Solomon Northup Character Analysis

In Robert Nye’s book, Unferth is portrayed as an antagonist, a character in a story that is an enemy to the protagonist, because he gets excited about Grendel’s massacres and tries to ruin Beowulf’s reputation and status by lying about him. According to Robert Nye’s book, Unferth says “Aloud, he praised King Hrothgar’s courage. Silently, he drank a toast to the demon Grendel.(pg.13)” This shows that Unferth celebrates Grendel and his killing. Unferth also says “You tried to drown your friend because he was a better swimmer than you!(pg30)”. This shows Unferth is supporting the demon Grendel instead of the hero Beowulf.

When you think of a good life you definitely don’t think of Max Vandenburg. Max was a good Jewish man, he was just on a rough path. In his time staying with the Hubermanns, Max did change into a new person.

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 was born as a freeman; he lived with his wife and two children in New York early 19th century. He was a great musician who played violin. One day in the year of 1841, Northup received an offer for a job in Washington D.C. from two white guys, Brown and Hamilton. Northup gladly accepted the offer and travelled with them to Washington D.C. However, he was drugged and kidnapped to a slave jail where he woke up with chains on his arms and legs. Northup tried to explain to the jail guard that he is a freeman from New York but people insisted that he is a slave from Georgia. Northup was then shipped down to the South where he lived with the name Platt and was sold to William Ford, a priest and also a plantation owner. While working as a slave, Platt gave Ford a brilliant idea on how to transport logs faster. Ford loved the idea and then rewarded him his favorite thing, the violin. However as Platt gaining favor from Ford, he angered Tibeats, one of the masters in the house. Because Platt didn’t listen to what Tibeats instructed, tension between these two increasing over time. In the end, they both fought. Tibeats with his friends tried to hang Platt up but then, this poor guy was saved by Ford and the slave guard.

Solomon Northup was born free, in Minerva, New York in 1808. Northup became known in his community as an exceptional fiddle player. When two men approached Northup and offered him good wages to go to Washington DC, to play in a travelling music show, he quickly accepted. Solomon Northup was drugged, kidnapped, captured, and sold into slavery. He served for many masters; some were violent and cruel while others treated him humanely. Solomon Northup experienced shear torture, cruelty, and the loss of his dignity, throughout his many years as a slave. After many years, he came in contact with an abolitionist, who sent letters to Northup’s family to notify them of his life and status. He was soon rescued from Louisiana and freed as a slave.

Solomon Northup was a free African American man from Minerva, New York. In the novel Twelve Years a Salve, Northup composed a narrative about his life as a free man, and also his life as a slave. In the year of 1814 Northup was kidnapped and taken deep South, to the rugged life of slavery. After 12 years of being thrown into the slavery against his will, he rightfully regained his freedom in January of 1853 all because he came in contact with an abolitionist from Canada, who sent letters to his family about his situation.

He was not born into slavery; so his mind was not as institutionalized to slavery. Yet he kept his family, and his life back home to his heart with the dreams of escaping back to freedom Northup clearly articulates his feelings in the passage, “ although at all times cherishing the warmest emotions of kindness, and even of affection towards the family, in whose house he had been a bondsman, he nevertheless comprehended the system of Slavery, and dwelt with sorrow on the degradation of his race. He endeavored to imbue our minds with sentiments of morality, and to teach us to place our, trust and confidence in Him who regards the humblest as well as the highest of his creatures. How often since that time has the recollection of his paternal counsels occurred to me, while lying in a slave hut in the distant and sickly regions of Louisiana, smarting with the undeserved wounds which an inhuman master had inflicted, and longing only for the grave which had covered him, to shield me also from the lash of the oppressor.” ( 20, Northup). The memories of Northup kept him in the mindset that he could escape to freedom. Platt used his witty skills to create a plan of

Solomon was without work and needed to find a job to help support his family. He is over the moon excited when he finds out that the job he took was not the job he signed up for. He was drugged, kidnapped, and held as a slave. The way that it was spoken about when he first got there made you understand that people turning slaves in by tricking them was not unheard of. Brown and Hamilton promised Northup he would meet the circus in New York City, they promised he’d meet the circus in Washington D.C., they promised him high wages, they promised a quick departure from Washington D.C., then “postponed” it, forcing Northup to stay longer than planned in slave territory. These were all lies told. They even sat there and promised him safety in slave territory, but when he was drugged and Brown and Hamilton disappeared leaving him behind. He was a free man, rules are rules, and he should not have been taken. This however shows you that people don’t always play by the rules. However, it was very abrupt of him at the same time. He needed money to support his family and because of that he didn’t really look as deep into the job proposition as he could have.

Ford was known as being very kind to Solomon. However, William Prince Ford had to give Solomon back to the slave market due to finances. Northup’s second owner was John M. Tibaut who was very brutal to Solomon. Northup was later rescued by Ford’s overseer, Andrew Chafin. He was then sent to Edwin Epps and was a slave under him for the next ten years. His owner, Edwin Epps, put Solomon in charge over the rest of the slaves. Solomon tried many times to escape, but was never successful. Finally, in June of 1852, he was able to send letters to his friends and family back home in New York. In these letters, he told them where he was and all that had happened to him. In November of 1852, there was a widespread search in order to find Solomon. Solomon was found in the same year. On January 4, 1853, Solomon legally obtained total freedom. He was then reunited with his family and friends.

Northup found it necessary to do so when a slave dealer told him he was a slave. After his slave dealer rejected the fact that he was free, Northup explains, “I was no man’s slave, and insisted upon his taking off my chains at once,” (Northup 17). Northup refuses to fall into the slave dealer’s lies knowing that if he did not try there would be no way in succeeding. Throughout the book he continues to stand up for himself and his other workers, refusing to follow the orders of his overseers. Similarly, Douglass was not the most obedient slave either. Upon being sent to Mr. Covey, a man known for breaking in slaves, he did not come to best terms with him. One morning as Douglass was called in to feed the horses Mr. Covey followed along with a whip. Douglass anticipating what would happen, sprung onto Mr. Covey, engaging in a wrestle with him. Mr. Covey asks if he meant to resist and Douglass replies, “I did, come what might; that he had used me like a brute for 6 months, and that I was determined to be used so no longer,” (Douglass 42). Douglass, who was tired of being treated this way decides to stand up against his master. He even goes as far as to attack him, though Douglass had full knowledge of the severe consequences. Being aware of what masters could do to slaves, both Douglass and Northup refused to be treated that way.They

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

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

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

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: