12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is an important novel. It should be a requirement for all students taking any United States history course to read this novel because it not only lets readers gain an understanding of the harsh reality of slavery, but also gives them a basis for understanding the widespread racism that resulted from it. Northup’s story is one that can be completely eye-opening to the plight of African slaves on southern plantations in the nineteenth century. Northup is able to describe his horrendous twelve year long experience with slavery, and bring to light, better than anyone else, the terrible time in history that was American slavery. Because of this, I am really glad that 12 Years a Slave is a part of the english curriculum.
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At times, there are descriptions that do not seem necessary, and are a bit boring. For example, at one point Northup describes his fish trap in a profusion of detail. While it is necessary to acknowledge the fish trap, the amount of detail that he describes it in seems extraneous. It is possible that I am missing some importance of this description, among others similar to it throughout the book; however, in this one instance, and a handful of others, I found myself bored. In addition to this criticism, it is widely known that Northup had an editor who helped him with phrasing and word choice. Because his editor, David Wilson, was not an abolitionist, and was white, it is possible that his choice of words when substituting them for Northup’s could have affected the quality at which people and events were described in this book. For example, William Ford is described as “ a model master,” claiming that if “all men such as he, Slavery would be deprived of more than half its bitterness,” (90). However, Northup has every reason to dislike him, no matter how kind he was compared to other slave owners. He is in no way obligated to praise Ford, yet he speaks of him in the kindest manner. This leaves me questioning whether these are really Northup’s words. Still, these criticisms only apply to a minor portion of the novel, which shows that this novel is nearly …show more content…
However, 12 Years a Slave does not fit any of these requirements. It is not relatable because the situation described in 12 Years a Slave is specific to slavery in the United States during the 17th and 18th centuries. Then, for the same reason, it does not shed light on current issues. However, it is still a vital novel because it does inform and educate people on the events of the past. By reading 12 Years a Slave, people are able to understand slavery, and the divides between races that resulted from it. They are able to apply this knowledge to events that occurred as a direct or indirect effect of the violence and inequality that slavery brought. This is why I would recommend 12 Years a Slave to everyone I
At times, there are descriptions that do not seem necessary, and are a bit boring. For example, at one point Northup describes his fish trap in a profusion of detail. While it is necessary to acknowledge the fish trap, the amount of detail that he describes it in seems extraneous. It is possible that I am missing some importance of this description, among others similar to it throughout the book; however, in this one instance, and a handful of others, I found myself bored. In addition to this criticism, it is widely known that Northup had an editor who helped him with phrasing and word choice. Because his editor, David Wilson, was not an abolitionist, and was white, it is possible that his choice of words when substituting them for Northup’s could have affected the quality at which people and events were described in this book. For example, William Ford is described as “ a model master,” claiming that if “all men such as he, Slavery would be deprived of more than half its bitterness,” (90). However, Northup has every reason to dislike him, no matter how kind he was compared to other slave owners. He is in no way obligated to praise Ford, yet he speaks of him in the kindest manner. This leaves me questioning whether these are really Northup’s words. Still, these criticisms only apply to a minor portion of the novel, which shows that this novel is nearly …show more content…
However, 12 Years a Slave does not fit any of these requirements. It is not relatable because the situation described in 12 Years a Slave is specific to slavery in the United States during the 17th and 18th centuries. Then, for the same reason, it does not shed light on current issues. However, it is still a vital novel because it does inform and educate people on the events of the past. By reading 12 Years a Slave, people are able to understand slavery, and the divides between races that resulted from it. They are able to apply this knowledge to events that occurred as a direct or indirect effect of the violence and inequality that slavery brought. This is why I would recommend 12 Years a Slave to everyone I