Questioning the official American history in Solomon Northup‟s twelve years a slave
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of English
Abstract
This research analyzes the hidden contradictions in the American official
history written by the whites and exercised upon the blacks as reflected in Solomon
Northup's Twelve Years a Slave. The first person speaker of the narrative rejects all
the contradictions and segregations in the officially practiced apartheid policy. This
study tries to see the social condition especially racism toward African American
slaves in Solomon Northup’s Twelve Years as a Slave. Besides, it also identifies the
forms of struggle of African American Slave against the practice of racism as it was
officially approved in the then America. Moreover, this study also relates the racism
reflected in the narrative with the real social condition of racism toward African
American in nineteenth century. While analyzing the questioning practice of the
African-American against the officially approved historical practices of the whites,
new historical practice of 'thin descriptions' is minutely analyzed.