Solomon Northup: A Slave As A Slave

Register to read the introduction… From the very first time that Northup is enslaved in Washington, he notices all of the women surrounding him. In his book, he gives the reader a detailed account their marital statuses, children, skills, personalities and physical attributes. Essentially, male and female slaves are treated differently. Throughout his book, Northup portrays differences in labor, demands and expectations of masters from female slaves. When Northup first meets Eliza in Burch’s slave pen, they are transported to a ship that will send them to the south, where they can be sold to other slave masters (Northup 53). While in the ship, it becomes apparent that Eliza has a dark future in store for her. Under the cover of darkness, a slave comes to the room they are being held and rapes …show more content…
A good example is Celeste, a woman slave who lived near the plantation of master Epps. Celeste hid herself in a swamp for about three months just to avoid the brutal floggings of her master. Rachel, another woman that Northup met, also risked a thorough beating when she brought him a cup of water as he was left hanging from a tree as punishment. However, it was Patsey who was forced to undergo the most brutal form of punishment. Patsey left the Epp’s plantation to get some soap from a neighbor because Mistress Epps would not give her some out of jealousy. Though it was a small act of resistance, it indicates the importance that women attributed to their appearance despite the harsh conditions (Stevenson 1). Further, it reveals how women were denied their basic necessities at the whims of their …show more content…
She embodies the struggles that all enslaved women have to endure. First, she is forced to maintain her rate of five hundred pounds of cotton every day or be punished while most men are unable to pick a mere three hundred pounds. Second, she is victimized by both her master and mistress. The master assaults her sexually and mercilessly. On the other hand, the mistress, instead of sympathizing with her plight as a fellow woman, subjects her to physical and psychological abuse (Stevenson 1). The relationship that exists between Patsey and her mistress reveals a lot about the kind of unconventional domestic scene that slavery creates. The white and black women live near each other, with themes such as jealousy, sexual abuse and violence playing major roles in their