12 Years a Slave

I was in Power Books at Greenbelt when I thought of buying a classic work. Instead of a typical novel, I decided to go for 12 Years a Slave, an autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free but coloured man who was abducted and sold into slavery. He was born free but suffered the unfortunate fate of some of his fellows. Thankfully, and praise God for that, Northup did not die a slave. He was able to reclaim his freedom and be united with his family albeit after 12 years.

What made me buy this book was my now interest in biographies. I've already bought a few at least a year ago but I haven't really made it a personal interest to collect some, not even a few. I went for 12 Years a Slave because it's an actual account of someone who was made a slave. He was not just a slave, though only for a period of time, but he was an outsider who experienced slavery. His view of the system was obviously different because he was not born into it but was fully treated as if he was.

I remember crying hard, not just once nor twice, when I read Solomon's story. 12 Years a Slave is heart-breaking. I can only imagine what it was really like. We should thank the great men and women who did their part to put a stop into this wicked practice.

I could say Northup bore the experience of slavery "for us." In our time and generation, I believe we can't appreciate the system. We may, and will definitely, raise a brow seeing men brutally hurt by their masters nowadays. But what was it like for the masters back then? How on earth could they dare and stand to hurt a human being to the point of almost death? Why would they treat and consider another human a mere property no less than a farm animal? And for what? Because they were born black? A negro? Who started that wicked thought?

Back then, slavery was a norm. It was legal and perceived as natural as purchasing anything. But how the masters treated their slaves was another story. Having servants may have been mentioned in the Bible more than a dozen times but some seemed to have forgotten that God also cares for the slaves, basically anyone who is maltreated and oppressed by their masters and the society. We were taught or told that rampant sexual immorality caused God to fire sulfur at Sodom and Gomorrah, but only few realized that it was not the only reason. Too much wickedness abound in both cities. Cries of oppression reached the heavens. There was too much injustice in Sodom and Gomorrah.

There was a day, while I was still reading this book, when I got so upset with our driver that I wanted to call him and tell him words that were not nice. I was so upset because he did something wrong and cost me. Then I remembered 12 Years a Slave and those wicked masters mentioned by Northup. What makes me different then? Of course I couldn't and wouldn't whip our driver but my words, those I intended to lash him with, would probably have had the same effect. I grieved that such wicked intent came into me.

"A man with a particle of mercy in his soul would have not beaten even a dog so cruelly." This is my favourite quote from the book. Today, we grieve the death of an animal but back then a slave beaten to death would be justified because of the slave's disobedience. It's hard to grasp. Perhaps.

I looked into today's, our time's, society. How do we treat people with lower economic status or lower social rank than us. The latter, I dare say, is absurd. But yes, how do we treat our house helpers if we have one? How about our drivers? And those utility workers in our company?

How Solomon recalled his story was very impressive. He was obviously an educated man. His accounts also showed that he was not discriminate for he did not withhold the good characters of his master William Ford. He even understood why some people even young ones were indifferent to the slavery system. And yet, Samuel Bass was spot on when he asked, "Is everything right because the law allows it?"

I quote in chapter 18, when Solomon was referring to his master's son of ten or twelve years of age. "The child is father to the man," and with such training, whatever may be his natural disposition, it cannot well be otherwise than that, on arriving at maturity, the sufferings and miseries of the slave will be looked upon with entire indifference. The influence of the iniquitous system necessarily fosters an unfeeling and cruel spirit, even in the bosoms of those who, among their equals, are regarded as humane and generous." And I totally agree to that. They thought and believed that slavery was ok and that they could do whatever they want to their slave, whom they considered a property. And yet they have forgotten mercy. Showing none will grant them none.

We should all remember that the day will come for the prayers of the slaves to be answered. A time will come for justice and judgment. It will be "a terrible day of vengeance when the master in his turn will cry in vain for mercy."