12 Years a Slave Introduction, Historical Context, Plot Summary, Characters, Themes

12 Years a Slave

INTRODUCTION

BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF SOLOMON NORTHRUP

Solomon Northup was born in 1808 in Minerva, New York, where he grew up as a free man. His father, Mintus, was a slave but was freed following his master’s death. As a free man, Solomon lived as a farmer, a violinist, a husband to Anne Hampton, and a father to their three children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. Solomon and Anne eventually moved to Saratoga Springs, where they both worked several jobs. In 1841, Solomon met two men who recruited Solomon to join their circus as a fiddle player. Solomon was in need of work, so he agreed and traveled with the men from New York to Washington D.C. The circus turned out to be a sham, and upon his arrival in Washington D.C., Solomon was kidnapped, drugged, beaten, and sold into slavery. He spent the next twelve years of his life enduring the horrors of slavery in Central Louisiana—an experience he later recorded in his memoir, 12 Years a Slave. He was eventually freed from slavery with the help of two men: Samuel Bass, who was a Canadian carpenter visiting the plantation where Solomon was enslaved, and a lawyer named Henry B. Northup, who was a friend of Solomon and the grandnephew of the man who freed Solomon’s father many years prior. Solomon was officially freed on January 4, 1853. That same year, with help from a writer named David Wilson, Solomon published his experiences in 12 Years a Slave, which became a cornerstone text of the abolitionist movement. Solomon spent several years traveling for speaking engagements but later disappeared from the public eye, due to his work helping slaves escape to Canada via the Underground Railroad. Because he disappeared from the public eye, Solomon’s date and place of death is unknown.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

12 Years a Slave was written in the midst of the American Abolitionist Movement. Rooted in the North, this movement sought to abolish slavery and racism completely and immediately. A resurgence of Protestantism known as the Second Great Awakening brought renewed interest in morality and sin, consequently bolstering the Abolitionist Movement’s claims that slavery was immoral. Between 1777 and 1804, slavery was abolished in the northern states, but slavery still had a firm grip on the South, as it was the economic foundation of eleven Southern states, be it through the production of cotton, sugar cane, or tobacco. 12 Years a Slave was preceded by the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, which declared that runaway slaves were not to be allowed a trial by jury, let alone the ability to testify on their own behalf. The Fugitive Slave act also meant that all escaped slaves must be returned to their masters, even if they had escaped to a free state. Although the Fugitive Slave Act inflicted penalties on those who aided a slave’s escape, the act backfired in that it actually served to bolster Abolitionist sentiments, turning the people of the North further against slavery. Written in 1853, 12 Years a Slave appeared on the cusp of the Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford, and the subsequent Dred Scott decision, in which the Supreme Court declared that no black person is considered a U.S. Citizen, regardless of whether they are free or enslaved, and regardless of whether they are state citizens. This decision, written by Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, meant that no black person could fight for their freedom in federal court. The publication of 12 Years a Slave precedes the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and the American Civil War, which began the following year and lasted until 1865. 

RELATED LITERARY WORKS

12 Years a Slave is dedicated to Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. The dedication reads, “To Harriet Beecher Stowe, whose name, throughout the world, is identified with the great reform: this narrative, affording another Key to Uncle Tom’s Cabin, is respectfully dedicated.” Stowe’s A Key to Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1853 and outlined the accuracy of the depiction of slavery in her novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin, published the year prior. Published in 1852, just one year before 12 Years a Slave, Uncle Tom's Cabin is a sentimental novel that highlights the terrible realities of slavery as well as the healing power of Christian love. Uncle Tom's Cabin was widely read, and was the second bestselling book of the nineteenth century—the first being the Bible. Although Uncle Tom's Cabin is not a slave narrative, it shares many thematic similarities with 12 Years a Slave, including racism, Christianity, and empathy. 12 Years a Slave is also similar in content to The Narrative of Frederick Douglass, published in 1845. In the narrative, slaveturned-Abolitionist Frederick Douglass recounts his difficult path from slavery to freedom. Douglass’ narrative includes a similar strain of religious critique (directed at those who claim to be Christians while also being slave owners) to Northup’s narrative. In addition, Douglass’ book and Northup’s book both center on the concept of truth, emphasizing that their stories and experiences are true for the sake of showing the readership the brutal reality of slavery. Harriet Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, published in 1861, also contains accounts of brutality, especially the sexual abuse of female slaves by their masters, similar to those Northup gives in his narrative, chronicling the experiences of his fellow slave, Patsey. Like 12 Years a Slave, Jacobs’ slave narrative is meant to show white Northerners the heart-wrenching reality of slavery and does so by appealing to the reader’s sense of empathy.

 KEY FACTS

• Full Title: 12 Years a Slave • When Written: 1853 • Where Written: New York • When Published: 1853 • Literary Period: Abolitionist literature • Genre: Slave narrative; memoir • Setting: Central Louisiana (Red River region); New York; Washington D.C. • Climax: Solomon befriends Bass and convinces him to send three letters on his behalf • Antagonist: Solomon’s cruel masters (James Burch, John Tibeats, and Edwin Epps) • Point of View: First person

EXTRA CREDIT

On the Big Screen. 12 Years a Slave was adapted into a film in 2013, which won three Academy Awards and was nominated for another six. Page One. The original title page of 12 Years a Slave gives a brief summary of the book. It reads, “Twelve Years a Slave Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, from a Cotton Plantation Near the Red River, in Louisiana.”

PLOT SUMMARY

The narrative opens with a promise from narrator and protagonist, Solomon Northup, that the following story will “not be uninteresting to the public.” He tells the reader that the pages to come will detail his life as a free man of the North, his subsequent kidnapping, his twelve miserable years in slavery, and his eventual rescue. Solomon Northup was born a free man in New York. The son of a liberated slave, Solomon grows up hearing of the atrocities of slavery but knowing freedom. To support his wife, Anne, and their three children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo, Solomon works hard at several jobs, be it raft-making or fiddle-playing. He loves his family dearly and his a tender father and loyal husband. One March morning in 1841, Solomon walks around the village in Saratoga Springs, New York, where he currently lives with his family. His wife and eldest daughter are twenty miles away at the coffee shop where his wife works as a cook, and his other two children are with their aunt. Brooding over how he can make a little extra money, Solomon runs into two dignified white men named Abram Hamilton and Merrill Brown, who have heard from one of Solomon’s acquaintances about Solomon’s talent on the violin. Hamilton and Brown explain their connection to a circus based in Washington D.C. and say that they’re in New York for the sake of sightseeing. They planned to pay their travel expenses by putting on small shows in each place they visit but have had difficulty in finding a musician for their shows. They ask Solomon if he would consider traveling with them as their fiddle player to New York City—only a short trip—in exchange for daily wages and a bonus for each show they put on. Solomon hastily agrees. Due to the brevity of the trip, he decides not to write to Anne to tell her where he's going. Hamilton, Brown, and Solomon depart for New York, first stopping in Albany to put on a show—the only show Solomon witnesses during his entire trip with them. The show is comprised of a series of bizarre circus acts, including ventriloquism and “frying pancakes in a hat.” The turnout is meager, and the show barely generates any money. The next day, the trio arrives in New York City. They ask Solomon if he would consider traveling with them the rest of the way, to Washington D.C., to take part in their circus as their fiddle player. The circus is set to travel north, so Solomon will be able to return to New York shortly. With the promise of generous wages, Solomon agrees. Hamilton and Brown suggest that Solomon obtain free papers before the group travels south, and Solomon is surprised that such a formality would be necessary. The free papers end up being expensive—more than Solomon thinks they are worth—but he obtains them and places them in his pocket. Hamilton and Brown pay Solomon a hefty forty-three dollars, much higher than what Solomon expected to be paid, and apologize for the lack of shows they’ve put on. The next day, the city buzzes with more excitement than normal, due to General Harrison’s funeral. Solomon walks around New York, in awe of the sights, and is always accompanied by his new friends, Hamilton and Brown. Throughout the day, the men often stop at taverns for a drink. They drink moderately and are always polite enough to pour a little out for Solomon. Later that evening, Solomon gets violently ill, despite having practiced moderation in his drinking. With a pounding headache and unbearable nausea, Solomon retires to his hotel room to rest. As the night progresses, Solomon grows increasingly ill and is barely conscious. He hears several men enter his room, but he can’t discern who they are or if Hamilton and Brown are among them. The men tell him that he needs to see a doctor immediately, so he stumbles out of his hotel room and follows him into the street. He soon loses consciousness completely. When Solomon awakens—possibly days later—he finds himself in chains, imprisoned in a small, dark room. He tries in vain to remember the events that led him to this prison, but he is horrified to discover a large gap in his memory. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, he realizes that his free papers have been stolen from his pockets and that he has been kidnapped. He thinks the whole situation must be a terrible misunderstanding, considering he is a free man from New York, not a slave. Soon, a door opens, and Solomon is faced by the coarse-looking James Burch, an infamous slave dealer, and his assistant, Ebenezer Radburn. When Solomon tries to tell Burch that he’s been wrongfully kidnapped and is actually a freeman, Burch procures a whip and beats Solomon severely. Solomon remains in the slave pen for two weeks, along with several other slaves, including a woman named Eliza and her two children, Randall and Emily, who have all been secretly sold into slavery by her master’s son-in-law. 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. While at the pen, Solomon is handcuffed to a man named Robert, who turns out to also be a kidnapped freeman. Between their handcuffs and similar life stories, the two form a tight bond. The slaves are later forced to board another steamboat, this time heading for New Orleans, where they will be auctioned off by Burch’s business partner, Theophilus Freeman. On the boat, Solomon and Robert befriend a man named Arthur, who, like them, has also been kidnapped and torn from freedom. The three men conceive an escape plan but are never able to put it into action, as Robert falls deathly ill with the smallpox and soon dies. While on the boat, Solomon befriends a white sailor named Manning, who agrees to send a letter when the boat docks to Solomon’s lawyer friend, Henry B. Northup. Once in New Orleans, Manning successfully mails the letter, and Solomon’s friend Arthur is rescued by friends from home. The slaves are taken to Freeman’s slave pen and he prepares them to be sold. The slaves are bathed, dressed up, and taught to saunter back and forth as potential customers examine them. Solomon watches Eliza’s family be torn apart, and his heart breaks at Eliza’s overwhelming grief. Luckily, Solomon and Eliza are bought by a kindly, wealthy gentleman named William Ford, an esteemed Baptist preacher from the Red River region of Louisiana. Solomon, Eliza, and Ford travel to the Great Pine Woods to Ford’s home. Ford proves to be a compassionate, gentle owner, and treats his slaves like his own children. He reads the Bible to them and teaches them to trust in God, who loves all children, free or enslaved. Ford falls under financial strain, owing a lot of money to a carpenter named John Tibeats, who does carpentry work for Ford. Tibeats is widely disliked by white men and slaves and is known as being rude and disagreeable. With little choice, Ford sells Solomon to Tibeats. Since the price Tibeats pays for Solomon is greater than the debt that Ford owed Tibeats, Ford secures a four-hundred-dollar mortgage on Solomon. Tibeats and Solomon travel thirty miles to a plantation Ford owns on Bayou Boeuf, overseen by a nice white man named Chapin. Although Solomon likes Chapin, he immediately hates new master, as Tibeats forces him to labor tirelessly and is never pleased with Solomon’s work. On one occasion, Tibeats tries to whip Solomon for using the wrong nails (even though the overseer, Chapin, told Solomon to use the nails in question). Solomon tackles to the ground and whips his master, which sets in motion a near-deathly series of events. Chapin punishes Tibeats for nearly whipping Solomon over something as trivial as nails, and Tibeats rides off on horseback, only to appear later with two companions carrying whips and rope. Tibeats and the two men prepare to hang Solomon and tie him up so tightly that he can’t move. When they slip the noose around Solomon’s neck and begin to drag him toward a tree, Chapin runs out, pistol in each hand, and forces the men to leave the property. Not long after this incident, Tibeats hires Solomon out to Ford’s brother-in-law, Peter Tanner, who uses religion to scare his slaves into obeying him. Once Solomon is returned to Tibeats, Solomon’s life is threatened once more when Tibeats tries to attack him with a hatchet. Solomon manages to run away but is quickly pursued by Tibeats on horseback and a pack of vicious dogs. Solomon swims through a dangerous swamp and throws the dogs off of his scent and eventually turns around, deciding to head to Ford’s house. Under Ford’s protection, Solomon is able to rest for three days but is eventually returned to Tibeats, who soon sells Solomon to a man named Edwin Epps. Although Solomon is initially relieved to be under new ownership (and far away from Tibeats), he quickly discovers that Epps is much worse. Epps is a gruff, uneducated man who frequently overindulges in alcohol and cares only about profit. He is a violent master, as he makes all of his slaves live in constant fear and prides himself on his ability to “break” slaves. When he comes home drunk in the middle of the night, he often awakens his weary slaves and forces them to dance while Solomon plays the fiddle. If they dance too slowly, they are brutally whipped. One of Epps’ slaves, a twenty-three-year-old girl named Patsey, receives particularly inhumane treatment. Epps frequently rapes Patsey, which eventually leads his wife, Mistress Epps, to passionately hate Patsey out of jealousy. Epps hires Solomon out to harvest sugar cane, which coincides with the off-season for cotton. During this time, Solomon is also hired out to play the fiddle for other slave owners, and because of a Louisiana custom, Solomon is allowed to keep the money he makes while working on Sundays. Solomon also plays the fiddle at the much-anticipated Christmas feast each year, when Epps gives his slaves three days off. During cotton-picking season, Solomon returns to work for Epps, where he is made a driver, given a whip and made to punish any slave who doesn’t pick fast enough. However, Solomon learns how to whip the slaves without actually touching them to spare them from the unnecessary violence. Every day, Solomon watches for a chance to obtain paper so that he can write to his friends and family. After nine watchful years, Solomon finally obtains a single sheet of paper. He learns how to make his own ink and pen, which he uses to write a letter to an acquaintance whom he thinks can help rescue him. As a slave, Solomon has no means for sending the letter. However, when a poor white man named Armsby comes to Epps’ plantation to work, Solomon seizes his chance to enlist the white man’s help. Although Solomon is skeptical about if he can trust Armsby, Solomon asks him to send a letter on his behalf. Armsby agrees and vows not to tell Epps. Armsby promptly betrays Solomon the following morning, but Solomon manages to convince Epps that Armsby lied about the whole thing to make himself look good. One day, Epps treats Patsey with more barbarity and cruelty than ever before. Convinced that Patsey is secretly visiting a whit man who lives nearby, Epps flies into a jealous rage. He ties Patsey’s wrists and ankles to four stakes in the ground. Brandishing his thickest whip, Epps forces Solomon to beat Patsey. Against his will, Solomon administers forty lashes but refuses to do the innocent girl any further harm. Epps snatches the whip and tortures Patsey with even more forceful blows. He stops once Patsey is disfigured and nearly dead. From then on, Patsey’s mental and physical health decline rapidly. Epps hires a white contractor named Bass to undertake a new construction project, and Solomon is also ordered to help. Bass is a middle-aged Canadian man with strong anti-slavery opinions that make Epps laugh. Over time, Solomon and Bass develop a close friendship, meeting in the middle of the night to talk about Solomon’s kidnapping and wishes to escape. Risking his safety for his new friend, Bass promises to write letters to Solomon’s contacts in New York. He follows through on the promise, sending one to Judge Marvin, one to Solomon’s friends Perry and Parker, and another to the Collector of Customs at New York. Several weeks go by without a reply, and Solomon feels dejected. Bass has to leave Epps’ plantation for another job but promises to visit on the day before Christmas to deliver any news. When Bass arrives once again on the day before Christmas, he tells Solomon that he has still not received a reply to any of the letters. However, he says that his contruction jobs will be completed in April, when he will then travel to New York himself to seek out Solomon’s friends and family. Solomon interjects in the narrative, flashing back to September, when Bass’ letter reaches Perry and Parker. The two men send it on to Anne, who immediately seeks advice from longtime friend and lawyer, Henry B. Northup. Northup takes on Solomon’s case and is eventually granted legal power by the Governor to find and release Solomon from slavery In December, Northup leaves for Louisiana. He arrives in the town where the letter was postmarked, Marksville, and teams up with a local lawyer named John Waddill. Although the author of the letter is unknown, Waddill thinks it may have been written by the only outspoken abolitionist he knows, a contractor named Bass who sometimes works in the Bayou Boeuf area. The men locate Bass, who tells them that Solomon, now called Platt, is a slave at Epps’ cotton plantation. Just after midnight, Henry B. Northup and the local sheriff depart for Bayou Boeuf. A few days after Christmas, Solomon is toiling in the cotton fields when he sees a carriage rumbling toward the property. A sheriff and another man step out and ask which slave is named Platt. Coming forward, Solomon is confused as to what the sheriff wants from him but is immediately overjoyed at the sight of his friend Northup. The sheriff and Northup settle Solomon’s release with Epps, who is furious and threatens to kill whoever sent the letter to Perry and Parker. Solomon’s release is finalized in court the following day, and Solomon departs with Northup. The pair travel first to New Orleans and then to Washington D.C., where they file a complaint against Burch for selling Solomon into slavery despite him being free. In court, Burch is allowed to testify on his own behalf, and Solomon is not. Burch is quickly found innocent. He later files a complaint against Solomon, claiming that Solomon conspired with two white men (Hamilton and Brown) to defraud Burch. Solomon is arrested and brought to court, but Burch drops the charges in the middle of the case. Finally, Solomon and Northup are able to return to New York, where Solomon reunites with his family. He reminds the reader that the narrative that he has just completed is entirely true and is an accurate depiction of slavery. Emphasizing his gratitude toward all those who helped free him, Solomon vows to live a quiet, humble life for his remaining years.

 CHARACTERS

MAJOR CHARACTERS 

Solomon Northup – Solomon Northup, the author and protagonist of the memoir, is born a free black man in New York, where, at the start of the story, he lives a pleasant life with his wife, Anne, and their three children, Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. He is known by the community as an excellent fiddle player, a family man, and a hard worker. These traits unknowingly lead him into a trap, when, needing a source of income to help his family, Solomon agrees to travel to Washington D.C. with two new acquaintances (Brown and Hamilton) to play the fiddle in their circus. 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 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. He also distinguishes himself as a natural at harvesting sugar cane, and a skilled carpenter—a skill which eventually leads him to cross paths with the Canadian carpenter, Bass, who helps Solomon regain his freedom. Especially during Edwin Epp’s violent, ten-year ownership, Solomon finds hope in God and the prospect of seeing his family again one day. 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.

Edwin Epps – Epps is Solomon’s third and most inhumane master, whom Solomon serves for ten years. Epps is married to Mistress Epps, and the two have at least two children, although only one, Young Master Epps, appears in the narrative. 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. Epps frequently rapes Patsey, making her the object of Mistress Epps’ jealousy and hatred. Epps views his slaves as nothing more than animals who harvest his cotton so that he can make a profit—a dehumanizing view he passes down to his son. 

Bass – Bass is a kind-hearted white carpenter from Canada who works on a construction project for Edwin Epps. This makes it possible for him to befriend Solomon, as Solomon has skills in carpentry, and the two work side by side. Bass and Solomon quickly form a tight-knight, secret friendship due to Bass’ abolitionist spirit, outspoken opinions, and his deep empathy for the injustice of Solomon’s situation. Bass is pivotal in securing Solomon’s freedom, as he sends several risky letters to Solomon’s contacts in New York, including Judge Marvin, Perry and Parker, and the Collector of Customs at New York. Bass, who has no family of his own, remains unblinkingly loyal and loving to Solomon and dedicates months of his life to helping him. 

William Ford – Ford is Solomon’s first master, as well as Solomon’s only kind and compassionate master. Ford purchases Solomon (whom he knows only as Platt), along with a slave named Harry and another named Eliza, from slave dealer Theophilus Freeman. Ford is married to Mistress Ford, whom he treats with tenderness and love. A fatherly, devout Christian man, Ford treats his slaves like family, and his slaves consider him their father figure in return. Ford frequently acts as Solomon’s protector even after Solomon is sold to the erratic, hard-to-please John Tibeats. Solomon deeply respects Ford and knows that he only owns slaves and is a proponent of slavery because of his environment—had he grown up in the North, Solomon believes that he would certainly be against slavery. 

John Tibeats – Tibeats is the carpenter who buys Solomon from William Ford when Ford runs into financial troubles. A sharp contrast from the warm and tender Ford, Tibeats is a cruel and erratic master, frequently trying to harm or even kill Solomon despite the fact that Solomon is a hardworking and skillful craftsman. He eventually tries to hang Solomon, and almost succeeds, but he is stopped at gunpoint by an overseer named Chapin. Ultimately, Ford compels Tibeats sell Solomon, leading Tibeats to sell Solomon to the vicious Edwin Epps. 

James Burch – Burch is a cruel slave dealer in Washington D.C. who oversees the Williams’ Slave Pen with help from his assistant, Ebenezer Radburn. Burch imprisons Solomon, Eliza, Randall, Emily, Clemens Ray, John Williams, and several others in a basement. Burch (with his whip) is Solomon’s first taste of the bitter reality of slavery, and he is the reason why Solomon keeps his identity as a kidnapped free man a secret for twelve years—as Burch threatens to kill Solomon if he ever speaks of his freedom. Burch transfers Solomon, Eliza, and her children to his business partner, Theophilus Freeman, in New Orleans to be auctioned off. Solomon later brings Burch to court, but Burch is found innocent with help from his two fake witnesses, Benjamin O. Shekels and Benjamin A. Thorn. Afterwards, Burch accuses Solomon of defrauding him, but drops the charges in the middle of the case. 

Henry B. Northup – Henry B. Northup, a white lawyer, is a longtime acquaintance of Solomon and the grandnephew of the man who freed Solomon’s father from slavery. He hears about Solomon’s situation from Solomon’s wife, Anne, after she catches wind of Solomon’s predicament from longtime acquaintances William Perry and Cephas Parker, who in turn heard of Solomon’s situation from Bass. Henry proves to be a faithful friend and skilled lawyer. He immediately takes on Solomon’s case and travels to Louisiana to find Solomon—not an easy task, considering that Solomon is exclusively known as Platt. He eventually frees Solomon, represents him in three court cases, and leads him back to New York. 

Patsey is a twenty-three-year-old, beautiful slave girl belonging to Edwin Epps. She is raped by Epps regularly, making her the object of Mistress Epps’ jealousy and hatred and thus the recipient of even more brutal treatment. Stuck between Edwin Epps and Mistress Epps, Patsey is constantly beaten and punished for one thing or another. She is known among the other slaves for her bright spirit and extraordinary talent picking cotton. She is eventually beaten nearly to death by Epps, after which she is never the same. 

Mistress Epps – Mistress Epps is the wife of Edwin Epps, and the mother of at least two children (though the only one who appears in the narrative is Young Master Epps). Although she is  presented as being polite to the slaves (she even cries when Solomon is rescued because she’ll miss his talent for the fiddle), Mistress Epps fosters a wicked hatred for Patsey due to jealousy, since Patsey is beautiful and is the helpless object of Edwin Epps’ sexual abuse. For these reasons, Mistress Epps frequently convinces Epps to beat and whip the slave girl. 

Theophilus Freeman – Theophilus Freeman is the cruel slave dealer in New Orleans who takes over Solomon, Eliza, and her children (among others) from his business partner, James Burch. He is inhumane and deeply insensitive, refusing to allow Eliza and her daughter, Emily, to stay together even though William Ford offers to buy them both. Freeman is wicked and greedy and knows he can make a higher profit on Emily when she’s older. 

Eliza Berry – Eliza, known to her owners as Dradey, is the mother of Randall and Emily. She was the slave-turnedmistress of a rich man who gave her a plush life and promised her eventual freedom. However, the man’s estranged wife and daughter hated Eliza and secretly sold her to James Burch. Eliza is quickly separated from her children, as she is sold to William Ford, while Randall is sold to another master, and Emily is deemed “not for sale” by the cruel slave trader Theophilus Freeman. Eliza spends the remainder of her life stricken with grief, which later is the cause of her death. 

Ebenezer Radburn – Radburn works with James Burch at the slave pen in Washington D.C., where Solomon first wakes up in chains after being drugged and kidnapped. Radburn’s attempts at sympathy for Solomon are flimsy, though he reinforces to Solomon that it is safer to stay quiet about his identity as a kidnapped free man. He is later brought to court with Burch by Solomon but is deemed innocent. 

Cephas Parker – Parker is one of Solomon’s old friends from New York. He is one of the men that Bass writes to in an attempt to rescue Solomon from slavery and restore him to freedom. Parker and his business partner, William Perry, receive the letter and forward it on to Solomon’s family, setting the ball in motion for Solomon’s rescue. 

Emily Berry – Emily is Eliza’s young, beautiful daughter and Randall’s sister. She is likely the daughter of Eliza’s last owner. The cruel slave dealer, Theophilus Freeman, refuses to sell Emily, even when Ford offers to buy both Eliza and Emily for the sake of keeping them together. Eliza never sees her daughter again. 

Arthur – Arthur is one of Solomon’s first friends at the very beginning of his time as a slave. While on the slave ship, Arthur, Robert, and Solomon make a plan for their escape off the boat, but the plans are shattered by Robert’s death and Arthur’s later rescue in New Orleans by friends from home. 

Lew Cheney – Lew Cheney is the slave from a neighboring plantation who organizes a rebellion only to betray every person involved in the movement. He is rewarded for turning in the group, while all the other slaves involved (including many innocent slaves) are hanged. According to Solomon, Cheney is still despised by all slaves in Louisiana. 

MINOR CHARACTERS 

Merrill Brown – Brown is one of the two men (along with Abram Hamilton) who convince Solomon to travel with them from New York to Washington D.C. to take part in their circus. Brown and Hamilton betray Solomon by drugging him, beating him, stealing his free papers, and selling him into slavery. 

Abram Hamilton – Hamilton, with help from his accomplice, Brown, convinces Solomon to travel from New York to Washington D.C. to play fiddle in the circus with which the men are connected. Once in Washington D.C., Hamilton and Brown drug Solomon, steal his free papers, and sell him into slavery. 

William Perry – Perry, an old friend of Solomon, is one of the men that Bass writes to in order to rescue Solomon from slavery. Perry and his business partner, Cephas Parker, are able to forward the letter on to Solomon’s family, setting the ball in motion for Solomon’s rescue. 

Armsby – Armsby is an impoverished white man who works for Edwin Epps. Armsby proves himself untrustworthy and deceitful when Solomon asks Armsby mail a letter for him, and Armsby agrees, feigning secrecy. Armsby immediately betrays Solomon by telling Epps. 

Chapin – Chapin is the kind overseer at Ford’s Bayou Beouf plantation. He intervenes when John Tibeats and his accomplices try to hang Solomon. 

John P. Waddill – Waddill is a Louisiana lawyer who helps his brother, Young Waddill, and Henry B. Northup find and rescue Solomon from slavery. 

Young Waddill – Young Waddill, the brother of John P. Waddill, helps Henry B. Northup rescue Solomon from slavery. 

Anne Northup – Anne is Solomon’s wife and the mother to Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. She is a hard worker and known as an excellent cook. 

Elizabeth Northup – Elizabeth is the eldest child of Anne and Solomon’s three children. She is the sister of Margaret and Alonzo. 

Margaret Northup – Margaret is the middle child of Anne and Solomon and later is the mother of Solomon Northup Staunton. She is the sister of Elizabeth and Alonzo. 

Alonzo Northup – Alonzo is the son of Anne and Solomon, as well as the brother of Elizabeth and Margaret. Once he is old enough, he goes west in order to save enough money to purchase his father’s freedom. 

Young Master Epps / Epps’ Son – Edwin Epps’ son is between the ages of ten and twelve. His behavior is violent and inhumane, just like that of his father. He sees slaves as nothing more than animals. 

Randall Berry – Randall is Eliza Berry’s young son and Emily’s brother. He is quickly separated from the both of them but is too young to understand the gravity of his situation as a slave and his separation from his family. Eliza never sees him again. 

Abram – Abram is one of Edwin Epps’ slaves. At sixty years old, Abram is a sweet, aging man who acts like a father to the other slaves. Epps treats him and a slave girl named Patsey with particular violence. 

John Manning – Manning is the empathetic sailor that befriends Solomon aboard the ship headed for New Orleans. He risks his safety to help Solomon write and send a letter to Henry B. Northup. Peter 

Tanner – Tanner is William Ford’s brother-in-law, whom John Tibeats hires Solomon out to. Like Ford, Tanner is a devout Christian, though he uses the Bible to support racism and scare his slaves. 

Phebe – Phebe, also called Aunt Phebe, is one of the slaves that works in Edwin Epps’ home. She is married to Wiley and is the mother of Edward, Bob, and Henry. Phebe is a chatty woman, known for being a gossip and eavesdropping as she works in the house. 

Wiley – Wiley, one of Edwin Epps’ slaves, is Phebe’s husband and Edward’s father. He is forty-eight years old and has a quiet, solemn temperament. Wiley tries to run away but is captured by white patrollers and returned to Epps three weeks later, earning Wiley violent punishment. 

Robert – Robert is one of the slaves on the slave ship whom Solomon befriends. Robert, Solomon, and Arthur make a detailed plan for their escape off the ship, but the plan is never put into action because Robert falls sick with smallpox and dies. 

Celeste – Celeste is a runaway slave from a plantation nearby that of Edwin Epps. She turns to Solomon for food, and he helps her stay alive for many months. She has fairer skin than her master. 

Mistress Ford – Mistress Ford is William Ford’s gentle, kind wife whom Solomon loves and respects. 

Clemens Ray – One of the slaves Solomon meets while imprisoned in Williams’ Slave Pen, overseen by James Burch. 

Edward – The thirteen-year-old son of Wiley and Phebe who works in Edwin Epps’ household serving Epps’ children. 

Bob – One of Edwin Epps’ slaves and Phebe’s twenty-year-old son from an earlier marriage. 

Henry – One of Edwin Epps’ slaves and Phebe’s twenty-threeyear-old son from an earlier marriage. 

Harriet Shaw – A close friend of Patsey and the black wife of a dishonest white gambler. 

Judge Marvin – One of the men to whom Bass writes a letter in an attempt to rescue Solomon from slavery 

Benjamin O. Shekels – A slave trader who acts as a false witness for Burch when Solomon brings Burch to court. Benjamin A. 

Thorn – One of James Burch’s false witness when Solomon brings Burch to court. John Williams – One of the slaves that Solomon meets while in Williams’ Slave Pen, overseen by James Burch. 

Adam – A white man who works as a foreman for William Ford. 

Judge Turner – A dignified man for whom Solomon briefly harvests sugar cane. Mintus –Solomon’s father, who was born a slave but earned his freedom when his master died. 

Goodin – The slave trader in Richmond, Virginia, whose complexion is as dark as his slaves’. 

Rachel – One of Chapin’s slaves at Bayou Boeuf. 

Eldret – The nice man that Solomon is hired out to by Tibeats to chop lumber. 

Marshall – The murderous man who lives at a plantation near Epps, at one point challenging Epps to a duel. Marshall is wellrespected for having killed another man, according to Solomon. 

Solomon Northup Staunton – Margaret Northup’s son and Anne and Solomon’s grandson.

THEMES

RACISM AND SLAVERY 

12 Years a Slave grapples with the racism that fuels slavery and Solomon Northup’s suffering. The narrative illustrates how racism is an instrument for human wickedness—a justification for a slave owner to be unrelenting, cruel, and inhumane. 12 Years a Slave clearly points out that racism is a learned behavior, not an inherent understanding that people are born with. The overarching purpose of 12 Years a Slave is to reveal the heartbreaking realities of slavery for the sake of strengthening anti-slavery attitudes and furthering the Abolitionist Movement, so Northup’s assertion that racism is manmade and a means for human brutality ties neatly into this purpose. Drawing upon his own Christian faith, he also highlights that racism, rooted in wickedness and human sin, is punishable by God. Since the Abolitionist Movement was strengthened by the Second Great Awakening—a Protestant revivalist movement that renewed Christians’ commitment to turning away from sin and living godly lives—Northup’s condemnation of racism as being a sin punishable by God appeals to the moral compass of his Northern readers. 12 Years a Slave illustrates how racism is a vehicle for human wickedness. Solomon highlights that sometimes, racism doesn’t even seem to be about skin color as much as its about slave owners feeling justified in their cruelty. Solomon and Bass make several references to slaves who look entirely white, or slave owners whose skin is as dark as their slaves. For example, when Solomon is initially being sold into slavery by slave dealer James Burch, he notices that one of the most famous slave dealers, Goodin, has “a complexion almost as dark as some of his own negros.” Later, while serving the vicious Edwin Epps, Solomon meets a runaway slave named Celeste, who is “far whiter than her owner, or any of his offspring.” Bass, the Canadian carpenter who eventually helps save Solomon, voices a similar sentiment, 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.” Though the racist system is absurd, it is the dominant worldview of Southern society at the time, and the evil it leads to is shown most clearly in the character of Epps. Epps uses his slaves as a means to satisfy his own craving for violence and sadistic entertainment. When Epps comes home drunk, he first breaks whatever he can find in his own house. “When satisfied with his amusement in the house,” he turns his violence upon the slaves, forcing them to run around in the yard in the middle of the night to avoid the painful sting of his whip for the sake of his “brutal humor.” Other times, the drunken Epps forces the slaves to get up in the middle of the night and dance to the quick tunes played on Solomon’s fiddle. If the slaves dance too slowly (despite their crippling exhaustion), he whips them. Solomon spells out the dark irony in the situation, writing, “Bent with excessive toil…feeling rather as if we could cast ourselves upon the earth and weep, many a night in the house of Edwin Epps have his unhappy slaves been made to dance and laugh.” Besides being used to justify human barbarity, the books makes clear that racism is a learned behavior. Epps’ ten-year-old son, Young Master Epps, mirrors how he sees his father treat the slaves. As a game, Epps’ son pretends he’s the overseer and rides out into the fields to brutally whip the slaves, “greatly to his father’s delight.” Because of his father’s influence, Epps’ son sees “the black man simply as an animal, differing in no respect from any other animal, save in the gift of speech and the possession of somewhat higher instincts, and therefore, the more valuable.” Later, Epps himself echoes this understanding of slaves as animals. When Bass rhetorically asks Epps what the difference is between a white man and a black man (believing that there is none), Epps replies, “All the difference in the world…You might as well ask what the difference is between a white man and a baboon.” Considering the impact Epps’ beliefs and behavior have on his son, it’s likely that Epps also learned his beliefs and behavior from his own father or other influential people in his life. Solomon also points out how his first master, the kindly William Ford, was victim to his environment as well: “The influences and associations that had always surrounded him, blinded him to the inherent wrong at the bottom of the system of Slavery…Looking though the same medium with his fathers before him, he saw things in the same light.” Solomon notes that if he had been raised in a different environment, Ford would likely have an entirely different stance on slavery. Asserting his own Christian faith, Solomon Northup highlights that because racism is a means for justifying sinfulness and is a learned behavior, racism is punishable by God. Adding a religious layer to his argument, Northup appeals to the Christian and moral underpinnings of the Abolitionist Movement and Second Great Awakening unfolding around his Northern readership. Watching a sweet slave girl named Patsey be brutally beaten by Epps, Solomon thinks to himself, “Thou devil, sooner or later, somewhere in the course of eternal justice, thou shalt answer for this sin!” Solomon aligns Epps with the devil, underscoring the extreme sinfulness in his racism and the eternal punishment that awaits him. Likewise, Bass, who is openly against slavery, tells Epps, “…you and men like you will have to answer for it. There’s a sin, a fearful sin, resting on this nation, that will not go unpunished forever. There will be a reckoning yet…it’s a coming as sure as the Lord is just.” Although Epps writes off Bass’s statement as Bass enjoying hearing himself talk and being argumentative, Bass is genuine in his assertion that racism is sinful and punishable by God. The crux of 12 Years a Slave is the racism that permeated the American South and fueled the brutal system of slavery. In his narrative, Solomon Northup reveals how such prejudice is manmade and used as a means to be cruel, consequently strengthening anti-slavery attitudes among his readership and adding fuel to the Abolitionist fire growing in the North. Asserting that racism is a sin punishable by God, Northup also approaches racism from a religious angle and appeals to the renewed interest in morality among Northern Protestants.

TRUTH AND JUSTICE 

Although 12 Years a Slave commends telling the truth, considering it a sign of integrity and strength, the book also explores the complexity involved in telling the truth in nineteenth-century America. Racism means that truth coming from a slave is deemed worthless, limiting a slave’s ability to seek justice. Further, telling the truth can be dangerous or deadly for an innocent person in this toxic environment. In this case, Solomon Northup maintains, it is appropriate to lie for safety’s sake. At the same time, the book is careful to point out that lying is still immoral when it’s done by someone who is trying to cover up their crimes. 12 Years a Slave reveals that racism imposes limits on truth and justice. For example, John Tibeats, one of Solomon’s several cruel masters, frequently tries to murder him, but Solomon knows, “Had he stabbed me to the heart in the presence of a hundred slaves, not one of them, by the laws of Louisiana, could have given evidence against him.” Likewise, when Solomon is eventually freed and brings the slave dealer James Burch to court, Burch is allowed to testify as a witness on his own behalf, but Solomon is not given the same privilege. Burch is found innocent, and the court deems Solomon’s evidence “inadmissible.” Solomon points out that racism stood bluntly in the way of justice: “I was rejected solely on the ground that I was a colored man—the fact of my being a free citizen of New York not being disputed.” The narrative also highlights that in an unjust society, sometimes what is lawful is immoral, and vice versa. For an innocent person, telling the truth can be dangerous and even deadly. In these cases, lying or breaking the law is justified and doesn’t reflect a moral lapse. Imprisoned in Burch’s slave pen in Washington D.C., Solomon quickly learns that telling the truth of his status as a free man kidnapped into slavery only earns him harsher treatment: “But I would not be silent, and denounced the authors of my imprisonment…as unmitigated villains. Finding he could not quiet me, he flew into a towering passion.” Since it’s illegal to buy a slave who is actually a free man, Burch fears punishment and consequently beats Solomon more severely with every assertion of his identity as a free man from New York. Similarly, even though Solomon’s first master, William Ford, is kind and gentle, Solomon knows “well enough the slightest knowledge of my real character would consign me at once to the remoter depths of Slavery,” and that he would be sold on the other side of the border, “disposed of as the thief disposes of his stolen horse.” Later, when Solomon serves a vicious, evil man named Edwin Epps, Solomon learns that telling the truth about anything—not just his identity as a kidnapped free man—can be dangerous: “It is not safe to contradict a master, even by the assertion of a truth.” However, the narrative asserts that it is immoral and unjust to lie in order to escape punishment for one’s crimes. Solomon tells the story of a man named Lew Cheney, a slave from a neighboring plantation who organizes a revolution with the goal of fighting the opposition all the way until they reach the Mexican border. Realizing his plan is destined to fail, Lew turns in all of the people who were part of his organization—making himself look innocent. All people involved in the planned revolt, as well as many innocent people, are hanged. Solomon says that even at the time of his writing, Lew Cheney’s “name is despised and execrated by all his race.” Similarly, when Burch is deemed innocent in court, Burch tries to turn the charges around on Solomon, claiming that Solomon “conspired with the two white men to defraud him.” When Solomon is consequently arrested and brought to court (with Henry B. Northup as his lawyer), Burch drops the charges, knowing they are baseless. Solomon Northup’s slave narrative shows the messy complexities of truth-telling for a slave in nineteenth-century America. In showing how difficult it is for an innocent slave to tell the truth and receive justice, Northup seeks to elicit empathy from the reader and turn them against slavery. Even in the narrative itself, Northup frequently interjects with direct addresses to the reader, declaring that all of the experiences laid out in the pages of 12 Years a Slave are entirely accurate and truthful. By firmly declaring that all of his recollections are true, Northup helps the reader see 12 Years Slave for what it is—an actual, firsthand account of the real-life horrors of slavery unfolding under the reader’s nose. 

FAMILY 

12 Years a Slave centers on the twelve years of agony that author and protagonist Solomon Northup spent as a slave in Louisiana, completely cut off from his family. Although Solomon’s family appears very little throughout the narrative, family plays a key role in Solomon’s experiences. The narrative points out that the concept of family is broader than being related by blood or marriage. Instead, family encompasses those who show one another love, compassion, and loyalty, regardless of whether or not they are related. 12 Years a Slave also shows how even the mere thought of family can be a source of comfort and hope in times of bitter pain and distress. Likewise, family can provide a sense of purpose and a reason to live. In the book, family is more than marriage and blood relatives—it’s the people who show each other unconditional love and loyalty. For example, the kindly carpenter named Bass has no family but forges a deep family-like connection with Solomon as the two spend many nights talking secretly. It’s Bass’s compassion and loyalty that lead to Solomon’s freedom. Likewise, Henry B. Northup, the lawyer who is also instrumental in securing Solomon’s freedom, proves himself a faithful friend by working on Solomon’s case for many months and traveling all the way from New York to Louisiana to rescue Solomon. Though Henry and Solomon share the same last name, they aren’t blood relatives—Henry is the grandnephew of the man who freed Solomon’s father—but the loyalty and unconditional love Henry shows Solomon makes them practically family. In addition, William Ford, Solomon’s first master, is so gentle, kindhearted, and empathetic, that his slaves speak of him like a father figure. For as long as he has the power to do so, Ford consistently shields Solomon from harm and treats him almost like a son. The narrative illustrates how family, blood-related or otherwise, is a source of hope and comfort in times of sorrow. In the midst of his suffering as a slave, Solomon comforts himself by thinking of his kind, loving father who also endured life as a slave but was freed upon his master’s death: “How often since that time has the recollection of his paternal counsels occurred to me, while lying in a slave hut in the distant and sickly regions of Louisiana.” Similarly, Solomon reveals to Bass that he is sustained by the thought of one day being reunited with his family: “Dwelling upon the unspeakable happiness it would be to clasp them to my heart once more before I died.” Family also provides a sense of purpose in one’s life. Lamenting over his miserable life as a slave, Solomon questions, “Why had I not died in my young years—before God had given me children to love and live for?” Solomon’s statement shows how his children added a whole new layer of purpose to his life—but also a new layer of pain, when that purpose is taken away. Likewise, Eliza, one of the slaves Solomon meets in Burch’s slave pen, is permanently separated from her children with no hope of a reunion, and she consequently withers into a shell of a person and later passes away out of grief. In contrast, Bass, having established a close, familial relationship with Solomon, makes Solomon’s release from slavery his life purpose: “without kith or kin to mourn for him, or to remember him…his life was of little value to himself, and henceforth should be devoted to the accomplishment of my liberty, and to an unceasing warfare against the accursed shame of Slavery.” Family is instrumental in 12 Years a Slave, as it provides strength, comfort, and a reason to live. Solomon Northup’s purpose in recording his experiences in 12 Years a Slave is to reveal the horrors of slavery so that the readership will realize that slavery is unjust and repulsive and work to abolish it. One of the ways Northup achieves this is to gain the reader’s empathy, which is a common technique used in slave narratives. By revealing his deep, tender connection to his family, Northup appeals to the reader’s connection to their own family. Detailing the pain of being separated from one’s family—like Eliza’s grief-driven death after being separated from her children—Northup encourages the Northern reader to empathize deeply with slaves’ misery and to ultimately realize that slaves are human beings with thoughts, feelings, and families. 

CHRISTIANITY 

Throughout 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup asserts that God loves all of his people, regardless of race. The inherent equality among men in God’s eyes means that Christianity is a source of comfort and strength for the slaves, as well as a way to understand their circumstances. 12 Years a Slave also reveals the hypocritical underbelly of Christianity in the American South, showing the way that Christianity can be terribly manipulated into a means for justifying the rightness of slavery and racism. The narrative asserts that the core of Christianity is a loving God who cares for all people, regardless of race. At the opening of his narrative, Solomon explains how his father taught him and his siblings “to place our trust and confidence in Him who regards the humblest as well as the highest of his creatures.” Solomon’s only kindly owner, William Ford, is a Christian man who teaches his slaves that God cares for all people: “He pointed upwards, and with benign and cheering words addressed us as his fellow-mortals, accountable, like himself, to the Maker of us all.” Later, Bass, the kindly Canadian carpenter, asks Epps, “Now, in the sight of God, what is the difference, Epps, between a white man and a black one?” Through his rhetorical question, Bass attempts to show Epps that there is no difference in God’s eyes. In contrast, Solomon attributes Edwin Epps’ son’s brutality and racism to what he’s learned by observing his father, as well as his failure “to comprehend, that in the eye of the Almighty there is no distinction of color.” 12 Years a Slave illustrates that religion can provide a sense of hope, strength, and understanding. When Solomon wakes up from being drugged and kidnapped, he realizes that he has been enslaved, and immediately turns to God: “I felt there was no trust or mercy in unfeeling man; and commending myself to the God of the oppressed, bowed my head…and wept most bitterly.” Similarly, during the process of being officially sold to a slave owner, Solomon prays to God for strength: “To the Almighty Father of us all—the freeman and the slave—I poured forth the supplications of a broken spirit, imploring strength from on high to bear up against the burden of my troubles.” In addition, Ford shows his slaves how religion provides a way to understand one’s present life and the future, eternal life: “He sought to inculcate in our minds…dependence upon God—setting forth the rewards promised unto those who lead an upright and prayerful life…he spoke of the loving kindness of the Creator and of the life that is to come.” However, the narrative also points out that Christianity can be used to justify slavery and wickedness. For example, Ford’s brother-in-law, Tanner, also reads the Bible to his slaves but uses it to impress upon them obedience to the slave owner. He dramatically reads the verse, “And that servant which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.” Tanner’s commentary on the verse is that slaves who “don’t take care—that don’t obey his lord—that’s his master—…shall be beaten with many stripes.” Tanner twists the teachings of Christianity to perpetuate slavery and justify the beating his slaves. Similarly, when Bass tries to explain to Epps that race makes no difference in God’s eyes, Epps is adamant that it makes “All the difference in the world…You might as well ask what the difference is between a white man and a baboon.” Bass tries instead to explain to Epps that the Declaration of Independences means that “all men [are] created free and equal,” to which Epps responds that “all men” doesn’t include slaves or monkeys—suggesting that he also sees the God of “all men” as the God of all white men. In 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup asserts that God is a loving, caring God of all people, and that race plays no part in God’s affections. Because of this, Northup frequently turns to his Christian faith as a source of strength or comfort in the midst of his suffering. In this way, Northup urges his reader to align themselves with God by abolishing racism and fostering equality, which is the core purpose of 12 Years a Slave. Northup also draws attention to the ways that Christianity can be distorted for the sake of justifying slavery and racism. In doing so, Northup strengthens the moral sentiments of the Second Great Awakening, which was a Christian movement unfolding around the same time. Northup emphasizes, as the Second Great Awakening did, that slavery is immoral and does not align with Christianity and God’s word.

THE POWER OF MUSIC

In 12 Years a Slave, author and protagonist Solomon Northup highlights how his violin brought him brief but treasured moments of joy and comfort in the midst of otherwise-horrific situations. He even attributes his physical survival under his most brutal master, Edwin Epps, to his violin. However, Solomon also reveals how the scant joy in his life, music, was perverted by slave dealers and owners. In the opening pages of his narrative, Solomon writes that the violin has brought him joy and comfort by “beguiling my own thoughts, for many hours, from the painful contemplation of my fate.” During his most excruciating years of servitude, Solomon sees his violin as a faithful friend or family member who brings him comfort. Looking back on his years as a slave, Solomon writes, “I was indebted to my violin, my constant companion…and soother of my sorrows during years of servitude.” Like a true friend, Solomon’s violin celebrates with him in joyful times and comforts him in times of sorrow: “It was my companion—the friend of my bosom—triumphing loudly when I was joyful, and uttering its soft, melodious consolations when I was sad.” When Solomon can’t sleep in the middle of the night because of his misery, his violin “would sing…a song of peace,” like a mother singing a lullaby to her distraught child. In addition, Solomon’s harshest owner, Edwin Epps, occasionally rents Solomon out to other slave owners who need music for their parties. This arrangement allows Solomon “to witness scenes of jollity and mirth” from time to time. Besides bringing happiness and comfort, music also has a practical purpose because it can aid in survival. During many of Solomon’s years serving Epps, the slaves’ food supply is infested with worms and deemed inedible. Solomon’s violin, his “source of profit,” is what keeps him alive by enabling him to purchase extra, non-contaminated food. In addition, Solomon writes that being able to play his violin at other slave owners’ gatherings “relieved me of many days’ labor in the field…and oftentimes led me away from the presence of a hard master.” However, like all good things, music can be perverted and used for evil. When Solomon is officially for sale and being examined by potential buyers, one of the slave dealers plays up Solomon’s ability to play the violin so that the slave dealer will make a higher profit. Later, Epps uses Solomon’s ability to play the violin as a source of torture for the other slaves and entertainment for himself. In the middle of the night, a drunken Epps forces the slaves to dance frantically to a “quick-stepping tune” that Solomon plays on the violin. If Solomon doesn’t play fast enough or the other slaves don’t dance fast enough, they are whipped. In 12 Years a Slave, Solomon Northup illustrates the key role that music played in his life as a slave, praising his violin for the way it brought him comfort, happiness, and survival. In outlining all of the ways that music comforted and helped him, Northup also makes himself more relatable to his white readership, as his deep appreciation of music as an art supports his overarching argument that black people are just as intelligent and human as white people. In addition, by revealing the way music was taken away from him or used to torture him, Northup draws on his readers’ empathy and humanity in order to strengthen their condemnation of slavery and consequent commitment to the Abolitionist Movement.