Slave Narrative

    The slave narrative is about a person named Clayton Holbert. Clayton was a slave in the state of Tennessee, when he wrote his narrative he was 86 years old. His masters name was Pleasant, he swears his master must have had about 100 slaves on his very large plantation. Mr. Holbert worked on the plantation during the civil war. Mr Holbert talks about how everything he had ever gotten was made from the plantation, "there was no such thing as going to town." Mr. Holbert was taught many skills on the plantation but in essences how to survive.
    I've concluded that the narrator had a very hard life, but his hard life also taught him so much. I learned that many slaves would die or be severely punished if they did not know there place among the plantation. Working on the plantation taught Mr. Holbert many things but the most important was how to survive.

                       Tennessee

 Narrative

12 years a slave blog post prompt 4

               In the movie 12 years a slave violence played a big role in society and showed up in many different forms.     When Solomon was first captured he was thrown into a dark room and every time he pleaded he was a free man, he was punished by being whipped. He was beaten until the captors felt they feared him now. The captors used violence to punish him and show Solomon that he should do as they say cause there in charge. Violence was just a part of society, the slave owners used violence to punish there slaves to put fear in their eyes, so then maybe they would obey. When Solomon was moved to an actual plantation the form of violence changed. Solomon would be beaten by hand, whip and sometimes a stick. Violence was always the answer whenever a slave disobeyed there master. A perfect example of that was at the end of the movie when Patsey was being whipped for not telling her master where she had gone. Violence wasn’t just being whipped, or hit, in some cases people where hung (like Solomon) or raped (like Patsey). Violence became so apart of society that people were very much ok with watching a slave get beat in front of them. It was just an average day when a slave was beaten, whipped, rapped, and hung. Violence played the biggest role of all in 12 years a slave, it was the tool used to strike fear into slaves’ eyes, and the main reason slaves never ran away. Like when Solomon tried to run away and he ran straight into a hanging. After Solomon saw that he was so in fear of what would happen if he were to be caught that he never tried to run again. In the movie 12 years a slave violence showed up in many ways and played possibly the biggest role.

Solomon being hung for not excepting his punishment

12 years a slave blog post prompt 2

           In the movie 12 years a slave, gender shapes the experiences and outcome of slaves. Solomon who was a man, was given masculine jobs and was treated differently than most women slaves. Since Solomon was a male slave when he worked for Mr. Ford his job was to cut down trees, where as some of Mr. Ford’s women slaves did more feminine jobs like cooking and house maids. Another example of that was at Mr. Eps plantation, some women were maids, but mostly everyone male or female picked cotton. Women seemed to be the better cotton pickers than men. Women were also treated much differently when it came to punishment, many women were rapped like Patsey; it was less likely for women to be hung.  Many female slaves were not strong enough to defend themselves and physically were weaker so as a result they tended to give in to their masters easier. Whereas men like Solomon would not give in as easily sometimes putting up a fight, or needing to be told more than once. Women also seemed to except their fate but still long for their freedom; Men seemed to try to revolt or seek freedom whenever they see the slightest chance, and women like Patsey tend to stay quite and except the fate even if she too longs for freedom. As shown throughout the movie gender shapes the experiences and outcome of slaves. 

Mr. Eps with his arms around Patsey and Solomon looking shameful

12 years a slave blog post prompt 1

                In the movie 12 years a slave, changes in ownership affect working and living conditions. Solomon’s first ever owner taught Solomon to read, write, and play the violin. Solomon’s first owner also granted him freedom. Solomon’s second owner Mr. Ford was nice but not as nice. Solomon was treated as a slave, but without a doubt he was also Mr. Ford’s favorite and most intelligent slave. Solomon’s third slave otherwise known as the “nigger breaker” treated Solomon the worst. Solomon’s duties changed from playing the violin for his first owner, to chopping trees down for Mr. Ford, and now picking cotton for Mr. Eps a.k.a. the “nigger breaker”.  Mr. Eps was needless to say Solomon’s worse owner. Solomon was whipped, and be littled whenever he made a mistake, or didn't pick enough cotton. He now slept in what many would call a shed, it was no longer ok for him to be smart, and he still played the violin but forcefully under Mr. Eps command. Solomon spent every day picking cotton and being whipped for picking to slow or not picking enough. Solomon’s living conditions also changed drastically he was no longer his owners favorite or received any type of special treatment. By the looks of it you could say he was Mr. Eps least favorite slave. Solomon was constantly the worst cotton picker and punished for it, he was no longer the best at what he did, and for that he was treated like any other slave. While being a slave changes in ownership affect working conditions and living conditions.


Solomon and Patsey talking with Master Eps