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What Does Solomon Northup Say Regarding The Institution Of Slavery

960 Words4 Pages

Kevin Torres
HIST 3330
December 4, 2017
12 Years a Slave Solomon Northup informs us early on that he wishes to have his life as a slave recorded, he leaves it up to the readers to form their own judgements regarding the institution of slavery; he did not wish to resort to hyperbole or polemic, but to merely recount things as he remembers them. It is a harrowing story, one which reads like an antebellum odyssey, with a cunning protagonist who employs his wit and physicality in order to get back home. Solomon lived his life with relative freedom, which is what makes this account even more tragic; most blacks were born into slavery, as were their parents; it was all that they knew. Solomon, however, was one of the lucky ones, since he did not …show more content…

Solomon recounts his odyssey through the south, during which he encounters many slaves, some born into it and another formerly free, but all consumed by anxiety and fear, either because of uncertainty over the whereabouts of their family members or because of what awaits them in those plantations. The journey downwards is described like a descent into hell (40), where unrelenting torment and toil are …show more content…

He is tortured, forced to deny his roots and identity, and witnessed death and the sorrow that accompanies the separation of families. There are instances where a superiority complex rears its head, and to be fair, Solomon was an impressive individual. He even harbors some admiration for one of his masters, like the pious and generous William

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