Charles Burch Slavery

Being traded, fed only twice a day a mere few rations, constantly beaten and degraded, working for hours and hours without so much as a 2 minute break. Like animals slaves were being treated as such. Slaves were not considered humans and worthy of being treated as such but as property. Solomon Northup sheds light on the horrible injustices of slavery in Twelve Years a Slave. Going into this text I wanted to look deeper into not just how slaves are treated, but the whole slave culture and how other factors play a role in slavery like religion, values, morals, and relationships. I feel as if Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup gives us different outlooks and approaches to slavery. Northup describes his days as a slave and his relationship

Burch was not a pleasant one and began his 12 year agony. Northup was captured in Washington D.C. which was slave territory. He had become ill and when awaken was in a cell in chains. Again and again he asserted I was no man 's slave, and insisted upon his taking off my chains at once. (19) Burch shows no sympathy. Burch is a greedy and deceitful man. Burch indeed knew that Northup was a free man but would do anything to make some money. After Solomon continues to plead his freedom Burch beats him mercilessly. Burch does not care for his slaves. His only concern was how to make a profit which Northup notices early on “Alas! I had not then learned the measure of "man 's inhumanity to man," nor to what limitless extent of wickedness he will go for the love of gain.”(Northup, 21) His values and morals reflect how he treats his slaves and his overall

Freeman changes Solomon’s name to Platt which I fee is a very symbolic moment in the book. Changing Solomon’s name was getting rid of Solomon’s identity. His identity was all he had left and just like his freedom was taken from him as well. Freeman’s character and morals and values were much like those of Burch. The way he describes Freeman as being “out among his animals early in the morning. With an occasional kick of the older men and women, and many a sharp crack of the whip about the ears of the younger slaves.” (Northup, 41) Shows how inhumane Freeman was. He calls his slaves property and has a sales-room to sell slaves. The way Northup words his description of Freeman is truly sarcastic in nature. He uses it to emphasize how un-moral slavery is and using it to accuse people who support it as guilty hypocrites. The greed of money has overtaken Freeman and he has no sense of compassion or being