Fletcher US History

After watching and researching 12 Years a Slave , I believe it is very possible to learn about history from watching a movie as I saw certain experiences of slaves in the movie which were also written about in the narratives. Specifically, I believe this as Solomon’s abduction into slavery is accurately represented in the movie as he describes in his narrative. This was something that I first saw in the movie and did not know would actually happen, where a free person was taken down south into slavery. After researching and analyzing Solomon’s narrative as well, I just have more words to put behind the pictures I saw in the film. It was very accurate down to the gruesome images of being whipped continually. After reading reviews and interviews about the movie, it’s obvious that 12 Years a Slave was intended to accurately represent the life of a slave. Graham Fuller in Vanity Fair writes of the incredibly vivid portrayal of Solomon Northup by Chiwetel Ejiofor through Steve McQueen...

    After reading some of Solomon Northup's narrative , I have gained some more detailed insight into his life as a slave. His history is interesting as his family was slave as well, though in Rhode Island in the past. One person from his family left and moved to New York, bringing with them Solomon's father, Mintus. As Solomon was raised in freedom by his father being the first in his family, he still ends up being a salve at some point being kidnapped. This was so interesting and heartbreaking, gaining a further knowledge of how the lives of slaves can vary from when they were born to their time as slaves. This makes me wonder: how often would such scenarios happen, where a free African American is just kidnapped brought down to the South? I had never really thought of such things happening before this movie and seeing his narrative just makes it even more real and shows the entirety of the horrible situation. I wonder if Solomon had ever any opportunity of writing back to h...