Richard Stribling Reflection Paper LE1360 Open Diverse Doors '12 ears a Slave ' !

"arrative b# Solo$on "orth%p !fter reading the boo& '12 ears a Slave' abo%t the false enslave$ent of a blac& $an na$ed Solo$on "orthrop fro$ the north' ( had to sit do)n and eval%ate )h# racis$ is still s%ch an iss%e* (n this boo& )e read the detailed description of this brave and co%rageo%s gentle$an na$ed Solo$on "orth%p )ho tells %s abo%t his life e+periences being &idnapped as a free papered s%ccessf%l blac& $an in "e) or& to a beaten o)ned slave in the deep so%th* ,his stor# has opened $# $ind to a lot of things that ( had been %nable to co$prehend %ntil no)* -ost people &no) that slaver# e+isted b%t the# do not %nderstand the ps#chological and societal i$pacts that it had on an entire race of people* Slaver# in !$erica dela#ed ed%cation as )ell as prohibited e.%alit# and advance$ent thro%gho%t the histor# of the /nited States )hich to this da# has helped f%el the fire of racial divide a$ong past and c%rrent citi0ens* (n 1hapter 13 Solo$on tal&s abo%t his e+periences %nder -aster Epps o)nership and so$e of is horrible e+periences )ith his $aster's alcohol addiction* 2e also disc%sses the n%$ber of lashes received as p%nish$ent for certain offenses as s%ch3 24 )as considered a nor$al offense for dropping cotton or brea&ing a branch on the cotton plant'40 )as a $oderate offense for a $ista&e' 100 )as considered severe and often given for standing idle in the cotton fields' and 200 )as e+tre$e for those )ho got into fights or disobe#ed* 400 Lashes )as often given as p%nish$ent to the slave )ho dared to atte$pt an escape fro$ the plantation and )o%ld leave the$ in e+cr%ciating pain for the re$ainder of al$ost t)o )ee&s* Solo$on also describes his $aster's drin&ing habits and %se of the slaves as his o)n $eans of entertain$ent )hen he )o%ld beco$e into+icated and the ga$es he en5o#ed pla#ing )ith the$* 2e tal&s of chasing slaves aro%nd the plantation )ith his )hip as a ga$e and also of having the$ into the $ain ho%se to dance non stop till he dee$ed fit* !n#one )ho stopped dancing or too& a brea& )o%ld

receive severe p%nish$ent* ,his &ind of behavior reiterates the vie) that slaves )ere ob5ects seen as to#s and not respected and Solo$on also tal&s abo%t co$$onl# being confronted b# his )ife )ith e.%al disregard for her opinion as that of one )ith no val%e* 2e states that -r Epps )as &no)n for his harsh tactics and his abilit# to get an# st%bborn negro to do as he )ished* 2e co$pared -r Epps treat$ent of slaves to that of cattle and dogs if not for the cost of replace$ent* 2e co$pared his tactics to that of another in the region s%ch as 6i$ 7%rns )ho )as not onl# br%tal b%t onl# %sed )o$en to c%ltivate his plantations* (n chapter 13 Solo$on tal&s abo%t the high )or& ethics of a slave na$ed Patse# )ho had beco$e %n)illing to her the l%st of her $aster's )ill* She )as often the ca%se of $an# fights in the $ain ho%se bet)een the $aster and his )ife over his l%stf%l %nfaithf%l )a#s and often had to bare the br%tal conse.%ences herself via lashings of their %nhapp# $arriage* (n chapter 18 Solo$on tal&s abo%t a fe) different things that too& place d%ring 1986 s%ch as the cotton caterpillars that destro#ed the crops and left the slave o)ner )ith nothing %sef%l for his slaves to do* So -r Epps heard of )or& do)n so%th in St -ar#:s Parish on the s%gar plantations and tho%ght he co%ld $a&e e+tra $one# b# sending his slaves do)n there to )or& %ntil his crop recovered* -r "orthr%p tal&s abo%t the ease he fo%nd in s%gar fields as co$pared to the cotton fields and his fast pro$otion %p the acting driver at the S%gar -ill* !lso stated is the )or& in )hich the slaves $%st go thro%gh for the $ost si$ple of conveniences s%ch as bo)ls ' spoons' f%rnit%re and the s%ch as needed for dail# life* 2e also refers to the $ethod of s%rvival in searching for their $eals in the s)a$p consisting of poss%$ and b%ilding a ho$e $ade fish trap to catch fresh food dail#* (n chapter 18 Solo$on also refers in an incident )here he atte$pted to pers%ade the captain of a stea$boat piloted b# a captain fro$ the north of the %nion to help hi$ escape slaver# and ret%rn to the freedo$ of the north* ,he captain pitied Solo$on b%t said that the detail searches of boats leaving the slaver# area )o%ld ris& hi$ getting ca%ght and have his boat ta&en a)a# fro$ hi$ and he )as not )illing to ta&e that ris&* ,his goes to sho) ho) divided the north and so%th )ere and that so$e in the

/nited States held anti;slaver# vie)s b%t did little to nothing in order to help change and restrict it fro$ ta&ing place* Solo$on also tal&s $ore abo%t poor Patse# and ho) her tro%bles )ith -r Epps deepened and led to ever )orse conditions and conflicts )ith $ore -r Epps and -rs* Epps %p to and incl%ding s%icidal tho%ghts to end her life and be thro)n into the s)a$p* Solo$on states to the different conditions even a$ong the )hite $en of the so%th and that fights and .%arrels often led to violent and deadl# o%tco$es that in the north )o%ld be dealt )ith as cri$es ho)ever in the so%th the# )ere considered nor$al things to happen* !fter reading this boo& and having the abilit# to see the vis%al portra#al of the boo& in the for$ of the ne) highl# revie)ed $ovie that )as released )ithin the last fe) $onths' ( have been able to see deeper details of the tr%e ani$osit# and cri$es that occ%rred against an entire gro%p of innocent individ%als* (t has been both )idel# e#e opening and saddening to see the treat$ent of people based p%rel# on the s&in color and not even on the ed%cational levels of the people* <%rther$ore dist%rbing )as the co$$on practice of stripping one of their constit%tional freedo$s and e+porting the$ into the hellish confine$ents of slaver# si$pl# for the s$all profit the# received for doing so* ,herefore being that there is nothing ( can do to change the past actions of $# race in this co%ntr# it is $# choice to have the co%rage and )isdo$ to choose to live a different st#le life and vie) all others )ith the e.%alit#' respect' and love the# deserve as fello) h%$an beings* ( can do this b# not allo)ing a pre5%dice to for$ against a certain gro%p of people based on the actions of a fe) )ithin that gro%p* ( can also not allo)ing societal stereot#pes to do$inate $# opinions on other gro%ps of people ( co$e in contact )ith* ,his )ill allo) $e to be $ore a)are of another individ%al's c%lt%ral c%sto$'s as )ell as being a $ore prod%ctive $e$ber of societ# b# being part of the long ter$ sol%tion rather then a $e$ber of the i$$ediate short ter$ proble$* ,his is ho)ever and $%st al)a#s be an ongoing process in )hich ( catch and change learned behaviors that ( have accepted in the past as the c%lt%ral nor$alc# and tr# $# best to ed%cate others aro%nd $e that it is not acceptable to be ignorant to others feeling's and need's in order to satisf# those of o%r o)n* ,r%e insanit# to $e $eans doing the sa$e action

repeatedl# and e+pecting it to #ield different o%tco$es each ti$e* (t is $# choice to challenge $# previo%s vie)s and infect the )orld )ith &indness and %nderstanding rather then poll%te the )aters )ith tr%e ignorance and insanit#*