Question

In 150 words, describe what Arthur would say to the captain in response to his questions in Twelve Years a Slave.

Answer 1

Answer:

Sure.

The ship stops on the way to New Orleans, picking up four more slaves. Among them is a slave named Arthur. Like Solomon and Robert, Arthur is a free man with a family and was kidnapped and sold into slavery. When the ship departs again for New Orleans, the captain appoints Robert as his waiter and Solomon as the overseer of the cooking department. Solomon is also made to distribute food and water twice a day. At night, the slaves are “driven into the hold and securely fastened down.”

Arthur’s story of being kidnapped echoes that of Robert and Solomon, pushing the reader to recognize the widespread distortion of justice that permeates the nation. The slaves are once again compared to livestock, as they are “driven into the hold and securely fastened down” like horses or cattle being kept in the barn for the night.

ACTIVE THEMES

Racism and Slavery Theme Icon Truth and Justice Theme Icon

A violent storm descends upon the ship, and many of the slaves wish that the “compassionate sea” would drown them, saving them from “the clutches of remorseless men.”  Solomon tells his reader not to judge him for any of his actions that follow in the narrative, writing: “Let not those who have never been placed in like circumstances, judge me harshly.”