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12 Years A Slave Themes

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12 Years A Slave Themes
1 May Walker May Professor Goss History 121 11 October 2015 12 Years a Slave Critical Analysis “I don’t want to survive; I want to live!” are 9 of the most important words Solomon Northup speaks in the movie 12 Years a Slave as he gives viewers the chance to see what life really was like for a slave in the pre Civil War period of history . This account was first published in 1853 after Solomon was released from slavery after twelve years , and was released as a move in 2013 . Throughout this movie Northup not only portrays the life of a slave , but also depicts themes such as integrity , strength , and the never ending hope that freedom and justice would soon release African Americans from the everlasting horrors of slavery . Although …show more content…
2 May movie , although there times where he does not respond to the name Platt because he knows that is not the name that was given to him at birth . Northup worked on several plantations , but the bulk of his time spent as a slave was spent under the cruel hand , and whip , of a slave owner named Edwin Epps . Northup , along with many other slaves , were separated from their loved ones , a pain that cut deep for a woman named Eliza who spent many of her days sitting on her front stoop , crying out to God at the loss of her children . Solomon remained a slave for twelve years and was rescued in 1853 by his friends from the North . Although Solomon’s experience with slavery was one that he wished to forget soon , he still kept his humor; upon seeing his family again for the first time in twelve years he said “I apologize for my appearance , but I have had a difficult time these past several years . ” 12 Years a Slave was more than just a movie that depicted slavery; it included important themes that lasted throughout the movie such as loss of dignity , man’s brutality towards man , and the constant determination to survive with hope that freedom was nearing . There were few negative aspects to this movie as I was happy with how it was directed and portrayed . If the director could change anything about the movie , I would hope that he would make it more realistic by showing harsher conditions for Solomon Northup than he did . In Northup’s personal
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