Literary Analysis of Solomon Northup's \"Twelve Years a Slave\"

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Literature Review from the year 2015 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: A, course: Text Discussions, language: English, abstract: We can consider this material a reliable historical reference on slavery, updated to today's background by the lessons it teaches. Indeed, a masterpiece of depicting the world's inner cruelty which makes us reconsider our whole system of beliefs. "Twelve Years a Slave," published in 1853, reveals us Solomon Northup's path to an eventual escape from slavery, after facing monstrous, shocking experiences. His heartbreaking story makes us witness the struggles, sorrows and aspirations of black people in their quest for freedom. The kind of "hell on earth" emotional status which the main characters attain illustrates the oppressive social order of the South. As a slave narrative, Solomon Northup's confession is not only important for what it communicates about the African American literature and its historical context, but also because it analyses the institution of humanity, portraying an impeccable examination of the realities of slavery, which are enlightened throughout the text.