12 Years A Slave Odyssey

The changes of slavery shown through American history from the eighteenth and nineteenth-century, dealing with the horrific brutality and inhumane treatment accepted by much of society, all of the way up to present day, as we just recently had America’s first black president Barrack Obama elected in 2008, show drastic improvements on a national crisis that can be heavily credited to the great historical abolitionist of their time and even still the modern day abolitionists continuing to fight. The abolitionist movement was not simply pushed forward by groups of individuals who agreed on the basis that slavery and what was going on at the time was wrong, but instead was heavily impacted by key individuals who typically had experienced first person what it was like on the side of the chained captive workers who were seen as nothing more than mere property they owned. And while for a multitude of those held captive the only life they

The film 12 Years is an accurate and verifiable account of the common slave experience in the United States in the antebellum South. 12 Years a Slave is set in the mid to late 1800s and tells a true life story of the life of Solomon Northup a free Black man sold south into slavery. He was the son of an emancipated slave. Northup was from upstate New York, and was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Northup lived, worked, and was married in upstate New York, where his family resided. He was a multifaceted laborer and also an accomplished violin player. He was subjected to the cruelty for the next twelve years while he survived as the human property of several different slave masters, He continually struggled to survive and maintain some of his dignity. Then in the 12th year of the disheartening ordeal, a chance meeting with an abolitionist from Canada he was was finally freed and is taken home. After being unsuccessful in prosecuting his kidnappers, Northup continues upriver to New York, where he is finally reunited with his family and where he meets his grandson, Solomon Northup Staunton, for the first time. In the end, Northup gives one final, powerful argument against the evils of the slave industry, pointing not to rhetoric or debates, but lifting up his own life story as a vivid commentary for viewers to consider. The main idea of the book was to share with the reader and give

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

When you think of slavery and how the experience of being a slave must have been like, you might think of picking cotton, or a cruel overseer who lashed slaves regularly. And while it’s true that many slaves experienced something along these lines, the slave narratives of the library of Congress illustrate that every slave’s story is a little different. The story of Solomon Northup, portrayed in his book 12 Years A Slave, is one much different from other slave narratives, such as the story of Amos Gadsden. The two stories differ in the way the stories are told, the men’s experiences as slaves and in their slaveowners.

There are several personal slavery narratives that account of all the horrors of slavery. An example is Solomon Northup’s autobiography, 12 Years a Slave, which provides a personal account of slavery, all the violent and gory aspects that enslavement holds, and the terrible acts of people who dishonored the attributes of a true American. Northup describes in vivid detail the dreadful actions committed against him. Published in 1853, the autobiography has lost momentum over the years, but was recently revived by Steve McQueen’s 2013 film adaptation.

12 Years a Slave is an emotionally driven movie and book that exemplifies the painful truths of slavery. Slaves were killed, raped, hanged, and were viewed as property with no heart or soul. The scenes of beatings taken place, and slaves being hung, will make any hearted witness grimace and cringe in despair. This particular genre of entertainment is needed in order to inform and teach the history and stories behind the slave trade. It gives a vivid insight of how my ancestors were mistreated and felt the burning of hell every day. Solomon said, “He could not compare to nothing else than the burning agonies of hell” (45). We talk about slavery and how cruel it was, but I would not know unless I actually had to experience it myself. I’m not a voyeur of slavery, but I am a spectator through reading and watching. I do not enjoy reading a novel or observing a film that involves anything with black suffering, but in contrast I believe that by engaging in this type of theatre you can become a witness. I use this source of entertainment to gain knowledge and learn a sense of entitlement to my own history.

12 Years A Slave is a powerful film that depicts the many hardships and cruelty shown to slaves in the late 1840s. This emotional story follows the painful events of Solomon Northup’s unfortunate introduction into many years of slavery. In his time spent being owned as a slave, he faces the many harsh realities and pain that came along with being owned in that time period. Through the many violent and gruesome scenes, this film awakens the viewers to see the immoral treatment of slaves. Northup’s grueling journey through slavery depicted the level of violence in society and the disturbing facts of slavery though the many harsh punishments and disrespect that were shown to slaves by their owners.

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.

Through the course of history, whenever people hear the word “slaves”, they imagine a long period of hate,torture, ignorance, and cruelty. The term slaves mostly refers to the group of people that today are know as Africans. During these harsh times some slaves kept the detailed memories of their daily suffering and later told them to help create their narratives. In the Classic Slave Narratives the hardships of four slaves who today we remember as Mary Prince, Frederick Douglass, Gustavus Vassa, and last but not least Harriet Jacobs, are descriptively told. Experiences varied based on where the slave was located or their gender. Slaves would be treated as objects, rather than human beings, they were someone’s possession. In The Classic Slave

My choice of the movie 12 Years a Slave is an outstanding depiction of the lives of slaves in the 1840’s. This film follows the gruesome life of Solomon Northup. A black man born free in Saratoga, New York. Who was fooled, poisoned, and abducted by men who sold him into slavery. The movie is based on the book called “Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, From a Cotton Plantation Near the Red River, in Louisiana.”

During a time of cruel punishment and harsh conditions of life as a slave in the 19th century South, there was a book that shed a light on the life of a slave unparalleled in past as well as in modern literature. That book was entitled Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. Northup was born a freeman that was obtained from his father after being freed by the Northup family due to loyal service. Growing up in the free state of New York, Solomon was allowed an education that was rare because of the sad disposition of the majority of his race. Solomon gained much knowledge of industry and hard work from his father. As a free man of color, he enjoyed various jobs and hobbies from timber raft building to playing

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 daily life of a slave in North Carolina was incredibly difficult. Hard workers, especially those in the field, played from sunrise until sundown. Even small kids and the elderly were not exempt from these long work hours. Slaves were generally granted a day off on Sunday, and on infrequent holidays such as Christmas or the Fourth of July.

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

12 Years a Slave is a film that is filled with social psychological phenomenas, especially since it is based on such a sensitive topic. Slavery stripped the Africans of their identity, they were humiliated and degraded, paraded around naked to be sold for the “same price as baboons” as Master Epps mentions. The script of the film highlights how the slaves were objectified as they are referred to as “this” or “that” not as a people. It also shows how the name Platt was forced on Solomon Northup, the slave owner did not care to hear his real name, he called him Platt and therefore Platt he shall be.