Solomon Northup - He is the main character in 12 Years a Slave, who was born a free man, then was tricked into being a slave for 12 years until he managed to free himself again.
This dream is fulfilled at the end of the book, when Solomon returns home to New York to find his wife and children alive and well. The 12 Years a Slave quotes below are all either spoken by Solomon Northup or refer to Solomon Northup .
The 12 Years a Slave quotes below are all either spoken by Solomon Northup or refer to Solomon Northup . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ).
The two men betray Solomon, selling him into slavery to James Burch. Solomon lives as a slave for twelve years for three different masters—first, the kindhearted William Ford, then the violent John Tibeats, and finally, the exceedingly cruel and evil Edwin Epps.
Solomon's father was freed by his owner
another slave in the Slave Pen; children are Randall & Emily
Tibeats was going to whip Northup but Northup takes the whip and whips Tibeats instead
they are sold separately, but Freeman refuses to sell Emily
Solomon Northup was the son of Mintus Northup, who was a slave in Rhode Island and New York until his master freed him in his will. Solomon was born a free man and received an unusually good education for a black man of his time, eventually coming to work as a violinist and a carpenter. As in the movie, he was married to Anne Hampton, ...
Northup gives a more charitable account of his onetime master, William Ford, than the movie does. “ There never was a more kind, noble, candid, Christian man than William Ford ,” Northup writes, adding that Ford’s circumstances “ blinded [Ford] to the inherent wrong at the bottom of the system of Slavery .”.
Then after she’s climaxed, she’s back where she was. She’s back in hell, and that’s when she turns and cries.”. The Kidnappers “Hamilton” and “Brown” (Scoot McNairy and Taran Killam) Advertisement. Brown (Scoot McNairy), Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Hamilton (Taran Killam).
Northup’s return home is much as it is in the book, including Solomon’s learning that his daughter Margaret (who was 7 years old when he last saw her) now had a child of her own, named Solomon Northup. One devastating detail is left out: After 12 years apart, Margaret did not recognize her father.
The scene that introduces Epps—his reading of Luke 12:47 as a warning to slaves—is actually borrowed from another of the book’s characters: Ford’s brother-in-law, Peter Tanner. In the movie, Northup’s time with Tanner—with whom he lived after his first fight with Tibeats—is omitted.
The real Bass, in fact, did more for Northup, sending multiple letters on his behalf, meeting with him in the middle of the night to hear his story, and—when they initially got no response from their letters—vowing to travel up to New York himself, to secure Northup’s freedom.
Their real names were Alexander Merrill and Joseph Russell, but they asked that St. John, who knew them, not use their real names around Northup.
The two men betray Solomon, selling him into slavery to James Burch. Solomon lives as a slave for twelve years for three different masters—first, the kindhearted William Ford, then the violent John Tibeats, and finally, the exceedingly cruel and evil Edwin Epps.
The 12 Years a Slave quotes below are all either spoken by Solomon Northup or refer to Solomon Northup . For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one: ). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Graymalkin Media edition of 12 Years a Slave published in 2014.
Burch gruffly tells Solomon that he is now his slave and will be sent to New Orleans. Solomon declares... (full context)
Solomon writes that the day Patsey was brutally beaten “was the Sabbath of the Lord. The... (full context) ...a game in which he rides out into the fields just to whip the slaves. Solomon knows that Epps’ son doesn’t know that “in the eye of the Almighty there is... (full context) Chapter 19.
Solomon is known to his masters and fellow slaves as Platt, a name given to him by Burch. Solomon’s talent as a fiddle player provides him a sense of comfort and solace during his years as a slave and enables him to make a little money by performing at other slave owners’ social gatherings.
The group arrives in Washington D.C. a few days later. Hamilton and Brown pay Solomon a generous forty-three dollars —more than their agreed-upon rate—claiming that they haven’t put on as many... (full context)
Solomon briefly recounts his young adult life. He married a beautiful girl of mixed race named... (full context) Solomon and Anne move to Saratoga Springs in New York State in 1834, where Solomon works... (full context) Living in Saratoga Springs, Solomon and Anne live a humble life.
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is a biographical story of slave life in the antebellum South. Northup, born a free man in New York State, suddenly found himself drugged and chained in jail for a slaver in the bowels of Washington D.C. He was moved to Richmond and then to Louisiana, where he spent the next 12 years trying to find his freedom.
Solomon Northup - He is the main character in 12 Years a Slave, who was born a free man, then was tricked into being a slave for 12 years until he managed to free himself again.
Solomon Northup, the main protagonist of 12 Years a Slave, was born a free man in New York State and made his home with his wife and three children in Saratoga Springs, New York. Even though he worked at the United States Hotel, he was also a fiddle player.
Later, while serving his cruel master Edwin Epps, Solomon met a runaway slave named Celest, who he described as being “far whiter than her owner, or any of his offspring” (Northup, loc. 2651). Bass, the Canadian carpenter who eventually helped save Solomon, expressed similar feelings, saying to Epps, “Talk about black skin, and black blood; why, how many slaves are there on this bayou as white as either of us? And what difference is there in the color of the soul? Pshaw! The whole system is absurd as it is cruel” (Northup, loc. 2908).
The first point that Solomon Northup wanted the reader to pay attention to in 12 Years a Slave was how racism was a vesicle for human evil. Solomon emphasized that sometimes, racism did not seem to be about the color of skin, rather it was about slave owners feeling vindicated in their brutality. Solomon and Bass, a Canadian carpenter talked about slaves who were whiter than their masters and masters who were sometimes as dark in color as their slaves. An example of this was when Solomon was originally being sold to a slave dealer named James Burch, he noticed that Goodin, who was a famous slave trader, had “a complexion almost as dark as some of his own Negros” (Northup, loc. 690).
The book 12 Years a Slave, is an important historical narrative. It helped to back-up the book Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. The description of events, life on the plantation and slave treatment in general was accurate. Historians who have read this book and researched life on southern plantations, agree in the accuracy of Solomon Northup’s narrative. Solomon Northup was able to create a larger cry for the abolishment of slavery. In the Northern states, it opened up the public’s eye about how bad slavery was in the south. Some historians question the narrative, saying that Solomon Northup was part of the conspiracy to be sold into slavery.
The book was written in the first person narrative. The first person narration personalized the book, making the reader feel as though they were witnessing the events happen first hand. The way Solomon Northup wrote was that of a New Yorker. He was very talented in narrating. Chapters were not long, making them easily trace. Solomon Northup was Solomon used a foreshadowing to tell his story. The looming thought of something bad happening kept the narrative more interesting. The book also contained pictures of various moments of significance. These images gave the reader a way to visualize events that were hard to imagine happening. Solomon was also vary brilliant with his words. His description of places, people, events, and feelings made the allowed the reader to connect with him.
The book 12 Years a Slave was written by Solomon Northup for the sole purpose of allowing the reader to make their own judgement based upon the information given. Solomon Northup’s book contained various themes he thought would allow the reader to understand slavery in America. Taking a closer look at the book, one can see that racism, the power of music, and Christianity were important areas of focus to Solomon Northup.
The second point Solomon Northup hoped the reader would catch in his narrative, 12 Years a Slave was how music played a role in his years of servitude. Solomon Northup explained how his violin gave him short yet cherished instances of joy and relief from his horrid situations. Solomon Northup also gave credit to his violin for his physical safety. Although music was his joy in life, that too was ruined by slave owners and slave dealers.
To Solomon, his music was a good part of life, but it was also used to exploit him and his fellow slaves. When Solomon was being sold, his musical ability was brought up so as to encourage those buying to pay a better price for him. In the narrative, Edward Epps used Solomon’s musical skill to torture the slaves and provide entertainment for himself. When Epps came home drunk in the middle of the night, he would make the slaves dance to the “quick-stepping tune” (Northup, loc. 1990), which Solomon played on the violin. If Solomon or the slaves did not satisfy Epps, he would whip them severely.
Solomon's father was freed by his owner
another slave in the Slave Pen; children are Randall & Emily
Tibeats was going to whip Northup but Northup takes the whip and whips Tibeats instead
they are sold separately, but Freeman refuses to sell Emily