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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Toward which of the following did Patsey look forward to the most, to one day save her from the cruelty of her masters?

2. How did Solomon view Bass to be in relation to his lifestyle?

3. How could Bass' efforts to help Solomon regain his freedom be described?

4. What two words could be used to accurately characterize slave owner, Edwin Epps?

5. What seemed to be most valued by Epps' slaves at Christmastime?

Short Essay Questions

1. What type of consequences did Epps have to face for chasing the young and beautiful slave, Patsey in Chapter 16 of the book?

2. In Chapter 20 of the book, how did Samuel Bass manage to carry out his effort to help Solomon regain his freedom despite Epps' presence?

3. In Chapter 12 of the story, why was the day following a night of Epps drinking especially hard on the slaves?

4. How did Samuel Bass show others that he was against slavery in Chapter 19 of the book?

5. What could cause trouble for the slaves weighing the cotton that they had picked at the plantation run by Epps in Chapter 13 of the book?

6. In Chapter 15 of the book, how did the slaves in Bayou Bœuf change at Christmastime?

7. How did Mr. Eldret show respect for Solomon in Chapter 11 of the book?

8. In Chapter 13 of the story, what was expected of the slaves who worked the cotton fields for Epps?

9. In Chapter 14 of the book, how did the slaves manage to add variety to the food that was available to them to eat on a daily basis?

10. In Chapter 15 of the story, what were some of the everyday things that Solomon and the other slaves did not miss at Christmastime?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Instead of treating them with the dignity and respect that human beings deserved, the slave dealers in the book treated the slaves whom they intended to sell at various slave pens, quite similar to the way that ordinary shopkeepers treated the merchandise that they intended to sell in their stores.

What were some of the similarities that the slave dealers shared with shopkeepers as they prepared to conduct their respective sales? Were there any similarities between the slave dealers and shopkeepers as they conducted their respective sales? If there were, please describe them. How did the slaves feel about themselves in relation to the sales-related actions that the slave dealers would take as they went about conducting their business?

Essay Topic 2

As Twelve Years a Slave came to an end, what in your estimation, ultimately saved Solomon from having to continue his life in slavery? His resourcefulness? His faith and trust in God? Lawyer Henry B. Northrup? His perseverance? Providence? Luck in running into Samuel Bass? Samuel Bass’ friendship? Samuel Bass’ commitment to help him?

From Solomon’s standpoint, it was a combination of two factors mentioned in the preceding paragraph that ultimately saved him from having to be enslaved for life.

Using the list provided above, select the two factors that Solomon credited with restoring his freedom.

Discuss whether either factor that you have selected played a stronger or more dominant role in helping Solomon regain his freedom. If your answer is yes, identify the dominant factor that you have chosen, and explain its role. Be sure to include reasons to support your view.

In the alternative, if you feel that both factors played an equal role in putting freedom back into Solomon’s life, explain why. Be sure to include reasons to support your position.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the book, Twelve Years a Slave, Author Solomon Northrup mentioned slave dealers and owners who routinely abused their slaves in cruel and inhumane ways. In doing so, he mentioned Burch, Tibeats, Epps, and others. Looking at the slave-related abuse carried out by those men and others like them, to what element(s) could their cruel and inhumane ways be attributed? Were they simply mean, angry men? Did they appear to be intoxicated when they punished or abused their slaves? Were they angry about other matters and simply wanted to take out their frustrations on their slaves? Was their environment or upbringing to blame? Was there a common thread that bound them together in relation to the punishment and abuse that they inflicted upon their slaves? How could their behavior be explained?

Select three slave owners or dealers from the names provided above, and write your reply to the questions posed in the introduction above, in relation to their abusive and inhumane treatment of slaves.

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