12 Years a Slave is based on a true story which occurred in 1841 where a free African-American violinist name Solomon Northup who lived in Saratoga New York with his wife and children was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the pre- civil war under the name of Platt. He faced cruelty by many slave owners as well as unexpected kindness from others. He finds that cooperation generally gets some nowhere and sometimes gets you into trouble due to jealousy. There were times when he thought he could trust someone but they turned around and betrayed him. Along the 12 year he worked for three slave masters on plantations until one day he meets a Canadian Abolitionist Bass that promises to send a letter to his family which ultimately freed him.
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But class doesn’t just affect black, it also affects whites as well. For he examples, comparing between two of Solomon’s owners, Ford was seen as middle class he wasn’t rich and but he wasn’t poor either. Even though Epps was white he was considering lower class. Although he was financially better than others he was considered lower class because he was an alcoholic and the woman he married wasn’t what they would call classy or from their social their social status. Many did not socialize with him personally only dealt with him through business.
Status looked at in racial terms African Americans were viewed at as lower status than whites. In 12 years a slave whites were not allowed to be mixed with blacks or be to kind and friendly. If this happen they could be disowned by their own social group Culture shock
Culture shock is the disorientation that people experience when they come in contact with a fundamentally different culture. Solomon live as free, rich comfortable black man for many years. When he was sold into slavery his entire world turned upside down. He did not know a life that was different from a free one and this leads to fear as he refused to acknowledge that was not a free one and this lead to him getting whipped repeatedly which he was never accustomed to.
Gender roles
Gender roles are specific behavior that a society establishes for men and women. During slavery men and
12 Years a Slave is a slave narrative written by Soloman Northup in the 1850s that features the terrifying experiences the slave encountered in the 1940s. This extraordinary memoir had and still has a powerful voice when it comes to explaining the average slave experience. Although very heartbreaking to read, the story is an excellent source
In the book 12 Years A Slave written from a primary source by Solomon Northup based on a true story describes the triumphant journey Solomon Northup goes through as he never lost hope of regaining his freedom and resisted the dehumanization of enslavement in many ways. Solomon was born a free black man in New York in 1808 while his father, Mintus was born a slave and gained his freedom as their master passed away also inheriting their masters last name "Northup". Growing Solomon worked on a farm with his dad and soon after his dad died in 1829 he soon married a women named Anne Hampton in which they soon moved to Saratoga Springs, New York and had three children of their own. They were living like any other free person was and soon Solomon was working in many industries and Anne established herself as a cook and in the 1830 's Solomon had a reputation of being a well played violinist. In 1841 Solomon had became unemployed and was looking for an occupation, he ran into Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton in who then offers him a job in a circus playing the violin. As they arrive in Washington D.C. which is slave territory, he begins to become sick and passes out which was planned by Merrill and Abram to poison and kidnap him in the slave territory and sell him in which he soon wakes up in chains in a slave pen. Solomon 's first master was James H. Burch who he was sold by the two men who had
Solomon Northup wrote a memoir, in 1853 describing his experience as a slave for twelve years. Twelve Years a Slave has a dominant tone when describing his slavey. Northup’s diction and syntax is proof that he believes he is above slavery, although he was a black man in the early 17th century. Growing up as a free man, Northup viewed himself as above other slaves because he knew he didn’t belong in the bunch. He also thought of himself as above his masters despite the fact that he is owned by them. From the very beginning until the end, Northup continued to use this tone until he was freed and moved back to New York City.
Solomon Northup is a prime example of the cruel treatment black people received. He was deceived into thinking he was joining two fellow performers to work in Washington at a circus, but instead was drugged, kidnapped, and sold into slavery. He tries to plead his case and fight for his freedom but all he gets in return are blows to his back until he accepts his new role as a Georgia runaway slave. This is not only an example of how black people were physically abused, but also how they were psychologically abused. As soon as he is kidnapped, he is stripped away from everything he once was and everything he once knew. He is given a new name and identity and if he dared to proclaim otherwise, it would cost him his life. It is unfortunate that black men and women in the North were never actually safe, even if they were born free, they risked getting abducted and sold to slave owners in the South, just like Solomon was. Kidnapping was not the only cruel act in which black people were targeted, they were also humiliated and treated as less than a white person.
One group of events in the film that can be largely reflected upon is the slave punishments. While some scenes are extremely difficult to watch, 12 Years a
Before the Reconstruction which took place after the Civil War, many slaves began to acquire their freedom by many things, including escaping plantations, buying their freedom, or being granted freedom from their former owners. Once slaves entered the North, they were able to finally be seen as a free African American. The thing that scared African Americans the most, frequently happened, being sent back to the South into slavery. 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup gives a recap of how his life, filled with joy and freedom one day, became a living nightmare the next. Northup, a self-taught, master violin player is fooled into traveling with “gentlemen” to share his talents for a small fortune. Leaving his family behind, he decides to go with the men and once he reaches New York City, the men convince Northup to travel to Washington D.C. Solomon soon began feeling sick and one day wakes up chained in a cell. Next thing he knows, he is being sold into slavery. He lives a life of a slave for twelve years until he is rescued by Henry B. Northup, who saves Solomon while he was working in the field. Once back in his own home, Solomon writes an autobiography of his experiences. After many decades, a historical movie retelling Solomon’s autobiography was released. Throughout the movie, many differences are present. For example, the wife of Solomon’s master was portrayed to be an evil woman in the movie, but in the book not so evil. Another example is while slaves did not fight back
Northup sets out to convince readers that his account of slavery is the truth. The detailed accounts that Solomon took to recreate his slave experience proves to be effective. Solomons story takes the aspect of being a free man, to enslavement in the South. Northup uses great parallelism in his narrative, often
Slavery is a very immoral act that started in 1692. Everyone in this current day of age knows it is completely wrong. The people were treated unfairly and were viewed as unintelligent animals. The Slave Narrative of Frederick Douglass and 12 Years a Slave are very precise on how people were treated and what really happened at that time. The Slave Narrative of Frederick Douglass is about a slave that lives his life a slave and goes through many horrific acts. Throughout his life he teaches himself how to read and write, also to educate himself to become an intelligent human being that lived most of his life as a slave. The move 12 Years a Slave is about free black man in the North who was kidnapped and sold into slavery. So he was an intelligent man that became a slave. For 12 years he lived a life as a slave and worked for many different masters. After 12 years of being
The movie «12 Years a slave» is based on the book «12 Years a Slave» by Soloman Northup. It's his life story of how he got lured in a trap and kidnapped in 1841. It's about how he was sold into slavery in the south, and what happened during those 12 years a slave .
Whites have long argued that slavery was good for slaves because it civilized them and that slaves were content to be held in bondage. But such is not the case, at least not according to those who were actually held in bondage. The accounts of slavery are greatly known by emancipated or run away slaves. One recorded account of slavery is by Solomon B. Northup’s autobiography, Twelve Years a Slave which was published in 1853.
The cultural and historical significance of the film has changed and reshaped the views and cultures of African Americans with the roles that they have as a race in society as a result of the racial formation and performance portrayed in the film. The movie presents a verifiable and precise account of the collective experience of slaves in the United States of America in the late 18th century. The basic facts of the movie from the start to the finish concern events about the places, the time, and the practices that took place during the slave era in detail. The movie is inspired by a book written by David Wilson about the narrative events of Solomon Northup as a slave. Both the book and the movie share the same title. In the book, he speaks with a lot of authority on all subjects especially enslavement of black Americans and in the process, he names popular leaders as well as several other landmarks without fear of contradiction because we understand that public records have enough knowledge to defend his position. In the movie, the slave trader is accused of keeping slaves as captive in a slave pen in Washington DC. Not only is the name of the slave and the slaver mentioned, but also their accomplices in addition to the location where the slave pen is located, the structure of the slave pen, an all details that allow one to imagine the scenario that of the poor slaves had to undergo, all stacked together
After watching “Twelve Years a Slave” and reading Bazin’s essay it is clear that films that are set in the past are more theatrical than those set in the present. Movies like “Twelve Years a Slave” are acted out more like plays, which helps to make them feel more real. In Bazin’s essay he quotes Rosenkranz who states, “The characters on the screen are quite naturally objects of identification, while those on the stage are, rather, objects of mental opposition because their real presence gives them an objective reality”. This meaning that theatre performances have a real presence, which makes their existence more of a reality, compared to characters in a movie who tend to seem less real. Films set in the past often come to life much easier
According to the American Historical Association, “When asked about their intense reaction to the film, some described feeling as though they had just experienced slavery. The movie felt believable, they reported, due not only to the caption indicating its basis in fact, but because the setting and characters looked authentic” (Toplin, 1). That just goes to show how historically accurate the makers of the film were going for to show just how bad slavery really was, even if it repulses people. There are historians out there who on the record confirmed the historical accuracy of 12 Years a Slave. “At least two historians, Sue Eakin, and Joseph Logsdon, have confirmed that Northup presented a remarkably accurate picture of antebellum slavery and plantation society near the Red River in Louisiana” (Toplin, 1). For historians to say that the film is “remarkably accurate” shows the seriousness those involved went to, to ensure the historical accuracy
The Sufferings of “ 12 Years Slave”: Empathy and Brotherly Love would Have Saved the Day
In 12 Years A Slave (2013), directed by Steve McQueen, the audience is provided with an understanding of characters, place and main character’s experience through mise-en-scene and cinematography. 12 Years a Slave surrounds a black man named Solomon Northup, who was sold into slavery in the 1850’s. It is a graphic retelling of a slave’s existence in Louisiana. The specific sequence used for analysis is one where Northup attempts to escape, but stumbles upon a lynching ritual. By use of cinematography and mise-en-scene, Steve McQueen allows the audience to view slavery in its every day format, and learn that this part of history was simply a reality.