Summary
Chapter X
Solomon is sent back to work with Tibeats building a cotton press. They spend a great deal of time together, much of it alone, and Solomon has Chapin’s warning in his mind.
One day, they are working and Tibeats chastises Solomon. Solomon makes a mistake and then tries to correct it. Tibeats grows more and more irate, grabs a hatchet, and rushes toward Solomon. Solomon knows this is a life-or-death moment, for he can see murder in the man’s eyes.
Solomon leaps toward Tibeats, stays his arm, kicks him to make him drop the hatchet, and kicks the hatchet away. Tibeats grabs a large white oak stick and rushes toward Solomon again. Solomon takes the stick from him, and Tibeats lunges for a broad-axe. He cannot get it in time before Solomon jumps atop him and holds him down. Solomon is conscious of how dear life is, and he begins to press down on Tibeat's throat. The man’s face grows black with suffocation. Part of Solomon wants to end his enemy’s life now, but he does not; however, he knows he is in trouble if Tibeats lives. He decides to run away.
Solomon leaps off Tibeats and runs as fast as he can away from the workbench to the field. He sees Tibeats mount a horse in the distance and ride off. Solomon is grateful that he made it this far, but he does not know what to do now.
Suddenly, other slaves nearby in the field tell him to run, and he can see three horsemen and dogs. Solomon knows what kind of bloodhound these are and how they could tear him apart. Thankfully, he is a good swimmer, so he runs as fast as he can into the swamp to disguise his scent. He plunges into the river and swims to the other side.
This is the Great Pacoudrie Swamp, which is filled with immense trees and is completely wild. Poisonous moccasin snakes are everywhere, as are alligators. Making his way through the swamp is utterly terrifying, and Solomon fears being attacked at any moment. This dread almost equals that which he feels towards the hounds. He thinks he should get out but he knows he does not have a pass, which means that white men could arrest him.
The silent swamp resounds with quacking ducks and fluttering wings, and Solomon cannot control his overwhelming terror at the beasts and fowl of this world. The moon has risen and he decides he must get to the Pine Woods near Ford.
Around daybreak, he comes to an opening in the trees and sees two men: a slave and his young master. He assumes a fierce expression and walks toward the men. His wild appearance frightens them, and he asks where Ford lives. They tell him, too shocked to do anything but obey.
Finally, by eight that evening, Solomon makes it to Ford’s house. He tells Ford what happened and Ford takes pity on him. He is able to collapse into a deep sleep.
Chapter XI
The next day, Solomon works in Mistress Ford’s garden to show his appreciation to her and Ford. Ford takes him to the bayou the next morning. Solomon’s heart is heavy as he looks on the beauty of the Pine Woods, knowing he will probably be sold elsewhere. Ford speaks to him of God, His power, and His goodness. They encounter Tibeats along the way, who sneers at how fast a runner Solomon is. Ford tells him that it is shameful to attack a slave with a broad-axe and hatchet and that he must sell him because they can no longer work together.
A white man named Mr. Eldret, who lives below Ford, hires Solomon to work in the Big Cane Brake for a time. They travel down to Sutton’s Field, a place once lived in by a solitary white man who was killed by Native Americans; the place is now said to be haunted. They reach Eldret’s wild lands; the very next morning, Solomon starts cutting cane away to build two cabins: one for the slaves, and one for Myers and Eldret.
The major annoyances are the insects, but Solomon is mightily relieved to be away from Tibeats. Eldret promises he can visit his friends at Ford’s in four weeks, which he looks forward to.
Tibeats appears on the day when Solomon is supposed to go to Ford’s; Eldret assures him that Solomon worked hard and he told him he could go. Tibeats writes him a pass reluctantly.
Solomon explains to the reader that a pass allows a slave to travel unmolested. Most of the time, rich men leave the slaves alone, but unscrupulous men ask to see the pass, perhaps hoping to luck into capturing a slave and making money. With a pass, a slave can seek victuals at any plantation in Louisiana.
Solomon arrives. He sees Eliza, who is a mere shell of her former self. He relates to the reader how he later learns about her death. She became helpless, would do nothing, and collapsed in her cabin. Her master at that time did nothing to help her or eliminate her, and she died.
After his visit, Solomon makes his way back to Eldret’s, but Tibeats meets him and tells him he has been sold to Edwin Epps. Solomon is pleased to be away from Tibeats. He tells the reader that he only would only see Tibeats one more time: when he passed with other slaves through Bayou Boeuf and caught sight of Tibeats in a slovenly groggery.
Chapter XII
Epps is heavy, Roman-nosed, and tall. He has a sharp expression, coarse manners, no education, violent tendencies, and a drinling habit. When drunk, he is rousing and blustering; when sober, he is cold and cunning. He grows cotton on a plantation belonging to his wife’s uncle.
Solomon provides an overview of the cotton planting and harvesting process. He accounts for the dropping of the seed, its covering up, its early growth, the scraping of the cotton, and the hoeing. Then comes cotton-picking, which slaves do with large sacks. A slave must bring in the same amount as he or she brought in the previous night; if they don’t, it is evidence that they are laggard and they must be whipped. An ordinary day’s picking is two-hundred pounds or so; beyond that, each slave is judged according to their ability. One slave of Epps’s, Patsey, gets over five-hundred pounds per day.
The cotton field is beautiful when in bloom, but the labor is arduous. Slaves work from daybreak to moonlight during the season, with only a miniscule break for food. Approaching the gin-house with the cotton is a fearful thing, for one does not want to be short.
After picking cotton, the labor is not done. Slaves then move on to their own chores, such as lighting fires and making food. Epps’s slaves live off the bare minimum of rations. Slaves fear oversleeping, so they never get real rest. Their cabins are hot or cold, full of cracks for the wind to blow through. Every day is filled with fear: fear of oversleeping, fear of lagging, and fear of not picking enough.
Once cotton is done, it is time for corn, which is a secondary crop and easier to work with. The area also features the sweet potato. In September and October, the hogs are slaughtered. The slaves get some meat, but sometimes it is infested with worms. The swamps are full of cattle, but those are not a great food source. Southerners are indebted to the North for their milk and cheese.
Chapter XIII
It is the season of hoeing, but Solomon finds himself weak and ill. Epps does not care, until the doctor says that Solomon will die and Epps will be out a thousand dollars. Solomon partially recovers but is soon sent out to pick cotton. He is not very good at it and is not yet healed, so his crop is thin. He is not designed for that sort of labor, as his fingers are neither dexterous nor quick. He is employed hauling wood and bringing cotton from the field to the gin-house, as well as doing numerous other tasks.
Solomon writes bitterly that whippings occur every day on the plantation for any number of “causes.” Sometimes when Epps is very drunk, he procures his whip and tries to snap at any slave he sees; usually, the young and aged bear that burden.
Solomon is often called into the house to play music, as the mistress is fond of it. Epps forces the slaves to dance no matter how tired they are, and the next day they have to be up early to work in the fields.
For ten years, Solomon toils without reward. For ten years, he addresses Epps modestly and demurely, and he gets nothing in return but stripes and abuse. Solomon wishes to be fair in his account, but Epps truly has no redeeming qualities. He is rude, rough, uncultivated, avaricious, prideful, cruel, and cares not a whit for his slaves. He boasts about being a “nigger-breaker” (120). Only one man in Bayou Boeuf is crueler: Jim Burns, who employs an all-female force of slaves.
Solomon’s companions are the same for eight years: Abram, Wiley, Phebe, Phebe’s children (Bob and Henry), Edward, and Patsey. Abram is sixty and quite tall; he loves to entertain them and admires General Andrew Jackson, whom his first master followed into war. Phebe works in the kitchen and is very garrulous. Wiley is silent. Bob and Henry do not have any distinguishing features to note, and Edward is very young. Patsey is splendid, slim, and athletic; she is the queen of picking cotton. She is a joyous woman, but, unfortunately, it is her lot to fall prey to Epps’s lasciviousness. Mistress Epps thus despises her and wishes she were dead. Patsey walks under a cloud, a victim of lust and hate.
Chapter XIV
In 1845, the caterpillars destroy the cotton crop throughout the region. There is a rumor that wages are high and laborers are in demand on the sugar plantations in St. Mary’s parish, so a drove of slaves is sent down there. It is a long trek full of inclement weather, but they make it to the region.
Solomon works for Judge Turner, a distinguished man with an estate in Bayou Salle. He finds it much easier to cut cane than to pick cotton. Eventually, he is transferred to the sugar house to act as driver.
During sugar-harvesting time, labor does not cease at all; Solomon’s job is to whip anyone not performing efficiently enough.
It is a custom in Louisiana to allow slaves to retain whatever compensation they receive on Sundays. Solomon is furnished with a blanket and is allowed to have a gourd, but he is not furnished with a knife, nor a cup, nor a plate.
During the sugar time, there is no distinction between the days of the week, and everyone knows slaves must labor on the Sabbath. However, they do receive remuneration, and most are able to purchase small luxuries with this money.
Solomon plays his violin constantly and makes money that way, becoming the wealthiest slave in the region and finding succor from his despair.
The slaves return to Bayou Boeuf. Solomon learns from Phebe that Patsey is getting deeper and deeper into trouble. Epps covets her more and then whips her to gratify the mistress. The mistress wants her out of her sight—or, at least, she wants her to suffer. Solomon writes that Mistress Epps is an educated, beautiful, and accomplished woman; she is good to all the slaves except Patsey. Epps would gratify any whim his wife had, as he loves her in his own coarse way, but his selfishness prevents him from getting rid of Patsey. On Patsey’s head, “the force of all these domestic tempests spent itself” (131).
During the summer after Solomon returns from the sugar plantation, he learns how to provide himself with food. The bacon rations are disgusting and filled with worms, and it is hard to hunt for coons or opossum without firearms. Solomon decides to construct a fish trap; the area of Bayou Boeuf is rich in number and variety of fish, and this trap works well enough to keep Solomon and his companions relatively full.
On the opposite side of the bayou is Mr. Marshall’s plantation. He comes from an aristocratic family and is accustomed to getting what he wants. One day, Solomon writes, a man from Natchez is negotiating with Marshall to purchase the estate. A messenger arrives at Epps’s saying there is a bloody battle going on. Marshall kills Natchez due to a difficulty in their negotiations. Solomon remarks that this would have resulted in punishment in the North, but here in the South, violence is common and almost passes without notice.
Slavery exacerbates man’s propensity to sin and violence. Solomon does not blame the slaveholder for being cruel: he blames the system and the fact that man cannot withstand the influence of it. There are humane masters and inhumane ones, happier slaves and more depressed ones, but overall, every slave—either somewhere deep down or on the surface—hopes for “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
Analysis
Northup’s time with Epps is the fodder for his narrative that best reveals the horrors of slavery. Critic Ira Berlin writes, “On page after page, Northup tells of the brutality of chattel bondage the endless and often senseless beatings, the frequent, soul-crushing humiliations, the casual and callous destruction of family life –themes sure to raise the ire of white Northerners…He is especially attentive to the dangers salve women faced…he demonstrates how slavery subverted the work ethic and undermine the values of self-improvement that white Northerners believed central to the creation of the good society.” Northup’s years with Epps are very different from those with Ford. Epps is a different character altogether, and Northup spares nothing in the description of him: “His manners are repulsive and coarse, and his language gives speedy and unequivocal evidence that he has never enjoyed the advantages of an education” (108). He is a drunk fool and a sly, cunning sober figure. He whips his slaves for any and all reasons, provides them with only the barest necessities to get by, and pushes them to the brink of their physical and mental abilities. Northup writes, “Ten years I toiled for that man without reward. Ten years of incessant labor has contributed to increase the bulk of his possessions. Ten years I was compelled to address him with downcast eyes and uncovered head – in the attitude and language of a slave. I am indebted to him for nothing, save undeserved abuse and stripes” (119).
As for Mistress Epps, Northup considers her a lovely and educated woman but notes the glaring discrepancy in her personality: she absolutely despises one of Epps’s slaves, Patsey, because her husband cannot control his lust for her. The slave mistress is a tragic figure in this respect, for she has to watch her husband prey on the women who work for them and, due to the prevailing patriarchal system, has no recourse of her own. Women like Mistress Epps can only do so much to oppose their husbands; it was commonplace to pretend they didn’t see anything or, as in Mistress Epps’s case, to abuse the poor slave(s) whom their husbands pursued.
Like Sophia Auld in Frederick Douglass’s Autobiography, Mistress Epps may have redeeming qualities, but Northup suggests that the system of slavery utterly corrupts her all the same. In perhaps one of the most significant passages of the work, Northup writes: “The existence of Slavery in its most cruel form among them, has a tendency to brutalize the humane and finer feelings of their nature. Daily witnesses of human suffering—listening to the agonizing screeches of the slave—beholding him writhing beneath the merciless lash—bitten and torn by dogs—dying without attention, and buried without shroud or coffin—it cannot otherwise be expected, than that they should become brutified and reckless of human life. It is true there are many kind-hearted and good men in the parish of Avoyelles…It is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears, that the rod is for the slave's back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in maturer years.”
Northup adds to this when he explains his perceptions of young Master Epps: “[He] possessed some noble qualities, yet no process of reasoning could lead him to comprehend, that in the eye of the Almighty there is no distinction of color. He looked upon the black man simply as an animal, differing in no respect from any other animal, save in the gift of speech and the possession of somewhat higher instincts, and, therefore, the more valuable. To work like his father's mules—to be whipped and kicked and scourged through life—to address the white man with hat in hand, and eyes bent servilely on the earth, in his mind, was the natural and proper destiny of the slave. Brought up with such ideas—in the notion that we stand without the pale of humanity—no wonder the oppressors of my people are a pitiless and unrelenting race.” Slavery corrupts everyone in its path, Northup suggests, which is one of the most morally compelling reasons to abolish it.
Returning to Patsey, who was “the enslaved victim of love and hate” (124), readers can discern more about the particular difficulties slave women faced. They were subject to their master’s, and perhaps other white men’s, abuse frequently; this ranged from lewd words to outright rape. Oftentimes, slave women became pregnant and had to carry the child. Such children were despised by the mistress of the plantation for being visual and unforgettable reminders of their husband’s fornications. Slave women often had to labor during their pregnancies up until the very day they gave birth. They faced potential separation from their children, like Eliza, and they suffered greatly because they were not able to protect their children in any real way. Ultimately, Epps destroys Patsey through his attention to her, which also leads him to brutally beat her in order to appease his wife. Northup notes that all vitality, hope, and joy leave Patsey; she is one of the most tragic figures in his work.
