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A Literary Criticism of Solomon Northup’s
Twelve Years a Slave
Gwen Anne B. Agorilla, Alhea Bess Dimaano, Allen Horcera, Aprilyn Lariba
I n 1853, a slave narrative of the life of
Solomon Northup entitled Twelve Years
a Slave, was published in Auburn New York.
It was edited by David Wilson, and it proved
to be vital in the contentions of the
Abolitionist movement during those times.
Slavery in America was practiced
from early colonial days, and was legal
during the country’s independence in 1776.
In this context, slaves refer to an authorized
type of property that could be marketed, as
is any other type of property. Solomon
Northup provided crucial evidence of the
violence and torment that slaves experienced
under the chains of their masters, and
debunked the arguments of pro-slavery
advocates regarding cruelty-free
enslavement. This furthered the passing of
abolitionist laws in some states, in order to
abolish slavery. Today, slavery and human
trafficking is abolished and illegal in
America. This paper entails the development
of the book Twelve Years a Slave as a
literary entity, and a powerful instrument in
the liberation of thousands of exploited
slaves in America.
ABSTRACT
In this literary criticism, the authors examine
Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave
through the Russian Formalism and Marxist
lenses. The authors explore the social
contexts from which the memoir was
embedded, as well as discuss the power
relations throughout the text. The authors will
discuss an analysis of the work’s formal
elements and detail how the work is
structured and organized.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
The Author: A short background to
the life of Solomon Northup……………………2
Twelve Years a Slave: An Overview…………...2
Russian Formalism Approach…………………..5
a. On Plot and Plot Structure
b. On Narrative Voice
c. On Setting
d. On Character and Characterization
e. On Style
f. On Tone
Marxist Approach……………………………..12
a. The radical disparities between white and
colored men on the basis of race
b. Freedom is a social construct
c. The proletariat’s lack of identity
d. There is no true social justice as the
bourgeoisie maintain power over the law
Theme ………………………………………...16
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The Author: A short background to the life of

Solomon Northup
Solomon Northup was born and raised in Minerva, New York on July 10, 1807. Solomon’s
father, Mintus, was a freed slave, while his mother was a free woman of color. In line with partus
sequitur ventrem, Solomon and his brother Joseph were declared free since they held the legal
status of their mother. Thus, he was a free-born African-American. Solomon became a professional
violinist and a farmer with a bit of land in Hebron. He married a woman of African, European and
Native American descent named Anne Hampton. Together, they formed a family of five and had
three children, namely: Elizabeth, Margaret, and Alonzo. They lived in Fort Edward and
Kingsbury between 1830 and 1834, and took upon various jobs to supplement their family needs.

Anne became notable as a cook and she worked in local taverns while Solomon played the
violin for certain elites. He also sidelined as a raftsman and a fiddler for local dances. In 1834,
Solomon moved his family to Saratoga Springs, New York since it promised a lot of job
opportunities for him and Anne. Here, he worked as a construction worker and as a carpenter.
About seven years after living in Saratoga, Solomon met two men in the name of Merrill Brown
and Abram Hamilton. He was only 32 then, and when offered a job in a circus company in New
York City, he went without hesitation. The circus turned out to be a sham, and he was enslaved
for twelve years in Central Louisiana. He was saved from slavery with the help of Samuel Bass
and Henry B. Northup. The latter was a friend of Solomon who was a grandnephew of the man
who freed Solomon’s father. The same year (1853), he published his experiences in his book with
David Wilson and continued to speak against slavery in his travels. Later, he disappeared in the
public eye while helping slaves escape to Canada. His death was unrecorded because of this.

Twelve Years a Slave: A Summary

The book opens with a promise from the narrator and protagonist, Solomon Northup, that
“the account of his life and fortunes would not be uninteresting to the public.” He said that since
his return to liberty, he perceived how the topic of Slavery is presented in a rather “pleasing” and
“repugnant” aspects in works of fiction. And so he proceeds to tell his story and his truth of what
Slavery actually is, as it came to his observations.
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Solomon, being born as a free man in New York, grew up hearing of the atrocities of
slavery. He deeply respected his father who labored under the disadvantages to which his
unfortunate race was subjected, and believed that he should follow his principles. With this,
Solomon grew up with pure sentiments of morality, and was taught to trust in God. Eventually, he
got married to Anne and raised three “beloved” children: Elizabeth, Margaret and Alonzo. He was
a tender father and a loyal husband who worked to provide for his family.

In 1841, while he was walking along the village in Saratoga Springs, New York he
happened to meet two dignified gentlemen. They introduced themselves as Merrill Brown and
Abram Hamilton, and they told Solomon that they are in need of music for their entertainments.
They were dressed in apparels of extreme fashion (to the point of being effeminate) but had an
easy air about them which caught Solomon’s interest. They offered Solomon a chance to travel
with them as a fiddler player in New York City and gain extra money. They explained that it will
only be a short trip, and he will be compensated with daily wages and a bonus for each show.
Solomon accepted their tempting offer.

The three stopped by in Albany to put on a show, and Solomon was mesmerized with the
bizarre acts and tricks of ventriloquism. Without so much of an income, they went to New York
the next day. At this point, Brown and Hamilton asked Solomon if he would be willing to travel
all the way to Washington, D.C. to perform another show. Solomon agrees and they spent the
remainder of their time in New York City to go out for drinks. Shortly after, Solomon falls ill,
despite his moderation in drinking. He retires to his hotel room with a headache and an insufferable
nausea. Men enter his room and tell him that he must go out and see a doctor. Riddled with
headaches and a blurry vision, he stands up and follows into the street. He lost consciousness and
days later, awaken in chains in a small, dark room. Solomon soon realizes that his free papers have
been stolen and he has been kidnapped. When he met his keepers, James Burch and Ebenezer
Radburn, he demanded freedom and was met with brutal whips. Solomon remains in the slave pen
for two weeks along with other prisoners. There he met a woman named Eliza, and her children,
Randall and Emily.

One night, Burch woke up the slaves in their sleep and made them march to the pitch-black
Capitol. They board a steamboat, and arrived in Richmond, Virginia where they are to be
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transferred in another slave pen. While in the pen, Solomon is handcuffed to a fellow prisoner
named Robert, and the two immediately form a tight bond. Eventually, the slaves are forced to ride
another steamboat. They are being transferred to New Orleans. During the trip, Solomon and
Robert met Arthur, who had also been kidnapped. The three develops an escape plan, but fails to
execute it as Robert dies of the smallpox. While on the boat, Solomon befriends a white sailor
named John Manning, who agrees to send a letter to Henry Northup. Manning successfully mails
the letter and Solomon’s friend Arthur is rescued by friends from home.

The rest of the slaves were prepared to be sold. They were bathed and dressed in a slave
pen, where customers examine them. Solomon and Eliza are sold to William Ford, a preacher from
Red River, Louisiana. Ford proves to be a compassionate and gentle owner, and treats his slaves
like his own children. Soon after, Ford falls under debt to John Tibeats. Tibeats is known for being
rude and violent to both slaves and white men. Without a choice, Ford sells Solomon to Tibeats.
Tibeats and Solomon travel to a plantation Ford owns, overseen by a nice white man named
Chapin. In this plantation, Solomon experiences violence from Tibeats and was greatly
overworked. At one point, Solomon had to swim through a dangerous swamp to escape from him.
He heads to Ford’s house where he seeks protection and rest for three days, but was eventually
returned to Tibeats. Tibeats sold Solomon to Edward Epps, a much crueller and gruffer master. He
was a drunk, and he mistreated his slaves.

Every day, Solomon watches for a chance to have paper so he can write to his family. After
nine years of slavery, he finally obtains a single sheet of paper. He learned how to make ink and
pen, and writes a letter to an acquaintance. He failed to send this letter when he was betrayed by a
white man. However, he managed to somehow convince Epps that the man lied to make himself
look good. Epps then hired a Canadian contractor named Bass, with whom Solomon developed a
close friendship. Bass promised to write letters to Solomon’s contacts. One letter managed to reach
Anne through their friends Perry and Parker. She then asks for assistance to Henry Northup, who
was then granted legal power by the Governor to find and release Solomon from slavery. A few
days after Christmas, Henry fetches Solomon and was met with a giant embrace. Solomon filed a
case against Burch, who was then falsely found innocent. Nevertheless, Solomon returns to New
York where he reunites with his family. He reminds the reader that his life is an accurate depiction
of slavery. He thanked everyone who helped liberate him, and vows to live a humble, quiet life.
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Russian Formalism Approach

Twelve Years a Slave contains twenty-two chapters and over 300 pages of personal
accounts and testimonies during Solomon’s period of slavery. This part of the paper will formally
discuss the elements of the literary work: plot, conflicts and complications, plot structure and
devices, characters, setting, style, and tone.

The plot begins in an introductory where the author narrates his life as a free man and
provides a background to his ancestors’ quest for the liberty he now possesses. By the end of this
introduction, the author begins to unravel the beginnings of his misfortune:

“Thus far the history of my life presents nothing whatever unusual […] But
now I had reached a turning point in my existence – reached the threshold
of unutterable wrong, and sorrow, and despair. Now had I approached
within the shadow of the cloud, into the thick darkness whereof I was soon
to disappear, thenceforward to be hidden from the eyes of all my kindred,
and shut out from the sweet light of liberty, for many a weary year. “

The plot progresses in the rising action as the author narrates his descent into slavery by
meeting two fair fellowmen who kidnaps him and sells him into slavery. What then followed was
a series of brutal narrations as Solomon was transferred from one master to another, and had to
witness the death of his fellow slaves. Solomon attempts freedom by befriending several folks that
would perhaps send out a letter for him. His plans ultimately fail, and at some point was at the
brink of death by hanging.

Then, in the climax, the author revealed that Solomon befriends a white carpenter who
works for his master. This carpenter, in the name of Bass, agrees to send out two letters in behalf
of Solomon. After Solomon’s freedom, the author took the time to narrate the journey of the letter
and how it reached his liberator.

Henry Northup, a white lawyer and the grandnephew of the man who freed Solomon’s
father, finds Solomon through the letters mailed to him by Bass. Upon his liberation, Solomon
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seeks out Burch (the man who sold him into slavery) and files a case against him. Burch is
acquitted.

The story ends as Solomon reunites with his family. He is shocked to see how his children
have grown, and promised to cherish the future moments granted to him by his freedom. The
author ended with the note:

“[…] I hope henceforward to lead an upright though lowly life, and rest at
last in the church yard where my father sleeps.”

The formal organization of how the story progressed and developed is illustrated in the plot
diagram below:

The plot was conveyed in a rather circular order of narration, wherein the exposition and
the denouement were set in the present, while a series of flashbacks composed the in between.
Twelve Years a Slave was narrated in the First Person Point of View, using Detached
Autobiography. Solomon (protagonist) was the narrator who elucidated the events in his past. It
also employed a partial resolution as the narrative work was concluded. This is because even
though Solomon was emancipated and overcame his main struggle, he also failed to bring justice
to where it is due. In light of his kidnapper’s acquittal, and moral surrender to the higher Being,
the readers are left to ponder the issues raised by the story.
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The main conflict in the narrative is Individual vs. Circumstance, in which Solomon, a
colored man, struggled against slavery. This conflict was presented through several complications
that were revealed by the author. For example, some of the complications that challenged Solomon
was his lacking access to pen and paper and the ability to write to his family. Another is when
Solomon fell ill due to the climate of the field while he was working, accompanied by the brutality
of his master. Other complications such as his master’s easily tempered personality proved his
escape to be difficult, if not entirely impossible. Solomon also was a well-learned man. He was
able to read and write, and for this he had to hide his true identity to avoid further persecution. The
more apparent complications such as the tor ture, brutality and manacles exemplified the existing
conflict in the narrative.

A number of plot devices were also employed in the work, that helped introduce the main
conflict of the story. One that is predominantly observed in the story was Flashback:

“My object is, to give a candid and truthful statement of facts: to repeat
the story of my life, without exaggeration, leaving it for others to
determine, whether even the pages of fiction present a picture of more
cruel wrong or a severer bondage.”

At the beginning of the story, the author also used flashbacks as he introduced Solomon’s
father, Mintus Northup. This was done by narrating Mintus’s life as a slave, and his liberation. The
author also proceeds to do so in presenting the life of Solomon before his abduction – how he
managed to form a family and labored to provide for them. Another plot device that was used in
the story is Foreshadowing. The dark clouds Solomon mentions in the beginning of the story
foreshadow those hardships he will have to endure as he was enslaved.

“Now had I approached within the shadow of the cloud, into the thick
darkness whereof I was soon to disappear.”

Another example is when Solomon notes that the $400 mortgage Ford (one of his masters)
took out on hand would become important later on, and indeed, it is what Chapin uses to prevent
Tibeats from killing Solomon. Solomon also mentions that visiting Canada was very useful to him
in terms of achieving his freedom; he is foreshadowing his conversation with Bass. Bass was a
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native of Canada, and this incited a conversation between the two which eventually led to
Solomon’s liberation. Deus ex machina was also used in the story when Arthur, a fellow slave
and a friend of Solomon was rescued out of the blue by two young men. Apparently, his kidnapper
was arrested. Arthur’s freedom came as a surprise to everyone and without question he leaves with
joyous exclaims.

The setting of the story was in the midst of the American Abolitionist Movement. It focuses
on the years 1841 to 1853, during which Solomon Northup was held captive as a slave. During
this time, slaves were marketed throughout most of America and certain sectors pushed that the
slavery system be completely abolished. It covered areas in North America such as Central
Louisiana (Red River region), New York (Saratoga Springs), and Washington D.C. Established by
the lavish setting of Saratoga Springs, the story opened in a light and comfortable mood. However,
the atmosphere shifted when Solomon ventured to New York City for the circus (which turned out
to be a sham) which was gloomy and dark. The mood continued to progress and develop
throughout the story, as Solomon travelled from the murky Bayou to the sun-stricken cotton fields
and ultimately, back home in Saratoga.

Only few of the characters in the story were highly instrumental to the development and
unraveling of Solomon Northup’s narrative. Those characters are the following:

The protagonist of the story is Solomon Northup who is also the author and narrator of
Twelve Years a Slave. He is born as a free colored man (who was abducted and sold into slavery.
He is a father of three children (Elizabeth, Margaret and Alonzo) and a loving husband to his wife
Anne. He is a violinist, a learned man and a hard worker. Upon being sold into slavery, he was
renamed as “Platt” and eventually became famous for his skills in carpentry and harvesting sugar
cane. He was liberated in 1853 through the help of his friend Bass. He is a round and dynamic
character. He was kidnapped in 1841 by James Burch’s men. Burch is a flat and static character
because his attitude remains the same all throughout the story and he is not a well-developed
character. Moreover, William Ford is Solomon’s first owner and is a Christian Minister. Ford is
also a flat and static character as he treated his slaves with kindness in the entirety of the story.
Solomon’s second owner is John Tibeats, a cruel white carpenter who works at Ford’s plantation.
He is also a flat and static character because although he transitioned from a man who had a lot of
guts to a man who feared Mr. Chapin, it didn’t cause him to become kinder. The main antagonist
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of the story is Edwin Epps who is Solomon’s third owner. Epps is a flat and static character, just
like Solomon’s other master. Another character is a female slave named Patsey. She is also a slave
owned by Epps. She was regularly raped by Epps which led to even more brutal treatment by
Mistress Epps. Patsey is a flat and dynamic character. This is because as the story progressed, her
character changed from being a bubbly and hardworking girl to a suicidal and broken woman. This
apparent change was brought about by the jealousy-driven brutality of Mistress Epps, and the
psychological and physical damage caused by her Master Epps. Bass was a kind-hearted Canadian
carpenter who worked for Epps. He was portrayed as Solomon’s confidante. He helped Solomon
by mailing several letters to New York. Bass explicitly states his disconformity in the slave system
throughout the story, and his abolitionist spirit motivated Solomon to trust him. He is a flat and
static character. Several other minor characters are mentioned in the story, and most of them are
flat and static in nature.

In terms of style, Solomon Northup had a unique method of narrating his life. For the
diction, the word choice of the author in narrating is clearly formal. He also used concrete
language where the author provided a clear understanding in his written work, the places, events
and person by giving precise details and specifications as he observed it in real life. While there
are certain parts that were inductive and abstract, he managed to provide other elements (such as
in the setting) that made it clearer for the reader to understand. His work was a combination of
dialogue and description, and it was successful in conveying the content.

The author also used Imagery or sensory details to build vivid and real conditions in the
reader's imagination. The following are visual and olfactory imageries that were employed in
describing the Slave Pen and the swamp where Solomon was detained and exposed, respectively.

“From the inside, the building looks extremely grim, with small rooms, steel
doors, and bars at every window. From the outside, however, the building
looks completely normal, the people passing by having no idea what is
happening inside it.”

“Here slave-owners and dogs cannot come, but snakes and alligators are
legion. The trees are tall and dense, the water smelly. The wildlife is at
times silent and at other times harsh.”
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Several figures of speech are also present in the text. Most of them are similes and
metaphors that the author used to color his narrative. He used dark clouds as metaphors in
describing his dark life and experiences as he was treated as a slave for years and birds and their
offspring to indicate how he wishes for his freedom (birds are free to fly) and eagerness return to
his children.

“The sound of the three children inside the house was like music to the
ears.”

“Now had I approached within the shadow of the cloud, into that thick
darkness whereof I was soon to disappear, thenceforward to be hidden
from the eyes of all my kindred and shut out from the sweet light of liberty,
for many a year."

"The happy birds—I envied them. I wished for wings like them, that I might
cleave the air to where my bird lings waited vainly for their father's
coming."

Another quality in terms of style is the symbols; For example, the Free Papers in the lines:

“The idea struck me as a prudent one, though I think it would scarcely have
occurred to me, had they not proposed it […] I must confess, that the papers
were scarcely worth the cost of obtaining them—the apprehension of
danger to my personal safety never having suggested itself to me in the
remotest manner.”

A free paper is known to be lightweight and easy to steal. This paper symbolizes his
identity. Just like his freedom, it is fragile and easy to take away from him. Another symbolism
shown in the narrative is the Chains in the lines:

“I must toil day after day, endure abuse and taunts and scoffs, sleep on the
hard ground, live on the coarsest fare, and not only this, but live the slave
of a blood-seeking wretch, of whom I must stand henceforth in continued
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fear and dread. […] I sighed for liberty; but the bondman’s chain was round
me, and could not be shaken off.”

These chains in which Solomon finds himself controlled with, symbolize the impossibility
of escaping slavery. Chains are made up of several strong links, once he is chained, it would be
difficult for him to escape. Another symbolism shown in the narrative is the Whip in the lines:

“Bent with excessive toil—actually suffering for a little refreshing rest,

and 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.”

A whip is an instrument used to control, punish and dehumanize the slaves. It is the ultimate
symbol of the slaves’ suffering; it shows that slaves are like livestock that can be sold, traded and
controlled with the use of threat or physical violence.

Furthermore, the style of writing was exemplified with the use of several motifs that were
recurring throughout the story. Some of these motifs are paper, chains, whips and the cotton field.
Paper can represent freedom – both the freedom that was taken away from him (free papers) and
the freedom he will gain by sending out a letter. Whereas, the chains, whips and the cotton field
may represent the cyclic labor of the slaves under the control of their masters. Another important
motif in the story is music. Solomon was a musician and it influenced his life greatly. Whenever
he got the chance to play or hear music, he is reminded of home and it is the one sweet thing that
helped him survive his bleak and cruel life.

The book also showed irony within its context. For example, a dramatic irony was
presented in the beginning of the story where Solomon tries to convince other black men to seek
liberation, not knowing that he too will soon lose his own freedom. Another, is a situational irony
of the juxtaposition of the slave pen and the capitol. This is ironic because the politicians in
comfortable seats promised a society of liberty and happiness, and yet they choose to remain blind
to the inhumanity that was happening across the street in the slave pen. Another situational irony
is the common belief of slave owners that in order to be respected by their slaves, they must inflict
cruelty and inspire fear among them. However, Solomon notes that if slaves were treated with
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kindness, they would be more willing to follow and conform to their owners. Lastly, verbal irony
is present in the lines:

“There are few sights more pleasant to the eye, than a wide cotton field
when it is in the bloom.”

This is because while a cotton field in bloom is strikingly pleasing to the eye, it is also the
site of brutality, suffering and oppression.

The author’s tone throughout the story was anger, despair, and displeasure on the subject
of slavery and the dehumanization of their race. He was outraged with the superficiality of his free
papers, and was filled with sadness when his Arthur was rescued (leaving him in the “pit of
darkness”). He writes:

“But in all the crowd that thronged the wharf, there was no one who knew
or cared for me. Not one. No familiar voice greeted my ears, nor was there
a single face that I had ever seen.”

Marxist Approach
Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years a Slave is one of the most powerful literary works of its
time. It abetted the abolishment of the slavery system that was a persistent obstacle of color in
America. It revealed the cruelty and inhumanity against people of color during those times and it
crippled the shackles that once rid them of their rights. More importantly, Twelve Years a Slave
promoted social revolution that proves relevant up to this day.

The narrative was set during the 1840s in the pre-Civil War America where power and
basic human right reside in one’s complexion. At this time, Africans and African-Americans (or
“blacks”) were deemed nothing but property. Such was the revelation of the narrative in its realistic
portrayal of the violence and trauma of slavery. In its purest form, Twelve Years a Slave exposed
the radical disparities between white and colored men on the basis of race. Northup and
history itself details the oppression and discrimination against black Americans as they were
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exploited for labor, sex and money. In spite of the brutality and sadism of slavery, it was continued
in America for more than 373 years and for it Northup writes:

“I could not comprehend the justice of that law, or that religion, which
upholds or recognizes the principle of slavery.”

“A man with a particle of mercy in his soul would not have beaten even a
dog so cruelly.”

For example, Northup revealed that during those times, the whites ruled dominance over
education as people in his “condition” rarely received any form of education at all. Colored people
were very often deprived of the opportunity to learn how to read and write, as the white men fear
that this would enable them to subdue oppression. This reflects how the people in power suppress
and control those who are in their chains to maintain their position. The proletariat, or in this case
the slaves, were left to do menial jobs of physical labor and failed to receive a fighting chance for
freedom. From this alone, the alienation of the ill-fated working class in the aspect of education
furthers the disparity between the white and the black.

“Soon after he purchased me, Epps asked me if I could write and read, and
on being informed that I had received some instruction in those branches
of education, he assured me, with emphasis, if he ever caught me with a
book, or with pen and ink, he would give me a hundred lashes.”

“He said he wanted me to understand that he bought “niggers” to work

and not to educate.”

This obstinate disparity set forth by race through education extricates any colored person
from the opportunity to achieve greater and climb higher in the social caste system. As legally
dictated by the society and the human chattel enslavement, the most they can achieve in life if not
death, is freedom. However, freedom seemed impossible in their circumstance. Patsey, one of the
slaves, was “the most remarkable cotton picker” among the slaves of Edward Epps and all she
wanted was to die. Not even the highest commendation of a master could give her the triumphs
she would have had, had she not been enslaved. It is also noteworthy to consider that during this
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period, a slave was to address his owner as “master” to establish authority. This master-slave
system reflects of the power relations that are imminent during this time and the discrimination
that follows. From the lack of humane treatment, education, opportunity, and access to health care,
the disparity between the whites and the blacks grew wider; and the blacks reduced to a lower form
of life.

Twelve Years a Slave hints that inherent freedom is a social construct. Solomon
Northup was born a free man, and yet he spent twelve years of his life in slave pens, cotton fields,
and under the whips of a cruel master. The narrative can argue that freedom is only for those who
are in power, and it is a social concept that is used to pacify those who aren’t in power. Thus, this
paradoxical system of inherent freedom can prove that it is nothing but a social construct, meant
to further divide the working class from the dominant elites. Freedom is a piece of paper, that at a
moment can be taken away from a person and cost him his life. And Northup’s life proved that
even when freedom is supposedly inherent in a person, a person can still die without liberation.

“He also advised me to be silent henceforth on the subject of my freedom;

for, knowing the character of Burch, he assured me that it would only be
attended with renewed whipping.”

This shows that the person in power holds a slave’s freedom, and not even the state which
granted it to him can change his unfortunate circumstance. Knowing freedom means knowing that
it would bestow upon the slaves the fruits of their own labors, securing to them the enjoyment of
domestic happiness. But knowledge of this comes with the realization of the injustices of the laws
which place it in a master’s power; and to recognize that the lack of it will subject them to
unmerited and unprovoked punishment without remedy or the right to resist. To fully understand
this, a person must realize that the concept of freedom would not even exist if power, privilege and
resource is equally distributed in the first place. No one is therefore truly born free, when another
has a chance to exercise power over him.

In this context, it can also be inferred that the proletariat who lacked freedom also lacked
identity. Twelve Years a Slave shows how slaves are given names by their own masters, and their
identity from before their captivity are rendered nonexistent. In the case of Solomon, he struggles
to restore his identity as a free black man from Saratoga Springs, as he was renamed “Platt” by the
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slave traders. From this point he was advised to keep his true identity to himself lest he be met
with torture and whips. He soon realized that there was no point in fighting for who he is, because
it all disappeared the moment his free papers vanished. This talks of the social injustice that the
slaves experienced at this time, as they were rid not only of their dignity, rights, and freedom, but
also of the very identity from which they define themselves.

The work also revealed that there is no true social justice in the society as the
bourgeoisie maintain power over the law. Northup’s book ended on the account of James
Burch’s acquittal. Burch was a cruel slave dealer who imprisoned Solomon, and gave him his first
bitter taste of slavery and dehumanization. Upon Solomon’s release, he took the time to seek Burch
out, confront him in a court of law and charge him with kidnapping. However, under false witness
the justice system permitted Burch to escape. This speaks of the superficiality of the justice system
as Northup realized that he could never bring Burch to justice. He said:

“A human tribunal permitted him to escape; but there is another and a

higher tribunal, where false testimony will not prevail, and where I am
willing, so far at least as these statements are concerned, to be judged at
last.”

Turning to the higher form of justice as hope, we can only infer that social justice in the
society if not nonexistent, is a sham. There are also certain parts in the book that foreshadows the
lack of social justice, such as that elucidated in Chapter 3, where Solomon describes the farmer’s
barnyard of human cattle that he was confined in. The slave pen was closed out for the rest of the
world to see, and it reeks of torture and torment. Moreover, it sits in plain sight of the Capitol,
where the supposed patriots of the people are seated in comfort.

“Strange as it may seem, within plain sight of this same house, looking
down from its commanding height upon it, was the Capitol. The voices of
patriotic representatives boasting of freedom and equality, and the rattling
of poor slave’s chains, almost commingled. A slave pen within the very
shadow of the Capitol!”
13
16

At this time, slavery is legal and has been since time immemorial. So when the law in itself
is oppressive, the society (or in this case, the proletariat) cannot expect equitable distribution of
justice for the dehumanization they continue to receive. What is just and what is fair is limited to
the comforts and gains of the bourgeoisie in this societal system. Their government continued to
overlook their suffering, and remained blind to their exploitation. That is why after twelve years
of delayed liberation, Solomon Northup knew he cannot expect justice to be delivered. He was just
glad to be alive and free from the chains of slavery. The liberation of one does not mean justice
for all – hundreds have died without seeing a light of hope (such as Robert) because no true social
justice system existed in their society.

Theme:

“It is one of life’s bitterest truths that people who have the power to turn down other
people’s freedom are the ones who deserve it not for themselves.”