently strengthens his argument as he had to prove his worth, in order to get people to listen to him because he was African-American and thought to be lesser than a white person. Douglass recalls religion’s effects on his master, Captain Auld, by describing his new behavior after returning from a religious camp meeting revival. He writes, “Prior to his conversion, he relied upon his own depravity to shield and sustain him in his savage barbarity; but after this conversion, he found religious sanction and

The film 12 Years a Slave, an adaptation of the 1853 autobiography by a slave named Solomon Northup, depicts his everyday life after his rights and freedoms are ripped away. Through the unpleasant slave auction scenes to the sickening slave punishments, 12 Years a Slave is a heartbreaking story that unfortunately conveys the harsh truth on the issues surrounding slavery. Consequently, during the film there are many themes and events that trigger different thoughts and reactions varying between viewers, and importantly a better understanding of Solomon Northup’s story and slavery itself.

After reading Solomon Northup's Twelve Years A Slave, I was overwhelmed with his experience. He was born a free man in New York in 1808. In 1841 he was tricked, captured, and sold into slavery in Washington, D.C. Throughout his book, Solomon goes into details describing his life as a slave, which validates our critique of slavery. As abolitionists, it is our duty to do something about slavery. Although, as abolitionists, we have a history of disagreements among us, it time to put a stop to our arguments and start fighting for something we all believe in - to abolish slavery. While the growing cotton economy has made slavery more attractive than ever before to most southern people, slavery has to be abolished based on these reasons:

Fredrick Douglass and Henry Melville both critique Christianity as it was practiced in 19th-century America. Douglass illuminates the aspect of Christianity in relation to the way Christians also uphold the institution of slavery. He views it has ironic that those who claim the Christian faith also believe that there is nothing wrong in the practice of slavery. Douglass questions how one can be a true Christian and still not see that slavery in morally and religiously wrong. He ultimately critiques the way people practice the faith and still uphold slavery. Douglass goes as far to say that the slave master’s even become crueler when they find religion, because then they feel as if they can do no wrong. As Douglass states in relation to slavery and religion, “Here we have religion and robbery the allies of each other – devils dressed in angels’ robes, and hell presenting the semblance of paradise.”

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:

The violence slaves endured was the most vivid representation in Douglass’ portrayal of slavery in the South. No emotion or rage was held back by slaveholders and no pity or sympathy was put forth either. Cruelty and abuse were the only means of control the slaveholders believed would keep order. The pain inflicted upon these individuals, even to the point of death in some cases, fueled the typical master’s obsession with domination and power. However, throughout Douglass’s turmoil, his religious faith remained exceptionally strong. At times he found himself questioning how might his God allow him to endure such grueling circumstances, but he never let his curiosity hinder his faith. He also questioned how a man could call himself a Christian and yet treat another human being in such a humane manner. Douglass could never comprehend how the slaveholders were able to justify slavery through their faith and church as some of his “owners” did.

Solomon’s Northup ‘12 Years a Slave’ is an autobiography book that narrates his life journey in regaining his freedom as a freeman. He emphasizes the concept of racism and freedom in his ‘12 Years a Slave’. This essay explores the research question “How does Northup portray the concept of racism and freedom in the novel ‘12 Years A Slave’?”. This essay begins with an introduction that outlines the background of racism and freedom in the novel and how the novel has provided detailed information that helps in analyzing. The essay continues with outlines of racism that occurs during 1840’s. The main analysis is included in the body; racism during Solomon’s abduction, how were they treated by his masters, what were his thoughts and