SOCIOLOGY

Sociology and Slavery: Narrative of Solomon Northrup

Sociology and Slavery: Narrative of Solomon Northrup

Introduction

Sociology is the systematic study of human communities with particular emphasis on modern industrial formats. The field of sociology is very wide and sociologists studying all human relations, groups, institutions and societies, marriage, relationships, health and disease, crime and punishment. All of this falls within the field of sociology (Patterson, 1982). In this paper you will learn how slavery affected the life of Solomon Northrup and what the social roles of slave men and bondwomen are during the times when slavery prevailed in the world. First, we will briefly discuss the case: Twelve Years a Slave: Narrative of Solomon Northrup, followed by the sociological discussion of slavery.

Narrative of Solomon Northrup

The case is about Solomon Northrup, who was in New York while he was kidnapped. Before this event, he was a free black American, who remained in slavery for 12 long years. He was finally freed through the efforts of NY city governor. The case describes his painful experience as a slave in Louisiana plantation. He has wonderfully described the work scenario in the fields, “The hands are required to be in the cotton field as soon as it is light in the morning… they often times labor till the middle of the night”. This quote shows that how work was taken from slaves even in the middle of the night. He further stresses the situation of slaves saying, “No matter how fatigued and weary he may be - no matter how much he longs for sleep and rest - a slave never approaches the gin-house with his basket of cotton but with fear”. This statement also shows that life of a slave was filled with fear of master, even after working for whole day long and they were always expected to produce more. As he writes, “whether he has too little or too much, his approach to the gin-house is always with fear and trembling”. He further describes that there was no end to work saying, “This done, the labor of the day is not yet ended, by any means. Each one must then attend to his respective chores”. Slaves were not treated as normal human beings and they were provided with least food to consume, as the writer says, “All that is allowed them is corn and bacon, which is given out at the corncrib and smoke-house every ...