What is the plot of 12 Years a Slave?

What is the plot of 12 Years a Slave?

In the years before the Civil War, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South. Subjected to the cruelty of one malevolent owner (Michael Fassbender), he also finds unexpected kindness from another, as he struggles continually 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 changes Solomon’s life forever.
Twelve Years a Slave/Film synopsis

What does the whip symbolize in 12 Years a Slave?

The whip symbolizes control and pain. Slave owners and overseers use the whip to try to force slaves to work longer and harder. The whip is used by Edwin Epps simply to assert his dominance. He uses it to make the slaves dance as well.

What is the climax of 12 years a slave?

In Chapter 21 of Northup’s memoir is where the climax of Solomon’s story occurs, as two men approach him in the cotton fields at the estate of Edwin Epps. Edwin Epps then inquires about a man who sent a letter for Solomon, his anger growing at the one who had cost him one of his slaves.

How did Epps treat his slaves?

A heavy set, coarse man with a love of drinking, Epps is cruel and malicious toward all his slaves, including Solomon (whom he knows as Platt), but reserves particularly brutal treatment to an elderly male slave named Abram and a young, pretty female slave named Patsey.

Why did Epps make the slaves dance?

When drunk, Epps also had a peculiar habit of rousing his slaves at all times of the night and forcing them to dance for his entertainment. Those who danced too slowly were whipped.

Why did Solomon break his violin?

After he is violently coerced into whipping a fellow slave, and then watches the slave owner lash the young female slave until she is near death, he destroys his fiddle. He explains that life in slavery feels like death—like darkness and not breathing and dissolving into nothingness.

Was Mrs Epps a victim or a perpetrator?

How was Mrs. Epps both a victim and perpetrator? she was a victim of her husbands abuse and his infidelity. She was a perpetrator toward Patsy out of the jealousy she had toward her because of the attention she received from Mr.

What happens to Patsey?

It’s documented that he passed away in 1867, and his wife died shortly thereafter—both are interred at Fogleman Cemetery, a short distance from where his plantation once stood, though their headstones have long since been lost.

Who is the old man in 12 years a slave?

LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in 12 Years a Slave, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. An old man named O’Niel calls on Epps and asks to buy Solomon —a conversation overheard by Phebe, and quickly relayed to Solomon.

Is there a literary analysis of twelve years a slave?

A Literary Analysis of Twelve Years a Slave April 26, 2019 by Essay Writer Solomon Northup’s book Twelve Year’s a Slave covered the story of Northup himself as he was kidnapped and forced into slavery. He worked as a slave for 12 years before the government was able to locate and free him.

Why was Solomon Northup’s book Twelve years a slave important?

Solomon Northup’s book Twelve Year’s a Slave covered the story of Northup himself as he was kidnapped and forced into slavery. He worked as a slave for 12 years before the government was able to locate and free him. Solomon Northup’s story was relevant when it was written and is still relevant today.

Where do the slaves go in 12 years a slave?

One night, Burch wakes up the slaves in the middle of the night and makes them march through the pitch-black Capitol. They board a steamboat, which soon docks in Richmond, Virginia, where the slaves are transferred to a slave pen belonging to Burch’s good friend, Goodin.