BUDDHI DHARMA UNIVERSITY

THE ANALYSIS OF SLAVERY IN TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE

WRITTEN BY SOLOMON NORTHUP

Presented as a partial fulfillment of the requirement for the Undergraduate Program

CHRISTIAN SUGIARTO WIJAYA

20150600024

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES& HUMANITIES

BUDDHI DHARMAUNIVERSITY
TANGERANG
2019

FINAL PROJECT APPROVAL

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 mber ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Praise God Almighty, for the presence of plenty of mercy and his grace, then the writer

can accomplish the thesis with the title: The Analysis of Slavery in Twelve Years a Slave

written by Solomon Northup. This thesis was made to fulfill one of the

conditions to achieve a Bachelor of Humanity Degree at Social and Humanity Faculty of

Buddhi Dharma University in Tangerang. The writer realizes that the form and content of

this thesis can not be separated from the shortcomings that arise because of the ability,

knowledge, and experience of the writer is still limited. Therefore, constructive criticism

and suggestions from readers for the perfection of this thesis will be accepted by the

writer with pleasure. Many things have been obtained by the writer while participating in

academic activities at the Buddhi Dharma University in Tangerang. Hence, please allow

the writer with sincerity to express his deepest gratitude to:

1. God Almighty for all His grace and grace and health that has been given to the writer in

the completion of this thesis.

2. Dr. Sofian Sugioko, M.M., CPMA., As Chancellor of the Buddhi Dharma University.

3. Dr. Lilie Suratminto, M.A., as Dean of the Faculty of Social and Humanities, University

of Buddhi Dharma.

4. Riris M. Paulina Simamora, S.Pd., M.Hum. as Chair of the English Literature

Department, Faculty of social and humanities, University of Buddhi Dharma.

5. Adrallisman, SS, M. Hum. as Chair of the Department of English, Faculty of Social and

Humanities, University of Buddhi Dharma and as a material lecturer who has provided

guidance and direction for the realization of this thesis.

6. All the Lecturers of the Buddhi Dharma University who have provided invaluable

knowledge.

7. All Buddhi Dharma University staff who helped provide assistance in the context of data
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 collection, administration and information needed for the preparation of this thesis.

8. All of the family member who have given encouragement and prayer for the success of

the writer in the preparation of this thesis, especially my lovely wife Ariani and beloved

daughter.

9. All friends and parties who have helped a lot in the preparation of this thesis, especially

Christian Bachtiar that voluntarily guide the writer about the fulfilment of this final

project .

Finally. The writer wishes to show his gratitude to all people whose names can not

be mentioned one by one, especially for their contribution, help, and support in the

process of her research in order to accomplish this research.

Tangerang, 2nd July 2019

Christian Sugiarto Wijaya

: 20150600024

Faculty : Social Sciences and Humanities

Study Program : English Literature

The Final Project has been approved on 2nd July 2019

Supervisor Head of Department

Adrallisman, SS, M. Hum. Riris M. Paulina Simamora, S.Pd., M.Hum.

NIDN: 0427117501 NIDN: 0427068703
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ction of this thesis will be accepted by the easure.any things hjaya

ABSTRACT

This thesis presents the slavery in the Twelve Years a Slave book. Slavery has many
forms in the practice in the memoir of Solomon Northup that reflected in his book,
Twelve Years a Slave. This thesis describes the slavery forms with the theory of slavery
by Kevin Bales which expands slavery into chattel slavery, debt bondage, contract
slavery, forced labor, child slavery, and sex slavery. The data of this research were taken
from Twelve Years a Slave written by Solomon Northup. This research use qualitative
method which investigates the social phenomenon in this research. This research shows
the data collected from the book matched with the slavery forms in accordance with
Kevin Bales theory. Then the writer proved that the forms of the slavery from the
descriptive of slavery forms by Bales with the slavery exist in “Twelve Years a Slave”
book and as the result, the writer found the forms of slavery in the “Twelve Years a
Slave” book were chattel slavery, debt bondage, forced labor, child slavery, and sex
slavery.

Keywords: Slavery, Forms, Chattel, Bondage, Forced, Memoir, Narrative

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

FRONT COVER

INSIDE COVER ...................................................................................................................................................... i

FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL .......................................................................................................................... ii

FINAL PROJECT APPROVAL ........................................................................................................................iii

RECOMMENDATION FOR THE ELIGIBILITY ........................................................................................ iv

THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS ......................................................................................................................... v

STATEMENT OF AUTHENTICITY ............................................................................................................... vi

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................................................... vii

ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................................... ix

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................................................... x

LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................................................ xiii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Background of the study ...................................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Statement of the problem ..................................................................................................................... 3

1.3 Research Question ............................................................................................................................... 4

1.4 Goal and Function ............................................................................................................................... 4

1.4.1 Goal .............................................................................................................................................. 4

1.4.2 Function........................................................................................................................................ 5

1.5 Scope and Limitation ........................................................................................................................... 5

1.6 Conceptual Framework........................................................................................................................ 5

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CHAPTER II THEORITICAL BACKGROUND..................................................................................... 7

2.1 Review of Previous Study.................................................................................................................... 7

2.2 Theory of Literature ............................................................................................................................ 9

2.3 Theme ............................................................................................................................................... 10

2.3.1 Definition of Theme .................................................................................................................... 10

2.4 Theory of Slavery .............................................................................................................................. 11

2.4.1 Definition of Slavery................................................................................................................... 11

2.4.2 Characteristics of Slavery............................................................................................................ 13

2.4.3 Forms of Slavery......................................................................................................................... 13

2.4.4 History of Slavery ....................................................................................................................... 16

2.5 Theory of Conscience ........................................................................................................................ 18

CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY.................................................................................... 20

3.1 Subject Matter ................................................................................................................................... 20

3.2 Material ............................................................................................................................................. 21

3.3 Approach........................................................................................................................................... 21

3.4 Procedure .......................................................................................................................................... 21

CHAPTER IV DATA ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................... 23

4.1 Slavery Forms in Twelve Years a Slave book .................................................................................... 23

4.1.1 Chattel Slavery ........................................................................................................................... 23

4.1.2 Debt Bondage ............................................................................................................................. 31

4.1.3 Forced Labor .............................................................................................................................. 32

4.1.4 Child Slavery .............................................................................................................................. 38

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 4.1.5 Sex Slavery ................................................................................................................................. 39

CHAPTER V CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 41

5.1 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................................ 41

5.2 Suggestion ......................................................................................................................................... 42

REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................................... 43

CURRICULUM VITAE .......................................................................................................................... 45

CONSULTATION DOCUMENT

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure Page

1.1 Chart of Conceptual Framework...........................................5

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 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Literary work has several genres such as novel, film, and books. Every genre has

its own uniquity, so we able to analyze each of them in literature ways. “Memoir,

has been created from human experience since a long time ago.”

Literary Devices (2017). In addition, the memoir of Julius Cesar from Ancient

Romans empire. He wrote and depicted his personal experiences

about epic battles in the past. Through memoirs we able to understand the

experiences from famous people and it also provide a window for the audience to

look into other people’s life. Thus, when we able to understand human

experiences, we will able to enrich our knowledge from human memoirs and take

those as lesson of life. Hence, the writer would like to improve the knowledge

about the memoir that inspired human life.

However, memoir is essential to express the human experience from written

literature to spread along the world. “Memoir is non fiction literature which is

the branch of literature that compromising works of narrative prose that

strict upon facts and reality.” Eagleton (2015). Hence, by understanding the

literature works, we are able to express our experience through memoir.

In writing memoir, most of part concentrate the moment and event that are

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trully happen. Even though it still has great power in expressing its massage to

audience. “Those stories from someone’s life represent a lots of experience than

just a merely words.” Couser (2012). Since human are expressive creature, Nearly

most of the human brain is used to process emotional data. No wonder that the

most enduring memory generally is our life experience. Learning process becomes

more effective when it involves emotional elements through understanding

memoir and analyze it.

Memoir able to discuss many things about someone’s real life experience

and in this research, the experience were taken from Solomon Northup life

experience, who kidnapped and sold to slavery for twelve years. Slavery itself

already dominated in all ancient civilization and become a moral problems in this

world. It can be seen from the modern slavery in Africa, when poverty generates

the child slavery, their parents sold their child to slavery in order to receive money

from the slave dealers. Then in North Korea the forced labor is common at that

country, estimated millions of people are enslaved by the government there to

forcefully work without compensation. Accordingly, the bourgeoisie class

oppressively harmed the proletariat class with lashes and gun. Slavery already

existed since a long time ago and still happens until now. It has been continuously

evolved into another forms. Brace (2004) says that slavery is a system which

allowed individuals to own, buy and sell other individuals, as a de jure form

of property. A system that generated million of humans become slaves to

bourgeoisie class as landowners in “Twelve Years a Slave” book.

“Twelve Years a Slave” is a story about oppresed slave named Solomon

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Northup that struggled to find a freedom, When we look at the social issue from

“Twelve Years a Slave” book, the slaves were treated harshly and oppressively in

America. Under the United States Constitution in Philadelphia which permitted

slavery to remain legal in America. With the legalization of slave by the

government, it boosted the slave traders to import new slaves from Africa with

shipped them through the ocean. The landowners could abuse, injure or even kill

their slaves without legal consequences. While there were many grades and types

of slaves, the lowest and most numerous grades who worked in the fields were

subject to a life of hard physical labor. Oppressive action against slavery generate

the problem in that age, when the landowners enormity has been killed a lot of

slave without mercy.

From the description above, the writer believed that it would be interesting

to explore the book which is intellectually interesting. It would be an enjoyable

discussion about the slavery and about this social issue which still existed and

affecting human civilization.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Slavery is part of human existence since the bottom of history. Slaves have

worked in field, mine, and house from the very beginning of civilization. In

almost every advanced nations there must be slavery there. Slavery is a kind of

relationship between people. It is a personal as well as a social relationship, and it

is almost always an economic relationship, for slavery is about making a profit

from the work of others, (Bales, 2005:1)

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 We live in the world that change so fast, as well as slavery, in the past

slaves usually taken from war or captured in raid. Ancient Egypt enslaved

millions of slaves to construct the pyramid. Ancient Roman empire enslaved war

captives to be slaves for romans citizen. Many of these slaves worked to build the

advanced civilization that continuously enslave others.

The problem will focus on the slavery forms in “Twelve Years a Slave”

book by Solomon Northup. Then examine about the various of the slavery in this

book. The writer concern about the slavery in the book, because it conjures up

horrific pictures of brutality and oppression at that time that will evoke our

conscience. Based on this, the writer found a research question.

1.3 Research Question

Based on the background of study the writer propose the question: what kind of

the slavery forms in the “Twelve Years a Slave” book written by Solomon

Northup?

1.4 Goal and Function

1.4.1 Goal

The goal of this research is to answer the research question about the various

forms of slavery in “Twelve Years a Slave” book written by Solomon Northup

that can be found from matched the data between the data from the “Twelve Years

a Slave” book and the slavery theory forms by Kevin Bales.

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 1.4.2 Function

Besides the purpose that the writer had mentioned before, there are some function

of this paper, which is to provide future researcher with information as a reference

for those who are interested in conducting further research on this subject and

show the slavery forms that is not only one kind of slavery in this world, and

conduct another research based on the slavery theory forms from this research.

1.5 Scope and Limitation

This study scope is the slavery forms that can be found in “Twelve Years a Slave”

written by Solomon Northup. This study is limited only to analyze the forms of

slavery slavery in “Twelve Years a Slave” book. The analysis based on the

slavery forms in the “Twelve Years a Slave” book that matched with the slavery

theory forms that exposed by Kevin Bales.

1.6 Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework is a statement to describe the frame of reference for the

analysis. This is the concept idea of writer’s thought which examine into a chart.

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 The chart above provide the conceptual of theoritical framework. The

writer analyze the slavery forms in Solomon Northup’s memoir “Twelve Years a

Slave” by theories of slavery. It also describe the definition about slavery, it is

history, slavery forms theory and other related theories. Slavery forms in this book

will divided into chattel slavery, bondage slavery, contract slavery, forced labor,

child slavery, and sex slavery that lead to answer this research. The writer also

explain the theory of slavery from few experts regarding this research, then

analysis the forms of slavery that correlate within the quotation in this research.

The forms of slavery from Bales will become the major point of slavery in Twelve

Years a Slave written by Solomon Northup.

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 CHAPTER II

THEORITICAL BACKGROUND

2.1 Review of Previous Studies

Relating to this research, the writer found two researchers that use slavery as the

focus of study. The first research title “Slave narrative twelve years a slave

(1853): prejudice, discrimination, and survival in slavery” create by Rizky Utami

Hutapea in 2015. The researcher is from University of Indonesia. In her research,

Rizky found out the explanation regarding prejudice, discrimination and survival

of the African-American in the Twelve Years a Slave. As the results of

dehumanization in slavery, African-Americans develoved adaptive survival

techniques and some of the techniques were also the

forms of their resistance to slavery. This thesis uses some point of views in

looking the survival of African-Americans as dignified actions.

The second researcher is Ika Prasetyawati who researched of “Sojourner

Truth and Harriet Jacobs's Lifeworlds and Arguments of Rhetoric of Slavery: A

Comparative Study” in 2018. The researcher is from University of Gadjah Mada.

In her research, the writer found the comparative between two striking concerns:

the anguish of enslaved women and the divisive issue of the North and the South.

The present study compares the “lifeworlds and arguments of rhetoric of slavery

of Sojourner Truth of New York and Harriet Jacobs of North Carolina.” Under

Post-nationalist American Studies perspective to see African American female

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abolitionists view points, this comparative study integrates Habermasian lifeworld

focusing on the three interrelated aspects: culture, society, and personality and

Ericson's contextualist arguments: American exemplar, human progress, and

house divided. The data of this study was taken from Yellin's Harriet Jacobs: A

Life (2004) and Larry G. Murphy's Sojourner Truth: A Biography (2012).

The comparative analysis on lifeworlds of the two figures suggests that

social system of slavery is reproduced in the different ways. Whereas Truth

embraces the social expectation as affected by the cruelty of slaveholding

practice. Jacobs resists the slavery with the influenced of milder practice.

However, the realization of the injustice of slavery eventually shifts Truth to show

resistance. Furthermore, Truth's abolitionist idea derives from her spirituality,

while Jacobs's stems from the social value of liberty. Their arguments reflect their

lifeworlds. Truth experiencing severity is more vocal and practical to solve the

social problem. Jacobs encountering milder slavery helps the people of her race in

conservative ways.

From above studies conducted by the two above researchers, the writer is

off the view that the slavery topic is quite common to researched. The writer

found similiarity and dissimiliarity between two researchers. That first of the topic

is about slavery theme which is similiar with writer’s research. The second, the

the researchers collect their data through qualitative method which is similiar to

this research.

The dissimiliarity from those researchers is the theory that is applied in the

research and the book that they have used in their research. The theory that

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applied in this research use the slavery theory which describes the forms and

terminology about slavery. It is not similiar to the first researcher that focuses on

using survival theory in her research, and the second researcher that used a social

theory to compare her analysis.

2.2 Theory of Literature

“Literature can be understood as the set of concepts and intellectual assumptions

on the work of explaining or interpreting literary texts.” Internet Encyclopedia of

Philosophy (2019). These set of concepts and the criticism able to evolve the

literature to the higher subject. Literary texts represents the world by expressing

words with imagine the text with our senses.

In our modern society, literature become the source of thoughts and spread

around the world. It also influence the film industry that contribute to realize

human reason, feeling and thought from the text to the reality which is easier to

absorbed by people. Literature also the foundation of humanity, It serve as a

reflection of reality and illuminate the nescience.

A lot of value of history, culture, beliefs from a literary works can be

obtained from literature. The works of famous Greek philosophers contain virtues

that promote goodness to a society if the human have the willingness to uphold

and practice them. They also emphasize the importance of human wisdom to

achieve a higher level of understanding. Through these philosophers contributions

to literature, not only craft an artistic combination of words, but expose logic and

ideas as well.

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2.3 Theme

2.3.1 Definition of Theme

Theme can be defined “as a main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary

work, which may be stated directly or indirectly.” Literary devices (2019). The

important element in literature which created by the author in order to insert a

message that makes the story more interesting. Theme also can be define as “a

meaning that contained by a story.” Hardt (1989). Theme in general is divided

into major and minor theme. Major theme is an idea that an author continously

repeated in their literary works, that making it as prominent part of the idea in the

literary works that can arouses the readers curiosity. While minor theme is an idea

that appeared in a literary works that exposed briefly in the story and connect to

another minor theme.

Theme is essential in a good literature. Understanding the theme in the

story is very important for any readers. It helps the readers to imagine the story

more depply to increase their ability to think. The effective use of theme leads the

readers better understanding of the conflicts, experiences, discoveries, and

emotions as they are derived from theme. Through themes, an authors tries to give

their readers an insight into the world system, or about humans life.

A major theme that become the soul in “Twelve Years a Slave is avout

the racism and slavery, in the “Twelve Years a Slave” Solomon Northup and other

slaves struggled with the racism that more likely become the ‘booster’ of the

slavery. Solomon Northup’s narrative depict how racism is an instrument for

human greediness and wickedness. The slave owner act that is unrelenting, cruel,

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and inhumane, which brings Solomon Northup in the deep anguish and sorrowful

for twelve years of bondage. It also clear that racism is a learned behavior, not an

inherent understanding that people are born with. Because the government, the

south state in America colonization period was supported the regulation to owned

slaves at that time, so at that time when a person has a slave, it just like a person

that owned a ‘living property’ that can be considered as a property, which can be

sold, bought, and traded like a porperty.

The overall purpose of “Twelve Years a Slave” theme was to revealed

the heartbreaking realities of slavery and to show the slavery is a instrument for

human wickedness. For example, when Solomon was sold into slavery by slave

trader James Burch, he was tortured to admit that he was a slave, though he was a

free man. Solomon forcefully move from one slaves pen to another in the trade

process. After all of the violence, Solomon decided to survive with obey to his

master, he endure for more than twelve years of bondage to seek for escape

chance from the horrific slavery.

2.4 Theory of Slavery

2.4.1 Definition of Slavery

There are estimated twenty million slaves nowadays. This is more than slaves in

the ancient times and as many as captured slaves from Africa in 350 years of the

Atlantic slave trade. Today’s slave population is greater than the population of

Australia and these slaves are paid nothing, are economically exploited, and are

under violent control. They are also invisible. Because slavery is illegal in all

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countries and banned by international conventions.

In addition, the word slave came from old French sclave, which from

the Medieval Latin sclavus, it comes from the ethnonym Slav, because in some

early medieval wars age, many Slavs people were captured and enslaved. Oxford

English Dictionary (1989). Slavery refers to a condition in where the individuals

are owned by others, the owner called master who own them as a property and

control them whenever they want. The owner can sell them, forced to work,

abuse, and kill them. Payne (2013) Despite consider as inhuman, Slavery already

existed in many times and most places. Most of all famous ancient nation had

slaves to built their civilization.

Slavery was founded in the selfishness of man’s nature – opposition to it,

is his love of justice. Abraham Lincoln (1854). Slavery represents a paradigmatic

case of unfreedom in part because it is the product of public and private

domination – Pettit (2008) in Pettit’s terms, imperium and dominium – working in

concert. Social forces and norms and the state work in the same direction,

reinforcing the same ongoing domination. If a particular instance of domination is

limited to either imperium or dominium, the realm of the other –either

government or civil society that could conceivably provide sources of insulation.

Slavery believed to be the opposite of the freedom which is contradictive with the

American vision.

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2.4.2 Characteristics of Slavery

The key characteristic of slavery are not about ownership but about how to control

people. The core of slavery, is violence. The slave master or slaveholder controls

a slave with threatening violence. Slavery is about no choices at all, obey to safe,

disobey to punishment. Violence makes a person into slavery. The second key

characteristic of slavery is loss of free will; slaves are completely controled by

someone else. There is no other person, authority, or government where the slave

able to seek for protection. Slaves must do as they are oredered or they will suffer

by harmful punishment. The third characteristic is that slavery is used to exploit

someone in some kind of economic activity.

No one enslaves another person just to do violence; people are enslaved to

make a profit. Most slaveholders think that as normal business. In case of hurting

anyone, being cruel, or torturing people, it is just part of the job. If we combine

these characteristics together we can define slavery as a social and economic

relationship, where the person controlled through violence or threat, unpaid, and

economically exploited. (Bales, 2005, p.4)

2.4.3 Forms of Slavery

Slavery never existed in a single form. There are several forms of slavery with

their own names that refered to their meanings. In this world nowadays there are

various forms of slavery, below are the slavery according to Bales (2009:33)

1. Chattel Slavery

This is the most common form of slavery that spread in America. This

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 system, which allowed people — considered legal property — to be

bought, owned, captured, or sold into permanent servitude, and ownership

is often asserted. Slave status was imposed on children of the enslaved at

birth, in other words, borned as a slave, supported by the American and

European powers in the 16th – 18th centuries.

2. Debt Bondage

Describes slavery in which an individual is compelled to work in order to

repay a debt. A person that was trapped in a loan from a person with

undefined agreement, The debt can be passed down to subsequent

generations. In many cases of bondage labor, the slave’s life becomes

collateral for the debt. This means that all of their work belongs to the

money lender until the debt is repaid.

3. Contract Slavery

This form of slavery offered that guarantee employment, but when the

workers are taken to their place of work, they find they are enslaved. The

contract is used as a trap to trick persons into slavery. It is also a way to

make the slavery look legitimate if necessary. The slave is under threat of

violence, no freedom of movement, and unpaid.

4. Forced Labor

Describes all types of coerced work that an individual must provide

against his or her will. Forced laborers are treated as property to be

exploited commercially. While all slavery is a kind of forced labor, this

term specifically means slavery that is practiced not only by an individual,

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 but by a government or some other group. Forced labor imposed by the

State, institution or by armed forces, which includes forced labor exacted

by the military or rebel groups, compulsory participation in public works,

and forced prison labor.

5. Child Slavery

Describes all child labor obtained from individuals under the age of 18

through the means of force, deception or coercion. Children can be

enslaved in debt bondage, forced labor, prostitution, armies, domestic

work and other forms of hazardous work.

6. Sex Slavery

This form is when a person forces other persons with the intent of forcing

them to engage in sexual activities. It describes women, men or children

that are exploited in the commercial sex industry, which may include:

pornography, prostitution, erotic entertainment, strip clubs, online escort

services, residential brothels, hostess clubs, parlors or any exchange of a

sex act for something of value. This form is attaching the right of

ownership over one or more persons with the intent of forcing them to

engage in sexual activities.

Based on theory from Bales (2009) regarding forms of slavery, the writer

conclude from the Bales slavery forms (Chattel slavery, Debt Bondage, Contract

Slavery, Forced Labor, Child slavery) can be underlined that slavery has six forms

but with the same motive, the slaveholder interest in economy or material benefit

to satisfy their greediness, to absorb life from the weak people and there is no

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conscience in their business. Then all of the slavery forms related to the forced

labor, which all of the slave in the forced condition in their work under oppression

of the slaveholder.

2.4.4 History of Slavery in America

Slavery was practiced in all of over American colonies in the 17 th until 18th

centuries. Most of the slaves came from African continent then sent to britain or

America through ocean by slave ship, African slaves helped build the new

America into an economic powerhouse through the production of lucrative crops

such as tobacco and cotton. By the middle of 19th century, America’s westward

expansion and the abolition of slavery movement provoked a conflict over slavery

that will become a bloody Civil War. Eventhough, the Union victory and freed the

nation’s four million slaves, the legacy of slavery still influence American history.

Slavery in America begin on 1619, when a Dutch ship brought twenty

African slaves ashore in the British colony of Jamestown, America in the 17th

century, European settlers in North America uses African slaves because their cost

is cheaper, more plentiful labor source than poor Europeans slave. Black slaves

worked mainly in the tobacco, rice and indigo plantations of the southern

American.

Slavery itself was never widespread in the North region of America, though

many of the region’s businessmen grew rich on the slave trade in southern

plantations. The U.S. Congress outlawed the African slave trade in 1808, then the

domestic trade develop rapidly, and the slave population in the U.S. tripled over

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the next fifty years. By 1860 it had reached nearly four million, with more than

half slaves living in the cotton-producing states of the South.

Slave owners make their slaves completely dependent on them and a system

that control slave’s life. They were prohibited from learning to read and write, and

their behavior and movement was restricted by the slave owners. Many masters

took sexual liberties with slave women, and rewarded obedient slave behavior

with favors, while rebellious slaves were brutally punished. Meltzer said, “In the

New World the indentured servants lived under conditions not much better than

chattel slaves. they got no pay in wages. their compensation was bed and board, a

chance to learn a trade, and at the end of service, perhaps clothing, tools, or grant

of government land. the master set the hours and working conditions and

determined the punishments for disobedience.” Meltzer (1993)

In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected president of America. During his

campaign Lincoln opposed the expansion of slavery into US territories. Lincoln

issued a preliminary emancipation proclamation, and he made it official to abolish

the slavery in America like in his emancipation proclamationon 1863. He said:

“I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated

States, and parts of States, are, and henceforward shall be free; and that the

Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval

authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.”

(Lincoln,1863)

Lincoln declaration led to free approximately three million black slaves in

the rebel states, the emancipation proclamation remove the confideracy labor

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forces and put international public opinion on Union side. Though the

Emancipation Proclamation not officially end all slavery in America, the

abolishment really officially realized by the the passage of the 13th

Amandment after the Civil War’s end in 1865. It’s officially abolished slavery in

America.

2.5 Theory of Conscience

“Conscience is a moral feeling inside of human that can decide good or bad deeds

depends on the moral perspective or moral value of oneself.”

Naselli & Crowley (2016) Conscience different with emotion or thought that

appear from sensory perception directly. Commonly, conscience describe as a

things that lead to guilt feelings when human do the act that clashes with their

moral value. Moral value of an individual and it’s incompability with the

interpretation of family moral, social, cultural, religion and historical background.

Conscience is inherent in human. It has been inseparable part of human

being. It is an inward realization or sense of right and wrong that excuses or

accuses one. Hence, conscience also can judge. It can be trained by our thoughts

and acts conviction and rules that implemented in a person’s mind by learning

and experience. Based on these things, it can compare the action being taken or

contemplated. Then it sounds warning when the rules and action in conflict

Conscience can be a moral safety device, because it can increase our happiness in

life if the owners good but inflicts pain for one’s own bad conduct.

Since the beginning, human has the conscience. It is revealed from the holy

18
bible “For whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature the

things required by the law, these who do not have the law are a law to themselves.

They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, as their conscience

bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse defend or else them”

Romans 2:14 & 15 (NET) Thus, it can be conclude that all mankind still have the

conscience inherent in their individuals and they are guiding by their own moral

value that embodied with their life since young age. Where it become the

foundation for every human to become a human that have good conscience that

makes human different from animals.

Conscience in relation with slavery in the “Twelve Years a Slave” book is

where the slavery is not appropriate with the American citizen belief which

commonly believe in Christianity, where the christianity taught people to love

each other and treat others well. Inversely proportional with what acutally

happens in the “Twelve Years a Slave” the slaves there rarely treated well, mostly

the slaves are not considered as human, they are property as brace said previously

in chapter one. When slaves get lashes if they disobey their owners order and

hanged to death if resist or escape from their owners. All of the violence are

contradict against common conscience nor christianity. However, those violences

still exist until the abolishment of the slavery by Abraham Lincoln.

19
 CHAPTER III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

In this chapter, the writer discusses the subject matter, the material, the

approach and the procedure of the research in order to acquire the result to answer

the research question in Chapter One.

3.1 Subject Matter

The writer analyzed the “Twelve Years a Slave” written by Solomon Northup,

which actually happened during the American colonization period. This book

based on the true story that exposed the slavery in the America during 17-18th

Century that enslave millions of people from Africa continent. The book also

describe the condition of Solomon as a free man, before enslaved by the

landowners, then finding the connection within slavery forms in “Twelve Years a

Slave” and the slavery theory forms by Kevin Bales. In addition, when analyze

“Twelve Years a Slave” book with the slavery forms theory, the writer applies

theory of slavery forms which appropriate to describes the slavery forms in

Solomon Northup book the “Twelve Years a Slave” and found various forms of

slavery in the book. This research data based on the quotation in the “Twelve

Years a Slave” book.

20
3.2 Material

This section will dicusses the material which come from the book “Twelve Years

a Slave” written by Solomon Northup in 1853. The writer also uses the material

from the book, film, DVD, Internet, and other references that applicable to this

study.

3.3 Approach

The writer applies the qualitative analysis method of the research. According to

the Ravitch and Carl (2016), the research purpose is to investigate the meanings

that people attribute to their behavior, actions, and interactions with others that

can illuminate the connection exists between human. Qualitative research also

investigate meanings, interpretations, symbols, and the processes and relations of

social life. with produces the descriptive data and the researcher must interpret

using rigorous and systematic methods of transcribing, coding, and analysis of

trends and themes. Refering to above explanation, the writer consent to acquire

the information from the “Twelve Years a Slave” and to answer the research

question in the Chapter One as the forms of slavery in the book.

3.4 Procedure

The first step to finish this thesis is choosing the material that interest the writer,

the social matters seems to be concern and plan ahead for the topic. The

preparation starts from 6th semester, from the proposal of the thesis, the writer

found the interesting topic which is not really difficult but quite different from

21
other thesis. The writer proposed the title with the advisor, and discussed to

choose which title that may interest the advisor too.

The writer conducted research about the slavery from “Twelve Years a

Slave” book. The writer searching from reliable sources that related to the slavery.

Then, after the writer acquired sufficient data about the related theories and other

information needed in order to answer the research question, what kind of slavery

forms in the “Twelve Years a Slave” book.

22
 CHAPTER IV

DATA ANALYSIS

In this chapter the writer wants to analyze the slavery forms that reflected in

“Twelve Years a Slave”, that exposed in Solomon Northup life as slave,

accordance with theory of slavery forms by Kevin Bales. The analysis process

through collected the quotation from the book and connected with the slavery

forms theory.

4.1 Slavery Forms in Twelve Years a Slave book

The slavery forms in the books proved by the theory from Kevin Bales. From the

forms that found in the his book, the reader acquire the connection about the

forms of slavery, what happens to the character, what problems occur in the

story, and what character experience throughout the story in the “Twelve Years a

Slave” book. The forms of slavery which reveals the character experience in

slavery with their partners or slaveholders. The slavery forms can be found in the

quotation below:

4.1.1 Chattel Slavery

This is the most common form of slavery that spread in America. This system,

which allowed people — considered legal property — to be bought, owned,

23
captured, or sold into permanent servitude, and ownership is often asserted. Slave

status was imposed on children of the enslaved at birth, in other words, borned as

a slave, supported by the American and European powers in the 16th – 18th

centuries. It can be seen in the quotation below:

Solomon Northup: “Having been born a freeman, and for more

than thirty years enjoyed the blessings of liberty in a free State—
and having at the end of that time been kidnapped and sold
into Slavery, where I remained, until happily rescued in the
month of January, 1853, after a bondage of twelve years—it has
been suggested that an account of my life and fortunes would not
be uninteresting to the public.” (p. 1)

Solomon Northup: “I was entitled to my freedom, that I had

been kidnapped, or any thing whatever of the kind, the
castigation I had just received was nothing in comparison with
what would follow. He swore that he would either conquer or kill
me.” (p.22)

The quotation above describe the main character, Solomon Northup, being

kidnapped and sold to the slave traders in Washington DC and trapped in slavery

for twelve years of bondage, treated like a property that can be sold and bought

which refer to the form of chattel slavery where slaves are considered property

that can be sold and bought. Solomon sold and kidnapped by Brown and Hamilton

to slavery that also appears from the Solomon condition that revealed in below

quotation:

Solomon Northup: “I was hand-cuffed. Around my ankles also

were a pair of heavy fetters. One end of a chain was fastened
to a large ring in the floor, the other to the fetters on my
ankles. I tried in vain to stand upon my feet. Waking from such a
painful trance, it was some time before I could collect my
thoughts. Where was I? What was the meaning of these chains?
Where were Brown and Hamilton? What had I done to
deserve imprisonment in such a dungeon? I could not
comprehend.” (p.16)

24
 When Solomon in his abduction condition that being hand-cuffed, chainned

to the floor and imprisonment in dungeon, helplessly and no one’s helped him in

that condition as stated in above quotation “I was hand-cuffed. Around my ankles

also were a pair of heavy fetters. One end of a chain was fastened to a large ring in

the floor, the other to the fetters on my ankles.” It shows the abduction condition

in Washington DC before Solomon delivered to south state and sold there.

Solomon Northup: “As far back as I have been able to ascertain,

my ancestors on the paternal side were slaves in Rhode Island.
They belonged to a family by the name of Northup, one of
whom, removing to the State of New-York, settled at Hoosic, in
Rensselaer county. He brought with him Mintus Northup, my
father. On the death of this gentleman, which must have occurred
some fifty years ago, my father became free, having been
emancipated by a direction in his will. Henry B. Northup, Esq., of
Sandy Hill, a distinguished counselor at law, and the man to whom,
under Providence, I am indebted for my present liberty, and my
return to the society of my wife and children, is a relative of the
family in which my forefathers were thus held to service, and from
which they took the name I bear. To this fact may be attributed the
persevering interest he has taken in my behalf. Though born a
slave, and laboring under the disadvantages to which my
unfortunate race is subjected, my father was a man respected
for his industry and integrity, as many now living, who well
remember him, are ready to testify”. (p.1)

When Solomon’s father still alive several decades ago, Mintus Northup, he

was a slave in the past, through the discrimination and disregarding the rights of

his race by American people at that time as stated “Though born a slave, and

laboring under the disadvantages to which my unfortunate race is subjected”, it is

connected to the chattel slavery form when enslaved people who gave birth, then

the child will be born as a slave, same status as their parents. fortunately, his

father finally being free from his bondage by his Master’s will at the end of his

master’s life. There are other evidence which reinforce the statements above:

25
 Solomon Northup: “Well, my boy, how do you feel now?” said
Burch, as he entered through the open door. I replied that I was
sick, and inquired the cause of my imprisonment. He answered
that I was his slave — that he had bought me, and that he was
about to send me to New-Orleans. I asserted, aloud and boldly,
that I was a free man—a resident of Saratoga, where I had a wife
and children, who were also free, and that my name was Northup. I
complained bitterly of the strange treatment I had received, and
threatened, upon my liberation, to have satisfaction for the wrong.
He denied that I was free, and with an emphatic oath, declared that I
came from Georgia. Again and again I asserted I was no man's
slave, and insisted upon his taking off my chains at once.” (p.20)

When Solomon sold to James Burch by Brown and Hamilton, Burch was a

slave traders in Washington DC and intended to send him to New Orleans a slave

state in the south. Though Solomon already insisted that he is a free man and not

a slave, but Burch replies him with violence. It is related with the chattel form,

where a person are bought and sold such as from this sentence “He answered that

I was his slave — that he had bought me, and that he was about to send me to

New-Orleans.” As much as is proper, slave are free to sold and bought as a

property. Another evidence as the example in below quotation:

Solomon Northup: “The eldest was a colored man named

Clemens Ray. He had lived in Washington; had driven a hack, and
worked in a livery stable there for a long time. He was very
intelligent, and fully comprehended his situation. The thought of
going south overwhelmed him with grief. Burch had purchased
him a few days before, and had placed him there until such time
as he was ready to send him to the New-Orleans market.” (p.24)

Solomon Northup: “Her name was Eliza, She was the slave of
Elisha Berry, a rich man, living in the neighborhood of
Washington. She was born, I think she said, on his plantation.
Years before, he had fallen into dissipated habits, and quarreled
with his wife ... On their arrival in the city, instead of being
baptized into the family of freemen, she was delivered to the
trader Burch. The paper that was executed was a bill of sale.

26
 The hope of years was blasted in a moment.” (p.26)

Solomon Northup: “His name was Robert. Like myself, he had

been born free, and had a wife and two children in Cincinnati. He
said he had come south with two men, who had hired him in the city
of his residence. Without free papers, he had been seized at
Fredericksburgh, placed in confinement, and beaten until he had
learned, as I had, the necessity and the policy of silence.” (p.34)

Solomon Northup: “But the most prominent of the four, was a man
named Arthur …. His face was swollen, and covered with wounds
and bruises, and, indeed, one side of it was a complete raw sore. He
was forced, with all haste, down the hatchway into the hold. I
caught an outline of his story as he was borne struggling along, of
which he afterwards gave me a more full relation, and it was as
follows: He had long resided in the city of Norfolk, and was a free
man.” (p.38)

The quotation above revealed that is not only Solomon who sold and bought

as slave at that time, but there are other slave that traded such as a property from

one master to another. But thousand of slaves were traded in the slaves state in the

south, for instance, Clemens Ray, he had lived in Washington DC before Burch

purchased him and intend to resell to New Orleans market in the south state.

Second is Eliza, she was the slave of Elisha Berry, she was borned as a slave

and after a quarreled with her master’s wife, then she sold to trader Burch after

that. Third are Robert and Arthur, they are same with Solomon case, born free and

have their own life on the free state, but the captured and sold to slavery.

This shows that many of slave in the book correlate with the Chattel forms which

the main characteristic is treated slave as a property that can be sold and bought.

Solomon Northup: “James H. Burch was a slave trader - buying

men, women and children at low prices, and selling them at an
advance. He was a speculator in human flesh—a disreputable
calling—and so considered at the South. For the present he
disappears from the scenes recorded in this narrative, but he will

27
 appear again before its close, not in the character of a man-
whipping tyrant, but as an arrested, cringing criminal in a court of
law, that failed to do him justice.” (p.37)

When Solomon mentioned Burch’s involvement explicitly that shows Burch

role in the slave trading in the quotation above. As he “buying men, women and

children at low prices, and selling them at an advance.” Solomon also mentioned

Burch as “speculator in human flesh” Which means Burch is looking for big

profits in trading slave as the commodity by speculating. That also confirm his

action that involved in the chattel slavery forms theory. Beside previous evidences

that shown in previous paragraphs, there is another evidence regarding the chattel

slavery form as can be seen below:

Solomon Northup: “These houses are usually found within slave

yards, being used as rooms for the examination of human chattels
by purchasers before concluding a bargain. Unsoundness in a
slave, as well as in a horse, detracts materially from his value. If
no warranty is given, a close examination is a matter of
particular importance to the negro jockey.” (p.32)

Solomon Northup: “Goodin then turned to me, took hold of my

arm, turned me partly round, looked at me sharply with the air of
one who considered himself a good judge of property, and as if
estimating in his own mind about how much I was worth.” (p.33)

Solomon Northup: “Next day many customers called to examine

Freeman's "new lot." The latter gentleman was very
loquacious, dwelling at much length upon our several good
points and qualities. He would make us hold up our heads, walk
briskly back and forth, while customers would feel of our hands and
arms and bodies, turn us about, ask us what we could do, make us
open our mouths and show our teeth, precisely as a jockey
examines a horse which he is about to barter for or purchase.
Sometimes a man or woman was taken back to the small house in
the yard, stripped, and inspected more minutely. Scars upon a
slave's back were considered evidence of a rebellious or unruly
spirit, and hurt his sale.” (p.49)

28
 When the slaves sold to the market in the New Orleans, before purchased by

their new master, the slaves must pass through examination, as shown in this

quotation “The examination of human chattels by purchasers before concluding a

bargain. Unsoundness in a slave, as well as in a horse, detracts materially from his

value.” the slaves were examine carefully as a property and bargain their price.

The buyers will look at the slaves sharply with the air of one who considered

himself a good judge of property” as solomon stated.

A slave must be examined in detail, stripped off, interviewed, physical

check, and ability test, all of them will determine the price of the slave. When

everything had been checked, the prospective buyers will bid the price for the

slaves that they intent to purchase, as stated “precisely as a jockey examines a

horse which he is about to barter for or purchase.” when people want to purchase

real property, they aslo do the same inspection like examined the slave. This also

proved quotation above included to Chattel slavery form, when a person sold,

bought, and treated as property for particular individuals. From another evidence

below:

Solomon Northup: “Tibeats met me in the road. He inquired why I

was going back so soon, and when informed I was anxious to return
by the time I was directed, he said I need go no farther than the
next plantation, as he had that day sold me to Edwin Epps. We
walked down into the yard, where we met the latter gentleman, who
examined me, and asked me the usual questions propounded by
purchasers ... I was now no longer the property of Tibeats—his
dog, his brute, dreading his wrath and cruelty day and night; and
whoever or whatever my new master might prove to be, I could not,
certainly, regret the change. So it was good news when the sale was
announced, and with a sigh of relief I sat down for the first time in
my new abode.” (p.110)

29
 When Solomon was sold to Edwin Epps, Epps examined and asked him the

usual questions which usually propounded by purchasers. His new master carefuly

examined Solomon related to his abilities. From this quotation, it shows that slave

examined as a property is a common things at that time. Thus, considered to

chattel slavery form, when a slave treated as a property.

Solomon Northup: “without a pass, any white man would be at

liberty to arrest me, and place me in prison until such time as my
master should "prove property, pay charges, and take me away."
(p.96)

Solomon Northup: “Catching runaways is sometimes a

moneymaking business. If, after advertising, no owner appears, they
may be sold to the highest bidder; and certain fees are allowed the
finder for his services, at all events, even if reclaimed. "A mean
white," therefore,—a name applied to the species loafer—
considers it a god-send to meet an unknown negro without a
pass.” (p.109)

From above quotation, a slave considered as a living property for his master

are not allowed to leave their master’s house territory without permission from his

master as stated “without a pass, any white man would be at liberty to arrest me

and place me in prison until such time as my master should prove property, pay

charges, and take me away” and reinforce withe this stated “therefore,—a name

applied to the species loafer—considers it a god-send to meet an unknown negro

without a pass.” Which means without a pass, slaves can be captured by the

patrols and tortured them before sent back to their master or prison. This is same

as in the delivery of a goods, where sometimes we need use delivery order to

deliver our goods. Then, this shows more of the relation between slave as a living

property and firmly stated this consider as Chattel slavery form.

30
 There are many example from Chattel slavery form which can be obtained

from the quotation in this book. However, as Solomon statement through his

point of view that can concluded as below quotation:

Solomon Northup: “Yet to speak truthfully of Edwin Epps would be

to say—he is a man in whose heart the quality of kindness or of
justice is not found. A rough, rude energy, united with an
uncultivated mind and an avaricious spirit, are his prominent
characteristics. He is known as a "nigger breaker," distinguished for
his faculty of subduing the spirit of the slave, and priding himself
upon his reputation in this respect, as a jockey boasts of his skill in
managing a refractory horse. He looked upon a colored man, not as
a human being, responsible to his Creator for the small talent
entrusted to him, but as a "chattel personal," as mere live
property, no better, except in value, than his mule or dog.”
(p.127)

Therefore, it can emphasize here a negro slaves are not consider as a human, their
value is not appreciated, but consider as “Chattel personal” which can
understanding as living property, no more worth than a mule or dog.

4.1.2 Debt Bondage

Slavery in which an individual is compelled to work in order to repay a debt. A

person that trapped in a loan from a person with undefined agreement, The debt
can be passed down to subsequent generations. Based from previous explanation,
below are the example of them:

Solomon Northup: “The next eldest was named John Williams.

He was raised in Virginia, not far from Washington. Burch had
taken him in payment of a debt, and he constantly entertained the
hope that his master would redeem him—a hope that was
subsequently realized.” (p.24)

Solomon Northup: “Patsey is twenty-three—also from Buford's

plantation. She is in no wise connected with the others, but glories
in the fact that she is the offspring of a "Guinea nigger," brought
over to Cuba in a slave ship, and in the course of trade transferred to
Buford, who was her mother's owner troubles came upon their

31
 master Buford, which brought far greater troubles upon them. He
became involved in debt, and unable to bear up against his
failing fortunes, was compelled to sell these, and others of his
slaves. In a chain gang they had been driven from beyond the
Mississippi to the plantation of Archy B. Williams. Edwin Epps,
who, for a long while had been his driver and overseer, was about
establishing himself in business on his own account, at the time of
their arrival, and accepted them in payment of his wages.” (p.129)

When Solomon enslaved for twelve years of bondage. He explained the slave
named John Williams and Patsey that become a Debt repayment tool of his
previous masters debt as stated in above quotation “Burch had taken him (John) in
payment of a debt”, and for Patsey “He (Buford) became involved in debt, and
unable to bear up against his failing fortunes, was compelled to sell these, and
others of his slaves”. According to previous quotation, their case are related with
the debt bondage form because refer to debt bondage theory that stated when a
person can be forced into work without compensation in order to repay a debt.
Thus, case John and Patsey likely being his master mortgage, and if not redeemed
until the agreed time, then he will be sell to another person by the slave traders.

Solomon Northup: “Being himself noted as a gambler and

unprincipled man... Armsby became so much reduced at last,
that he was compelled to labor with the slaves. A white man
working in the field is a rare and unusual spectacle on Bayou
Boeuf.” (p.163)

The next quotation describe about a white man, named Armsby that trapped
in the debt because of his bad habbit as gambler then trapped in loan and become
poor, until he compelled to work in order to repay his debt. From that statement, it
can be concluded that the case of armsy included to debt bondage form which
emphasize in a person that trapped to a debt and compelled to work to pay his
debt.

4.1.3 Forced Labor

Describes all types of coerced work that an individual must provide against his or

32
her will. This term specifically means slavery that is practiced not only by an

individual, but by a government or some other group. Forced labor imposed by

the State, institution or by armed forces, which usually targeted the lower race or

ethnicity to work under violence. The example of forced labor as it seen in the

quotation below:

Solomon Northup: “I labored hard, and oft-times was weary and

fatigued, yet I could lie down at night in peace, and arise in the
morning without fear.” (p.107)

According to quotation above, when Solomon Northup forcefully work until

oftentimes exhausted, feared by the punishment from his master makes him forced

under bondage for many years, from one master to another as stated above

“I labored hard, and oft-times was weary and fatigued, yet I could lie down at

night in peace, and arise in the morning without fear”, The threat with violence

and even death punishment shadowing Solomon in his life as a slave. Thus, this

event included to the forced labor form, when an individuals forced to work by a

personal, state, group, or institution with threatening other their individuals with

violence. There are another evidence which reinforce this statement above:

Solomon Northup: “The hands are required to be in the cotton

field as soon as it is light in the morning, and, with the exception
of ten or fifteen minutes, which is given them at noon to swallow
their allowance of cold bacon, they are not permitted to be a
moment idle until it is too dark to see, and when the moon is full,
they often times labor till the middle of the night. They do not
dare to stop even at dinner time, nor return to the quarters,
however late it be, until the order to halt is given by the driver.”
(p.116)
Solomon Northup: “Then the fears and labors of another day
begin; and until its close there is no such thing as rest. He fears
he will be caught lagging through the day; he fears to approach
the gin-house with his basketload of cotton at night; he fears,

33
 when he lies down, that he will oversleep himself in the
morning. Such is a true, faithful, unexaggerated picture and
description of the slave's daily life, during the time of cotton-
picking, on the shores of Bayou Boeuf. “ (p.118)

Solomon Northup: “Ten years I toiled for that man without

reward. Ten years of my incessant labor has contributed to
increase the bulk of his possessions. Ten years I was compelled
to address him with down-cast eyes and uncovered head—in the
attitude and language of a slave. I am indebted to him for nothing,
save undeserved abuse and stripes.” (p.127)

The quotation above, emphasized the cruelity of the labor and abuse that their

master did. The slaves forced to work from the dawn until middle of night, even

when the moon is shining at night, they forced to work on the field. They only

receive ten minutes to eat their meals. Before the command of stop to work given

by their master, they can not stop to work or the lashes will landed upon their

back.

The slaves forced to work because of fear of the torture from their fierce

master as stated in this quote “Then the fears and labors of another day begin; and

until its close there is no such thing as rest. He fears he will be caught lagging

through the day; he fears to approach the gin-house with his basketload of cotton

at night; he fears, when he lies down, that he will oversleep himself in the

morning”, the fear combined with exhausted in daily life of a slave created a inner

torment and frustration that struck Solomon as stated ” Ten years I was compelled

to address him with down-cast eyes and uncovered head. I am indebted to him for

nothing, save undeserved abuse and stripes”, for ten years of bondage Solomon

received many injustice action from his master, work without compensation,

forced to work and fear of punishment made this related to forced labor.

34
 Solomon Northup: “In order to present a full and truthful statement
of all the principal events in the history of my life, and to portray
the institution of Slavery as I have seen and known it, to speak
of well-known places, and of many persons who are yet living. I
am, and always was, an entire stranger in Washington and its
vicinity—aside from Burch and Radburn, knowing no man there,
except as I have heard of them through my enslaved companions.
What I am about to say, if false, can be easily contradicted.” (p.25)

Solomon Northup: “The institution that tolerates such wrong

and inhumanity as I have witnessed, is a cruel, unjust, and
barbarous one. Men may write fictions portraying lowly life as it
is, or as it is not—may expatiate with owlish gravity upon the bliss
of ignorance—discourse flippantly from arm chairs of the pleasures
of slave life; but let them toil with him in the field—sleep with him
in the cabin—feed with him on husks; let them behold him
scourged, hunted, trampled on, and they will come back with
another story in their mouth.” (p.144)

When Solomon presented his life history as a slave, he potrayed that there is

an institution of slavery that supported slave trade in this book as stated on above

quotation “to portray the institution of Slavery as I have seen and known it, to

speak of well-known places”, Solomon tried to show the slavery that shaded by

the institution, this part matched with Bales theory “This term specifically means

slavery that is practiced not only by an individual, but by a government or some

other group.

Forced labor imposed by the State or institution” hence, this institution play a

significant role in forced labor that happens in this book. The institution that are

stated from above quotation “The institution that tolerates such wrong and

inhumanity as I have witnessed, is a cruel, unjust, and barbarous one.” which has

been witnessed by Solomon himself that is against common conscience of the

humanity. Many people like Burch and Radburn who established their slave

institution and legally authorized by the slave state as quoted in the quotation

35
below:

Solomon Northup: “How it is in other dark places of slavery, I do

not know, but on Bayou Boeuf there is an organization patrollers, as
they are styled, whose business it is to seize and whip any slave
they may find wandering from the plantation. They ride on
horseback, headed by a captain, armed, and accompanied by dogs.
They have the right, either by law, or by general consent, to
inflict discretionary chastisement upon a black man caught
beyond the boundaries of his master's estate without a pass, and
even to shoot him, if he attempts to escape.” (p.168)

Solomon Northup: “I conceive slavery exists in its most abject

and cruel form—where it exhibits features altogether unknown
in more northern States— the most ignorant of them generally
know full well its meaning. They understand the privileges and
exemptions that belong to it—that it would bestow upon them the
fruits of their own labors, and that it would secure to them the
enjoyment of domestic happiness. They do not fail to observe the
difference between their own condition and the meanest white
man's, and to realize the injustice of the laws which place it in
his power not only to appropriate the profits of their industry,
but to subject them to unmerited and unprovoked punishment,
without remedy, or the right to resist, or to remonstrate.”
(p.185)

According to above quotation which stated that the organization of the

patrollers which have the law support to capture or even kill the runaway slave.

Slavery is remain unknown or illegal in the northern states or free states. But it

was in the south state which authorized the slavery. Every citizen in the south

state realized the injustice of the law in the south regarding slavery. However,

they were too selfish and greedy to take every benefit from their slaves that have

been authorized by the law.

Solomon Northup: "He was my master, entitled by law to my

flesh and blood, and to exercise over me such tyrannical control
as his mean nature prompted; but there was no law that could
prevent my looking upon him with intense contempt.” (p.73)

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 . Every slave owners have the rights for their slaves lives, as quoted in the

above quotation. The law delineates who a slave is and what rights they (do not)

have. For slave owners, slaves mean wealth, security, and power. As it can be

understood that a law must be made and authorized by a state or country, and

prevail on all of the territories. Then this slavery indirectly being authorized and

approved by that country for the interest of white citizens without paying attention

to rights of the slave. The conflict about this slave regulation also became a

discussion between a carpenter, named Bass and Solomon’s last master, Edwin

Epps that stated in the quotation below:

Solomon Northup: “One day, while working on the new house,

Bass and Epps became engaged in a controversy, to which, as will
be readily supposed, I listened with absorbing interest. They were
discussing the subject of Slavery. "Of course you did; the law
says you have the right to hold a nigger, but begging the law's
pardon, it lies. Yes, Epps, when the law says that it's a liar, and the
truth is not in it. Is every thing right because the law allows it?
Suppose they'd pass a law taking away your liberty and making you
a slave?" (p.190)

Bass: “Are all men created free and equal as the Declaration of
Independence holds they are?" "Yes," responded Epps, "but all
men, niggers, and monkeys ain't;" and hereupon he broke forth into
a more boisterous laugh than before. (p.190)

Bass: “I would say that slavery was an iniquity, and ought to be

abolished. I would say there was no reason nor justice in the
law, or the constitution that allows one man to hold another
man in bondage. It would be hard for you to lose your property, to
be sure, but it wouldn't be half as hard as it would be to lose your
liberty. You have no more right to your freedom” (p.192)

When Bass and Epps converse about the slavery, they were arguing about the

slavery and the law that made by the system. Since the law in the north state

country was not legalized the slavery, Bass explained about the law in the south

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state that is not right according to the above quotation which stated “Are all men

created free and equal as the Declaration of Independence holds they are?" "Yes,"

responded Epps, "but all men, niggers, and monkeys ain't;" but Epps responded

with laugh and equate the slave as a monkey that do not have the rights, then Bass

also stated “I would say that slavery was an iniquity, and ought to be abolished. I

would say there was no reason nor justice in the law, or the constitution that

allows one man to hold another man in bondage”.

Bass was against slavery. Therefore, he was questioning the law and

constitution that allowed the slavery which is not in accordance with the

Declaration of Indepence in America. That also reinforce the connection between

law that created by the south state in America with forced labor form aspect,

where in the practice of forced labor motivated not only by an indviduals, but also

a state. In this case the south state in America legalized the forced labor.

4.1.4 Child Slavery

This slavery describes all child labor obtained from individuals under the age of

18 years old through the means of force, deception or coercion as seen in the

quotation below:

Solomon Northup: “The lad was a sprightly child, that answered to the
name of Randall. Most of the time he was playing about the yard, but
occasionally would cry, calling for his mother, and wondering when
she would come. His mother's absence seemed to be the great and only
grief in his little heart. He was too young to realize his condition.”
(P.24)

From the above quotation, when a boy named Randall left in a slaves pen

because he was sold to slavery by his previous slave holder, separated from his

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mother in the young age made him grief. Even a child also not slipped from the

slavery. A young boy that suppose to still play with their parents facing a terrible

destiny, sold to slavery and compelled to work in his young age. Besides Randall,

there are another example from the “Twelve Years a Slave” book, as mentioned in

the below quotation:

Solomon Northup: “Frederick a boy of eighteen, had been born a slave,

as also had Henry, who was some years older. They had both been
house servants in the city.” (P.38)

When Frederick and Henry enslaved since they had been born eighteen

years ago, they were enslaved in the city, not like Solomon that’s sent to the south

state. Both of them are forced to work since they were child. This refered to the

child slavery form when a children enslaved under eighteen years old.

4.1.5 Sex Slavery

This slavery forces person to engage in sexual activities. Describes women, men or

children that are sexually exploited as seen in the quotation below:

Solomon Northup: “Grief had gnawed remorselessly at her heart, until

her strength was gone; and for that, her last master, it is said, lashed and
abused her most unmercifully. But he could not whip back the departed
vigor of her youth, nor straighten up that bended body to its full height,
such as it was when her children were around her, and the light of
freedom was shining on her path.” (p.110)

From above quotation, shows that Eliza had abused by her last master. The

Abuse here refered to the sexually abused that experienced by Eliza and refered to

the sex slavery since Eliza as a women. Sexually abused and threatened with

violence by her previous master as also mentioned in this quotation “lashed and

abused her most unmercifully.” She can’t resist against her master’s will because

39
of her child could be in danger. Grief covered her heart and her strength was gone

due to the umercifully deeds of his master.

Solomon Nortup: “Patsey was a splendid animal, and were it not that
bondage had enshrouded her intellect in utter and everlasting darkness,
would have been chief among ten thousand of her people. She had been
literally excoriated. Her back bore the scars of a thousand stripes; not
because she was backward in her work, nor because she was of an
unmindful and rebellious spirit, but because it had fallen to her lot to be
the slave of a licentious master and a jealous mistress.” (p.131)

When Solomon describe there is one slave girl named Patsy, she described

as a splendid animal for her master. Her master always digrace her eventough she

was prominent in her work as a slave. Especially her mistress who eventually

tortured Patsy due to the jealousy. Patsy sexually abused by her master as

mentioned from above quotation “the slave of a licentious master” the licentious

master revealed that her master is immoral and sexually exploited her. This is also

supported by her mistress jealousy to Patsy, so she is stucked in miserable

condition. Patsy frequently punished as mentioned in this quotation “Her back

bore the scars of a thousand stripes.” This event was thrilled the heart when a

slave who was not only forced to work but also sexually exploited.

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 CHAPTER V

CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION

Based on previous chapter the writer would like to conclude the result of the

analysis study. The conclusion has been made on the chapter four and to answer

the question of the problem statement which become the goals of this study.

Afterwards, the writer also provide some suggestion to the readers and future

researcher based on this study from “Twelve Years a Slave” book.

5.1 Conclusion

Based on the analysis, the writer concluded that the forms of slavery found in this

book are: Chattel Slavery, Debt Bondage, and Forced Labor. The Chattel Slavery

formed when there is a person that enslaved equally treated as the property. The

chattel slavery is a form of slavery that actually happens in the books and the real

life. This form can be seen from the example in the book such as purchase, sell,

examine the slaves in the perspective of the property. While the Debt Bondage

formed when there is a person that enslaved because of the debt that can not be

paid by the debtor, then he must work to discharge his debt as can be seen from

the example in the book such as debt from gambling caused a man being enslaved

to clear his debt. The third, forced labor which formed when there are individuals,

group, institution, and government who correlate to forced a person to work

without compensation. It can be seen from instituion in the book which already

41
mentioned by Solomon. The instituion and south state have been supporting in

forced labor in the book. The fourth is child slavery when the victims of the

slavery is children under 17 years old and the example can be found in “Twelve

Years a Slave” book when the children enslaved from young age until old and

died in servitude. The last is sex slavery, when person (men or women) are

exploited in sexual activities and can be seen from the book where a women

enslaved and forced to engage in sexual activities by her master.

This study also focusing about the slavery forms which is reflected in

Solomon Northup’s life history that written in the “Twelve Years a Slave” book.

The memoirs revive the author’s life memory as a slave that has been in bondage

for twelve years because of being trapped, kidnapped, and sold into slavery before

the abolishment of slavery in America. The memoir has been choosen because

clearly delineate the slavery at that time according to the fact without being

exaggerated.

5.2 Suggestion

The writter suggest the English Literature students, future researcher, and others

who are interested to analyze “Twelve Years a Slave” memoir that they use this

research as the guidelines and references to obtain further information in the same

topic in this research. However, readers can do research on other topics to be

analyzed such as the analysis of racism, the analysis of conscience, the analysis of

social conflict, the analysis of the main character, the analysis of plot, theme, or

symbol and others that may be interest for the future researcher.

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 and loving those who differ. Wheaton, IL: Crossway.

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 CURRICULUM VITAE

Personal Details
Name : Christian Sugiarto Wijaya
Place & Date of Birth : Surabaya, 09 April 1993
Address : Jl. Agung IV Blok C18 No.37
Puri Agung Permsi RT 06 / RW 012
Kotabumi – Tangerang
Religion : Christian
Gender : Male
Email : [email protected]
Mobile Phones : 081315591829

Education Background
1. Elementary : SD K Kanaan Tangerang
2. Junior High School : SMP K Kanaan Tangerang
3. Senior High School : SMK Strada Daanmogot Tangerang
4. University : University of Buddhi Dharma

Work Experiences
1. From 2011 until 2013 work in PT. Strategic Property Indonesia as Admin

2. From 2013 until 2014 work in PT. Armorindo Artha as Finance.

3. From 2015 until 2016 work in PT. Wanda Jembo Cable as Administration.

4. From 2016 until 2017 work in PT. Indo Tirta Abadi as Purchasing.

5. From 2018 until 2019 work in PT. Indah Jaya as Purchasing.

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46