Portpects Of Flashbacks In Twelve Years A Slave

Twelve Years A Slave begins with a group of slaves cutting sugar cane in a field. During the next scene a female slave throws herself on Northup in order to sexually please herself. Immediately after, Solomon has a flashback of his wife and children. During these flashbacks we see small parts of Solomon's life as a free man. He is an excellent violinist, and his skills as a performer are in much demand in Saratoga. In a particular flashback, Solomon tucks his children to sleep, and then talks to his wife while in bed together. His wife has planned to take the children with her as she works as a cook for about three weeks.

In the same flashback, we see Solomon encounter a friend who introduces him to two men named Brown and Hamilton. The two men claim to work with a circus, and request that Solomon join them as a violinist. Solomon agrees to accompany the two men to Washington D.C. for a large sum of money. Once in D.C., the men are fine dining, and drinking alcohol. Solomon passes out from intoxication, and suddenly wakes up in a dark cell, and in chains. Another flashback shows Brown and Hamilton carry Solomon up to his hotel room. Returning to Solomon in the cell, he is told that he is a runaway slave from Georgia. Solomon claims he is a free man, but without documentation, the men disregard his claim.

During the darkness of night, Solomon and several other slaves are pulled out of their cells, chained, and transported on wagon to a riverboat. Eventually, they arrive at a dock. A master of one slave is awaiting the docking, and publicly announces that his slave has been kidnapped and is on that boat. The kidnapped slave is set free. Then, a man named Freeman gathers the slaves to sell to the highest bidders. A plantation owne...

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...shed, Bass leaves. Solomon is anxious to know whether or not Bass has kept his word to write his letters.

After some time, we see slaves tilling soil and planting seeds. In the background, a carriage arrives at the Epps plantation. A white man calls out for Platt, Solomon’s slave name. Solomon answers and anxiously approaches the white man, who happens to be a sheriff. The sheriff asks Solomon some questions in order to confirm his identity. Epps outraged, and contests Solomon’s freedom. Solomon climbs into the carriage, and is taken on a journey north to gain back his freedom. Solomon arrives at his home, and enters the front door. He discovers his family standing in a perfect line, shoulder to shoulder. They are overwhelmed to see him, as it has been twelve years. His daughter is married, and named her son after her father. The family gathers, and cries together.