THE LOU State of Louisiana 12 Years a Slave: A Shock in the South BY 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup was published yesterday, The book is a slave narrative which depicts 8 free black man who had been kidnapped into slavery for 12 years, In the book, Mr, Northup talks about his own experience as a slave. In 1841, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery in ‘Washington, D.C. Then, he was brought all the way down to the South and sold to different masters. After Northup experienced the consequence of insisting that he was not a slave — to be beaten up harshly, he concealed his real identity as a free man, During 12 years as « slave, Solomon Northup had almost been Kalled by his masters for several times; the reason was always that his master was drunk or simply disliked him. Moreover, many slaves managed to run ‘away; however, almost none of them succeeded, Some slaves even lost their lives on their way of escaping like ‘Augustus, a young boy who worked in the cane field, Solomon Northup had suffered under slavery for several years until the day a white man helped send his letter to the North, Therefore, 8 IANA TIMES February 7, 1853 Iawyer from New York joumeyed south, and rescued him.” 12 Years a Slave provides us with & point of view from a slave and his emotions and thoughts. According to Solomon Northup, “Such an idea as insurrection, however, is not new among the enslaved population of Bayou Boeuf. More than once I have joined in serious consultation...and there have been times when a word ftom me would have placed hundreds of my fellow-bondsmen in ah attitude of defiance” (180). People often regard slaves as ‘properties’ which ‘cannot think and reason; nevertheless, {fom Mr. Northup’s words, we know ‘that slaves can form their own opinion and bave the ability to rebel. The novel will bring a feeling of anxiety among the people in the South because Northup advocates that slaves should rebel when it is needed, ‘Additionally, some people may be shocked after realizing how brutal the system of slavery is. According to Solomon Northup, describing a slave punished by her owner, “She was terribly lacerated...the lash was wet with blood, which flowed down her sides and dropped upon the ground” (187). There are @ lot of miserable whipping scenes inthe novel which no one can imegine, ‘Most Southemers have not been taught that slavery is fundamentally wrong, and they have never questioned the legitimacy of this system that exists in their daily life. The novel brings up the darkest side of slavery from a slave's perspective which helps people reconsider the role of slaves; they are ‘not animals, they are not properties, they are humans just like every other Americans. Most importantly, 12 Years a Slave could create a huge impact on the Southem society by provoking a series of anti-slavery movements. After reading this novel, some people will start doubting the system of slavery and find the book against their original perception ofthat system, Mr. Northup had continually emphasized the idea thet Jn the eye of the Almighty there is no distinction of color” (190). He even included a quote from a white man who opposed slavery, “I would say there was no reason nor justice in the law, othe ‘constitution thet allows one man to hold another man in bondage” (Northup 195). ‘Mr. Northup ad tried to convey an idea that all men should be treated equally despite the color oftheir skin, and if more people are realizing the evilness of slavery, more people would stand up and against it. On the other hand, 12 Years a Slave ‘would cause a negative effect on the relationship between the North and the South. After this novel is published, the people in the North will accelerate their pace of abolishing slavery in the nation, ‘which would be annoyed by the people in the South, because they saw all the ‘cruel ireatments slaves had received in the South, The northemers were told that slavery should not exist; however, the southemers believed that the existence of slavery is extremely normal and necessary in a society. People in the South worties that the abolition of slavery would result in the lack of workers since all slaves are withdrawn from the fields and industries, and this wil inflict heavy losses on industrial development. For example, the slaveholder in the novel, Epps, lost his slave, Solomon Northup, after Northup had been proved a free man. The similar thing may happen to every other slaveholders ifthe abolition actually takes place. Based on this concem, most Southerners would be proslavery supporters, and Northemers, based on their belief that all men are equal, would be anti-slavery supporters. ‘Their disagreement on slavery will eventually lead to a civil war.». Flash Newspaper Inspiration of 12 years a slave American abolitionist and the primary author of the memoir Twelve Years a Slave. A free-born ‘African American from New York, he was the son of a freed slave and free woman of color. Once upon a time, he catch an opportunity to get a job, but those people viciously, they lied to him and Northup was too naive to believe people, and them take him to the Washington DC, and that was a trick, he had been kidnapping, overall the kkidnapping is the starter of his 12 years slave's life. After reading the novel of the 12 years a slave, I started to guessing that what would he like to written this novel, I think from those pieces clues I might give people an answer, that the ‘Northup is trying to share his own personal experience to influence whole society, I wish people can ready this novel and to feel it, that how liberty is test like, First, I need to talk something. important quick, that the slavery are not willing following the “America constitution” the one of principle that everyone are all born from the equal. Second, [ would like to speak in here and say that J against any form of system or thinking that take people’s liberty away, if this had been happen that must be “abolish” and people will have absolutly legality right to against anythings that will take away your liberty and becoming as a property. The last one, in here I would willing to let people notice and understand the” Slavery” and also to rasie people's sympathy and together we agisnt the slavery, also I would like to notice people that the perpetrators are guilty and the bystander are double guilty. In the novel, we can discover "slavery” like legal way, that at Northup’s time Verginea was the slave state, the specific law says that people whio ate free no matter their skin color, they are free-nothing can take away their freedom, then Northup was a New York citizen, wich is that he is not live in or nearby the any of slave state, so it emerge one society issue “kidnapping” the Kidnapping black people are the big problem in the society , I can tell that, if there is no kidnapping. then there is no Northup things happend, but it happened, But what cause the kidnapping happen ? The answer might be sure is the” slavery” thatthe slave trader wnat to have health ‘and have skill black people , so they must take risk to kidnapping those black people liveing in the free state, and itis sly and racises, Becasue that they know where can found the slave looking for and they even try to break law to rich their job, but itis raciese because they think black people are the lawest level and they are more like not care that people will found out they some black peoplr was been Kidnapping. And after kidnapping that white people would willing use any way to let you feel pain and using violent to harsh your real identity ,s0'that no one can found youi and no one can know wno you really are. Basically, I Would spending more time on talking about Northup’s last station Master Epps’ farm, We can talk more issue in the Northup's last station and head back to the freedom and their is more things we can talk about.na Flash Newspaper YOUR DAILY FAVOURITE NEWSPAPER Since 2016 Inspiration of 12 years a slave Mster Epps was a very crazy and dangerouse slave owner, that’s how Northup describe him. spare the rod” scouted by their ‘master in this part that I think that Solomon want to tell the people in the North state or free people that all the slave owner are strongly put idea of spare the rod “ in their mind and this, idea is the only rule that is very common in the south, so it can tell people that how they are been treat when they ate been slave in south, People in the south treat the slave unlike human more like animal, slavery becoming thoses slave owner mistreatment people's best system. So this system must we together and to fight for it. There is many confict are happened in the chapter 18 of 12 years a slave, once upon a time the master Epps was drunk, and gives order that is not possible to rich, then he attack an old black worker, and the wound was "sewed by the mistress, who censured her husband extreme severity, not only denouncing bis inhumanity, but declaring that sheexpected nothing else than that he will bring family poverty- he will kills all the slaves on the plantation in some of his drunken fits” describe by Northup (12 years a slave, pg 184) How ruthless is the southers, that slave owner can kill every person that they want, and no one should take responsbility, and the only one thing they care is about the money, and worried ‘human rescourse, also means slave every single day were live under the dangerous, this, situation must be stop must rebell , their volue are so honiable, and hopless. Continue , it was just because Petty disapper a little time that make master Epps so piss of, and without accept any excuse from petty , he just order to strike her even to by his own. “ Sabbath of the Lord” this day should be no kill no violence and be peace, but Epps do a lot of things that ‘break the rule, since Solomon point out on any special day that the violence can’t stop, and shows that slave owner violent slave every day xno except holiday or pure day. And therefrom that in the end of the chapter 18, that onece again that Northup point out other society problem of the” southner’s children” he ‘written ” the influen of the inquitous system necessarily fosters an unfeeling and crul sprit, even in the bosoms of hose who, among their equals, are regarded as human and generouse” (i2years a slave, pg 190) this is the one quote that Northup speak to the Southner amd ‘warning them the problem, they must stop the slavery and to make the things goes right. Solomon was so naive, he was living so will and have same knowledge as white people, that he notice that a lot slave what to escape but if that the escape fail, they will get harder punishment, and when they ask him about help that the answer is too easy then do, and he also question that how can people been slave but no rebel and the religion that would allow this happen, and been slave this experiment to share those black free man to understand the actual slavery is, and to assemble freeman and slave together against slavery. I really wish and strongly advice people to read the novel, and those people in the North and, abolitionists, also free man and free ‘women even the some of the southers that can get inspiration from the 12 years a slave, and make right choice and to abolish the slavery ot against it, to make it right for the children’s value and your sympathy, and fix the society.“All the News ‘That fits to Print” The New York Times VOL. CLXIV’, ...No. 56,654 NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, JAN 24, 1854 The publishing of 12 Years A Slave Effects America Documented Memoir From A Slaves Narrative BY Tn 1853, “12 Years A Slave” was published, by Solomon. Northup, “12 Years a Slave” is a memoir and a slave arrative, where Solomon Northup talks about his experience of being a slave, how he was first a colored free man, how later on he was manipu- Jated and kidnapped into slavery, and then given back his freedom. Within months, this book has become ‘one of the most controversial books taking effect in America. All free, what would you feel if this same exact situation happened to you? Moreover, this book from Solomon Northup gives a first-hand perspective of what it is like being a slave in bondage, through talking about the severe brutality and reality ofthe slavery system. In the exposition of this memoir, Northup talks about the life he is living as a free man in He- ‘bron, New York, He stated that he lived a “happy and prosperous life,” (Northup 7). He had a wife, named Anne Hampton, and 3 children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. However, all of a sudden, in the ending of chapter 2, Northup states, “I had not only been robbed of liberty, but that my money and free papers were also gone! The idea begin to break up my mind, at first dim and confused, that I had been kidnapped,” (18). In this specific part of the novel, he went ona trip to New York with two other white men, Merrill sek NC re euave ree aT mananneren Brown and Abram Hamilton, in hopes to find a job as a musician, However, he did not ex- pect Brown and Hamilton to have been a part of the slavery system, The men lied to him, saying that they were entertainers and would ‘be willing to offer him a job in the circus The two men drugged, kidnapped, and sold Solomon Northup into slavery, where he was then shipped off to New Orleans, He stated, “Strange as it may seem, within plain sight of this same house, looking down from its.com- ‘manding height upon it, was the Capitol. The ‘voices of patriotic representatives boasting of freedom and equality, and the rattling of the poor slave's chains, almost commingled. A slave pen within the very shadow of the Cap- itol!” (Northup 20). Northup did not tell his wife and his children about his job offering to‘perform with the citous. Therefore, no one was able to help him and save him from being bonded into slavery. Fellow men of the North, we know that slavery is unjust, unfair, and unreasonable, Our ellow northemer Solomon Northup, cannot agree with us more, “thou devil, sooner or later, some~ where in the course of eternal justice, thou shalt answer for this sin!” (187). Even though Northup ‘was ignorant towards the topic of slavery as he ‘mentioned, “having all my life breathed the free air of the North, and conscious that I possessed the same feelings and affections that find a place in the whiteman’s breast; conscious, moreover, of an intelligence equal to that of some men, at least, with a fairer skin, I was too ignorant, per~ haps too independent, to conceive how any one could be content to live in the abject condition ofa slave,” (8). Just like many of us here in the ‘North, we are not further educated on the idea of slavery, since we do not condone the system of slavery, Especially when our men are forced under “the lash without stint upon my poor body, until it seemed that the lacerated flesh was stripped from my bones at every stroke,” (Nor- thup 22). Fellow men of the North, do we really ‘want our men and women to be treated in such unjust manner? ‘Women play a great role in Solomon ‘Northup’s memoir, Throughout his experience, from being a slave in the South, he talks about his different encounters with female slaves, The first female slave he worked with was Eliza. She ‘was a mother who deeply cared for her children, “she called them her darlings ~ her sweet babes- poor innocent things that knew not the misery they were destined to endure, Soon they would have no mother to comfort them they would be taken from her,” (Northup 27). Children being taken away from their mothers is one of the most ‘unjust things that can occur for a child, especially ‘when that child is then sold off to work for the rest of his or her live, Another woman Northup met was Patsey. “Patsey's life, especially after her whipping, was one long dream of liberty. Far away, to her fancy an immeasurable distance, she knew there was a land of freedom, A thousand times she had heard that somewhere in the dis tanit North there were no slaves-no masters. Inher {imagination it was an enchanted region, the Par- adise of the earth. To dwell where the black man may work for himself-live in his own cabin-till his own soil, was a blissful dream of Patsey’-a dream, alas! ‘The fulfillment of which she can never real- ie? (Northup 188). After reading this book, we can all realize how privileged we are to not experi- ence this brutal treatment, Luckily afterall the terrible events that have happened to Northup, he was freed in 1841, after he was brought to court and trailed, to testify ‘whether he was’ free man or nota free man. After legal documents and witnesses proved him a free ‘man, he was brought back home and he reunited with his beloved children. “Moreover, we geta first handed slave nar- rative of families who are just like us, living their everyday lives, with set goals they want to achieve. However, through reading “12 Years a Slave?’ us Northerners should stand up for what we believe in, a free worl, living with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, We should not let free men. and women of America be sold into slavery who are then bonded in brutal whippings and treated as if they were animals, Fellow men and women of the North, itis time to pick up those whos freedom was taken away from them, give them back what belongs to them, life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for a war between us and the South, will be heading our way in no time.