Solomon Northup Paper Essays

Solomon Northup Paper Essays Solomon Northup Paper Essay Solomon Northup Paper Essay They (white people) treated them as if they were property and below them. Even though We dont have racism to this extent anymore, it is still around. This book warns people of the moral cost of slavery and opens eyes to what was once common practice. With books like this around, what happened wont be forgotten. One theme that stood out to me the most was enduring hope. Solomon was kidnapped and removed from his family, abused, called a liar, stripped of his identity, extremely over- worked, and was forced to do things that he didnt want to, he never gave up ND called quits. Solomon decided, even with the situation that he was in, displayed a drive to keep going. The thought that he might see his family again and bring unjustness to the men who enslaved him was his hope. One person that really helped him through the tough times was Bass. Bass was a white person that understood the blacks, and that was refreshing to hear. One of my favorite things that he said when he was in a disagreement with Peps was, 1 These naggers are human beings, adding, And what difference is there in the color of the soul? He saw how ridiculous it was to treat blacks so bad because they had a different color of skin. Others might have felt that way but Bass stands up about it. He essentially tells Peps that he needs to start treating his slaves better. This is when we see that Bass, in a way, symbolizes the termination of slavery. Corruption and gullibility seemed to strike as being another theme in the beginning. Solomon was without work and needed to find a job to help support his family. He is over the moon excited when he finds out that the job he took was not the job he signed up for. He was drugged, kidnapped, and held as a slave. The way that it was spoken about when he first got there made you understand that people turning slaves in by tricking them was not unheard of. Brown and Hamilton promised Northup he would meet the circus in New York City, they promised hed meet the circus in Washington D. C. , they promised him high wages, they promised a quick departure from Washington D. C. , then postponed it, forcing Northup to Stay longer than planned in slave territory. These were all lies told. They even sat there and promised him safety in slave territory, but hen he was drugged and Brown and Hamilton disappeared leaving him behind. He was a free man, rules are rules, and he should not have been taken. This however shows you that people dont always play by the rules. However, it was very abrupt of him at the same time. He needed money to support his family and because of that he didnt really look as deep into the job proposition as he could have. Perseverance and power of the human spirit is another theme that shows up when you are reading this book. Solomon endured so much that he did not want to. At one point in the book, e was forced to whip a fellow slave in front of others. He says in the book, 2Ten years toiled for that man without reward. Ten years of my incessant labor has contributed to increase the bulk of his possessions. Ten years was compelled to address him with downcast eyes and uncovered head-?in the attitude and language of a slave. I am indebted to him for nothing, save undeserved abuse and stripes. Any one of the things that he went through would have broken anybody. To be able to have that kind of spirit is admirable and it just shows the drive that he has. Solomon didnt even serve it. Not that anyone does, but he was a free man. Others didnt have the right to change his identity and own him. Enduring hope, corruption, gullibility, perseverance, and the power of the human spirit are just some themes that I pulled out of the book. This story is relevant to now because even if it isnt this bad, there still is racism, and it is still important to remember what happened in respect that it doesnt happen again. It was refreshing to read about a happy ending where he did get the help he was so desperate for. Even if it took twelve years.