"Twelve Years a Slave"

Paper Summary:

This paper presents an overview and analysis of Solomon Northrup's autobiography, "Twelve Years a Slave". The paper begins by explaining why Northrup's work is not like other prominent autobiographical slave accounts of American literature and then briefly touches upon Northrup's skilled use of literary techniques. The paper also describes what we learn from Northrup's account of his years in slavery as well as Northrup's skill at drama and the intended goal and message of his work. The paper concludes that Northrup's work adds literary dimensions to historical accounts that bring the reader inside the heads of the slave, and makes the reader understand better the mentality and social attitude that a black man as slave was really up against.


Outline:
Introduction
Overview
Examination
Evaluation

From the Paper:

"Where other great African American writers wrote about their social vision and ideal perceptions of and for the black man, Northrup merely speaks for them, bringing deeper layers of the social realities and injustices at work in society against the legally unprotected and of course totally unrespected and socially scorned black man at the time. The writing itself is so compelling, the narrative so gripping and effective, that the literary elements of the story are indeed the most distinctive features of the book, as far as a review is concerned. This book is not about messages, but reminders; it is about history, about deeper levels and more detailed accounts and further evaluation that separates myths from reality and brings to the reader the experience of "what it was like" not only to be a slave, but to be a black man during the time of slavery, where even in the north a free black man could get kidnapped and brought down to be enslaved in the South. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
• Prestwick House Inc. (September 2004)
• Kerr, Drew. "Story of rescued slave spotlighted 200 years after his birth, Solomon Northup's descendants to attend local event." July 19, 2008: http://www.poststar.com/articles/2008/07/19/news/local/13753141.txt
• Northrup, Solomon. Twelve Years a Slave. Dover Publications (April 6, 2000). Minnesota New York.
• "Student Research Vital to Solomon Northup Exhibit." January 15, 1999: Volume 45, Number 2: http://www.union.edu/N/DS/edition_display.php?e=256&s=630

More papers on "Twelve Years a Slave":

• Book Review # 149138 : "Twelve Years a Slave" - A Book Review"
• Analytical Essay # 65460 : "Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave"
• Book Review # 99640 : "Twelve Years a Slave"

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