Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, from a Cotton Plantation near the Red River in Louisiana
Solomon Northup
Book Club
Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northup, a Citizen of New-York, Kidnapped in Washington City in 1841, and Rescued in 1853, from a Cotton Plantation near the Red River in Louisiana
8 ways to start a deeper conversation.
Contains spoilers for the entire book.
Discussion topics
Topic 01 of 08
A free man
What was Solomon Northup's life like before he was kidnapped?
Keep the conversation going
- What did his violin mean to him?
- How did his freedom shape how he endured what followed?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.
Discussion topics
What was Solomon Northup's life like before he was kidnapped?
Keep the conversation going
- What did his violin mean to him?
- How did his freedom shape how he endured what followed?
How did you respond to the way Northup was lured to Washington and kidnapped?
Keep the conversation going
- What did the slave pen in the shadow of the Capitol mean to you?
- Why could he not prove he was free?
How does Northup describe William Ford, his first master, and what does that tell you?
Keep the conversation going
- Can a 'kind' slaveholder exist?
- What does Northup think of Ford's religion?
What happened when Northup fought back against Tibeats?
Keep the conversation going
- How did you feel during the hanging scene?
- Who saved him, and why?
What did life on Edwin Epps's plantation reveal about slavery?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of the cotton-picking quotas and punishments?
- How did Epps's moods rule everyone's lives?
How did Patsey's story affect you?
Keep the conversation going
- What does Mistress Epps's jealousy do to her?
- Why is her suffering so central to the book?
What made Bass willing to help Northup, and why did it take so long?
Keep the conversation going
- What did you make of his argument with Epps about slavery?
- Why was writing a letter so dangerous?
How did you feel about Northup's rescue and return home?
Keep the conversation going
- Why were his kidnappers never punished?
- What does his account ask of readers?
There is no single right answer. Bring your own reading.