Most of the southern women in the book are portrayed as kinder than their husbands. He writes of the wife of Mr. Epp "She had been well educated at some institution this side the Mississippi; was beautiful, accomplished, and usually good-humored. She was kind to all of us but Patsey -- frequently, in the absence of her husband, sending out to us some little dainty from her own table" (Northup 198-199). They are sometimes jealous of the slave women, as Mrs. Epp is, but for the most part, they are the gentler part of the slave experience, and they are not as cruel or vindictive as their husbands are.
Nat Turner's "Confessions" is the writing of a learned man who has a vision early in life and becomes devoted to the idea that he is supposed to lead an insurrection against the whites to gain his freedom. He follows that idea throughout his life. Northup does not lead an insurrection because he only wants to escape and return to his family, which is the thing that motivates him. Leading an insurrection could lead to his capture and death, and he does not want that.
Northup's account of his time as a slave is similar to Turner's, because they both run away, they both work for hard masters, and they both strongly disagree with slavery and all it stands for. Turner takes his revenge in violence against whites, while Northup takes his revenge when the documents arrive that free him and allow him to return to his family.
Hammond's "Letter" would probably anger Soloman Northup, because Hammond actually advocates the practice of slavery and defends it. He says, "It is impossible, therefore, to suppose that Slavery is contrary to the will of God" (Hammond). Since Hammond never experienced slavery, that assessment would probably anger Northup, and I am sure he would have some retort for him that included his experiences as a slave. Defending slavery seems like the utmost form of cruelty, and it would...
Helper's critiques of slavery are more balanced and well thought out because of the situation in the South. He believes that slavery should end because it is a practical matter, and the South is sending far too many of its resources north when they should be developing their own. That is one of the things that helped them lose the Civil War, they did not have enough goods to serve their needs, and they had to import them, so he was right. If they would have abolished slavery and built up their industry, things might have ended differently.
Northup's story ends happily, because after twelve years, his wife found him and got the legal paperwork necessary to free him. That is because a man named Bass visited the plantation, Northup trusted him, and told him his real story, even though he had been threatened not to do that. Eventually, he made it back to his family in New York.
His most significant critique of American slavery is not the cruelty and inhumane treatment, although those are important. The most significant critique is his constant desire to escape. Throughout the book, he always has that on his mind. He says, "On our passage I was constantly reflecting on my situation, and consulting with myself on the best course to pursue in order to effect my ultimate escape. Sometimes, not only then, but afterwards, I was almost on the point of disclosing fully to Ford the facts of my history" (Northup 91). That says how much he hated the experience, how awful it was, and how desperate he was to see his family again.
References
Northup, Soloman. Twelve Years a Slave. 1997. University of North Carolina. 15 Nov. 2010.
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Roark, James L. Johnson, Michael P. And Cohen, Patricia Cline. Reading the American Past.
