Twelve Years A Slave
Solomon Northrup
Contributed by Adelina Essary
Symbols
Symbols are objects or figures that artists use to represent an idea.
Free Papers

Lightweight and easy to steal, Solomon’s free papers symbolize his identity as a free black man; like his freedom, they proved flimsy and easy to take from him. Solomon’s arguments with the Washington D.C. slave dealer Burchreveal that Solomon’s thirty years of life as a free man of New York mean little now that he is in chains. Solomon’s claims to freedom hold no weight against the violently-reinforced power of white slave holders and slave traders, just as his papers held no weight, taken from his pockets and disposed of somewhere while he was drugged.

Chains

The chains in which Solomon finds himself restrained when he first wakes up after being drugged symbolize the near impossibility of escaping slavery. Just as chains are made up of several strong links that make the entire chain unbreakable, so the slave’s life is made up of a complex suite of circumstances that make running away almost impossible, and the bonds of slavery seemingly unbreakable. The barriers facing a slave who hopes to escape are perhaps nowhere clearer than in Solomon’s one attempt at running away: as he flees Tibeats’ murderous rage, Solomon is chased by vicious dogs and men until he reaches a deep and nearly impenetrable swamp (a roadblock for most slaves who are intentionally denied the opportunity to learn how to swim), and surrounded by alligators and poisonous snakes. Thus, Solomon shows that the chains of slavery are not just the literal chains made of iron, but also the complex and interlinked set of conditions that make escape so difficult.

Whip

The whip that is used to control and punish the slaves symbolizes the dehumanization of black slaves by white slave owners. Throughout the narrative, slaves are frequently treated as beasts of burden, like workhorses—first, dressed up at a slave auction with potential buyers examining their limbs and looking in their mouths, then, forced to toil in the fields, spurred by the sharp, cracking whip. The whip is the ultimate symbol of the slaves’ dehumanization, as its use on slaves implies that slaves are like livestock that can be bought, trained, and controlled by the threat—or use—of brutal physical violence.

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