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Analysis Of The Movie 12 Years A Slave By Steve Mcqueen

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The movie 12 Years a Slave, directed by Steve McQueen, depicts a free black man, Solomon Northup, from New York who was drugged and kidnapped in order to be sold into slavery in the pre-Civil War South. The movie is filled with powerful scenes and moments of tension that portray the cruel, gruesome years that millions of slaves experienced. For the next twelve years of Solomon’s life, the movie illustrates how he became a piece of property under several different masters. Solomon spent the bulk of these twelve years with a cotton plantation owner named Edwin Epps, who reveals the unbearable treatment of slaves. A dramatic change occurs in the twelfth year where Solomon meets an abolitionist from Canada, eventually leading to Solomon’s freedom. 12 Years a Slave accurately shows the daily life of slaves that many of us are familiar with, along with little details that were shocking. When thinking about slavery, some of the first things that pop into our heads are the brutal labor (mostly cotton picking), lack of proper food, no resources available for reading or writing, close sleeping arrangements, masters raping their slaves, and barbaric beatings and whippings. Including all of these instances, the movie additionally contains appalling moments that many of us may not have been completely aware of. It includes occasions where families are torn apart from each other, losing the hope of ever seeing one another again. Moreover, slaves are constantly receiving beatings for

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