The Portrayal Of Racism And Dehumanization In 12 Years A Slave

In the movie 12 years a Slave a freeman and violinist Solomon Northup was drugged, and sold into slavery by two men who had taken him to Washington under the pretense that he would be performing there. The movie followed his experiences and struggles in the twelve years that he spent as a slave. The movie portrayed racism and dehumanization that white people used to justify slavery that was discussed in the reading “Why Were Africans Enslaved”. For example in the movie Eliza told Solomon that he was “no better than prized livestock” to master Ford, who favored him for his musical talent. The slaves in the movie were also often referred to as “beasts” by the slave owners and drivers in the movie, often when they were cruel and inhumane towards them. …show more content…
Solomon’s first master in his 12 years as a slave gave him a violin to play. This violin granted him favor in some instances with his master, reminded him of home, and gave him some scrap of humanity in his desperate situation. In nearly every scene that the slaves were working they were also singing. The reading in “Black Culture and Consciousness” last week discussed how slaves would sing while they worked to keep time, communicate discreetly, and give themselves hope for freedom through spirituals. It also discussed how some slaves could gain favor and less strenuous positions if they were able to play instruments. The singing in 12 Years a Slave reflected this importance of singing and music. I thought the film did a excellent job of showing how slavery affected people’s identities and how harmful dehumanizing language could