What Is The Theme Of 12 Years A Slave

12 Years A Slave: A Film Analysis

The film, 12 Years a Slave, released November 8th 2013, was directed by Steve McQueen. The film focuses on a free black man named Solomon Northup, the protagonist, who was kidnapped and sold back into slavery. Northup was a talented musician who lived in Saratoga NY. Two men named Brown and Hamilton, claiming to work in the circus, offered Northup money to play the violin in Washington DC. Northup accepted, however, once in D.C. the two men got him drunk and delivered him to a slave trader. He was then sold to a slaver owner named Ford. Ford respected and treated Northup well as he could tell that Northup was different from the other slaves. Ford’s slave handler/overseer, Tibeats, was jealous of Northup’s relationship

In his memoir, Solomon depicts the twelve years he was placed in captivity in the south along with the events leading and proceeding them. The kidnapping of free blacks was not a rare occurrence in the pre-civil war era. It was easier to to kidnap free black individual and sell them into slavery than it was to steal a slave. This is because “the slave was deemed by law to be property rather than a person,” and It was likely that a master would come looking for his stolen property. Although it is assumed that many free blacks were kidnapped and returned to chains, the exact number of individuals who went through this is impossible to know for certain. This is because of the lack of records that were held for most black slaves. Once in captivity the odds for a slaves to become free again were slim to none. “An enslaved free black was dependent upon a sympathetic white ear to make any headway in the battle toward restoring freedom.” Even if a free black individual’s story was believed, his or her owner could potentially be reluctant to help being as though they would risk “financial loss and even possible criminal prosecution.” This idea was exemplified in both the memoir and film adaptation of Solomon Northup’s

The topic of the fate worst than death in 12 years a slave parallels with stagecoach. Patsey, in the film, was ready to have Northup take her life rather than to be left at the mercy of the Epps’. Similarly, in stagecoach, Mr. Hatfield was prepared to shoot Mrs. Mallory to protect her from the fate that would lie ahead of her in the hands of the Native Americans. Also similar to the protagonist in the film The Counterfeiters, Solomon mindset was to what need be to survive. This mindset was verbalized in the film during a discussion with Eliza. Northup was willing to help Ford and the other slaves be more productive in their work habits by implementing new way of transporting lumber oversees rather than over land. Comparably, Salomon Sorowitsch also aided those who imprisoned him by producing counterfeit money to assist in the German war