My Analysis Of 12 Years A Slave: Freedom In Solomon ’s Life

12 Years a Slave.
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Steve McQueen’s Oscar awarded film, 12 Years a Slave is a true story representation of the life and experience of an African American, Solomon Northup, in Antebellum New York, who was fought, drugged and sold in to slavery in the Deep South region for twelve years (Gates & McQueen, 2014). In the film, although the buzz of the awe-inspiring role play of characters and the numerous emotions emanating from every scene, there are some basic but most shocking lessons I learnt while watching and analyzing the film. One of them is that the sight of an African American family led by a responsible, respectable black man, can be shocking and catalytic basing this on the fact that they are seen as criminals and negative influences in the society. Another thing is that in the past, even to this date, the Bible is still deliberately used to control, command and manipulate the less privileged, the faithful and the unsuspecting (Gates & McQueen, 2014).
Solomon Northup, portrayed by Chiwetel Ejifor never gave up hope on the concept of freedom and that he would one day be let free by his slave masters. His life and experiences is full of hope and attempts to be rescued from the slavery alongside his fellows working in the Epps plantation (Gates & McQueen, 2014). Moreover, Solomon Northup experiences numerous situations of white dehumanization but he resists them. After being intoxicated and made a slave, Solomon finds himself in a dungeon full of vomit and mud when Burch enters. He fights Burch and resists his demands with the aim of restoring his dignity as a free man. Secondly, in the animal pen among pigs, Solomon refuses to be stripped in front of other slaves, he refuses to be harshly spread with soap and water (Gates & McQueen, 2014). Also, it was pretty dehumanizing to let him adopt a new name, Patty, and that is why in the entire film, he refuses to be called Patty.
In the film, the white are slave owners and masters with huge plantations where black people work....