Julius Rey Y.

Abendaño Grade 11 – EIM Section B

MIRACLE IN CELL NO. 7

1. Synopsis (Summary)

“Miracle in Cell No. 7” is a 2013 comedy/drama directed by Hwan-Kyung Lee. It is one of the
most famous movies in Korea. It tells a touching story about a father and daughter’s love for
each other despite severe challenges. This movie has been watched by 10 million people in
South Korea, which made it the 2nd most watched movie in the country.

The movie starts off with what can be suspected as a resurfaced court case. A case that was
supposedly solved a long time ago. However, the defendant states that she was there, and the
truth is about to be revealed. At first, I was confused by the introduction of what was seemingly
random characters gathering for this case, but was severely distracted as Korean Sailor Moon
came on.

A little girl Ye-Seung and her father Yong-Goo were dancing and singing to the theme of the
Japanese warrior of justice while awaiting the day they could purchase a Sailor Moon themed
backpack. At this point, I gathered that the Yong-Goo was suffering from some sort of mental
disability and was tasked to take care of his daughter Ye-Seung all by himself. Just as they were
done counting their money, another father purchased the bag before their very eyes. In trying to
explain that they had been waiting for weeks to be able to get this bag, Yong-Goo started to use
his hands to do the talking. This led him to touch the daughter of the other father which led the
fist of the father to meet the face of Yong-Goo.

Out of kindness, the other daughter tries to show Yong-Goo where to purchase one of these
bags, but in doing so, is accused of murdering that girl. A quick case is put together where the
suspect, Yong-Goo is brought to the scene of the crime to show what he did on the day of the
alleged murder. What I saw as poorly executed cardiopulmonary resuscitation was viewed as
necrophilia which caused Yong-Goo to be sentenced to death.

Quickly the cast that was teased beforehand, is now fully introduced as the inmates of Cell No. 7,
all of which seem to have been there so long that they look incredibly comfortable and
uncomfortably close. After a brief introduction, his criminal record is read out loud by his new
roommates, which proceed to anger them fairly quickly. Justice, according to Cell No. 7, was
served to their maximum capability, which included a blanketed beating.

Now, Cell No. 7 apparently was getting pretty popular on the playground, which made certain
people unhappy. A prison shank was made in order to kill Cell No. 7’s ring leader, So Yang-Ho.
However, despite the beatings he gave, Yong-Goo had seen everything that was going down and
sacrificed himself in order to save his cell mate from peril. In return, Yong-Goo is promised the
word of a gangster; Yong-Goo of course, wants to see his daughter.

Through Yang-Ho’s connections, Ye-Seung is smuggled into the cell, and is reunited with her
father for the first time since the incident. Although the stay was predicted to be two hours,
every attempt to smuggle her back out over the following days had failed and Ye-Seung was
stuck in Cell No. 7. Eventually, the prison warden, Jeong Jin-Yeong, catches wind of this situation,
and finds Ye-Seung in the cell. A search of all cells became effective immediately; Ye-Seung was
sent back to foster care, while Yong-Goo is sent into isolation. That night, an inmate set fire to
the prison. During evacuation, Jin-Yeong tried to save the culprit, but instead was trapped in the
fire. Yong-Goo, in his amazing situational awareness was able to save him. This leads Jin-Yeong to
suspect that Yong-Goo might not be the cold hearted kid killer after all.

To keep Ye-Seung from starving to death due to depression, Jin-Yeong allows her to visit almost
every day to hang out in Cell No. 7. While she taught basic Korean to Yang-Ho, Jin-Yeong started
doing a little digging of his own. It is revealed that Jin-Yeong has a strong heart for justice, and
like the trial of his own son’s murder, this trial may be rigged by the authority.

The next trial is about to get underway, and apparently this one will determine the verdict. So in
order to prepare, the cell mates of Cell no. 7 get together and try to understand what happened
on the day of the incident. Through trial and error, the inmates worked together, came up with a
theory, and wrote a statement about the incident.

Seeing the inmates working together and Yong-Goo’s reaction to his personal questioning, Jin-
Yeong realizes that there is no way Yong-Goo could be a criminal. He helps him by gathering the
hard evidence for the trial. However, to no avail, Yong-Goo is sentenced to death due to police
corruption. After the last ditch effort to free Yong-Goo with a hot air balloon, an emotional
goodbye between father and daughter siphoned tears to my eyes as the father was lead to his
death. And the daughter was kept behind bars.

Fast forward to the trial going on in the introduction, you realize that the defendant is Ye-Seung,
and her witnesses are the inmates of Cell No. 7. Through the evidence given and the witness
accounts, the jury was convinced that Yong-Goo’s death sentence was a farce, and that he was
innocent all along. I guess adult Ye-Seung, finally got some closure.

2. Critical Analysis

This is an impressive comedy and family melodrama about a man who is mentally retarded.
Imprisoned for murder, he became friendly with the criminals in room 7, and they help (him see
his daughter again by sneaking her in. It made audiences cry everywhere in Korea. Yong-gu
(Seung-Ryong Ryu) is a mentally challenged man with the intelligence of a 6-year-old, which is
actually the age of his own daughter Ye-sung (So-won Gar) who is much smarter than her peers.
 They are enjoying a happy life while Yong-gu works in a parking lot at a supermarket. However,
one day, when the police commissioner's daughter gets into an accident, Yong-gu is the one who
watch and tries to help her. He is accused of sexual assault. Because when he was trying to do
artificial respiration, someone illusion that he was trying tiss her and sexual assault. However,
Yong-gu couldn’t refute the claim because he is not able to speak well. Fortunately, Yong-Gu is
able to see his daughter in the concert for prisoners from the childcare institution. So, he brings
her into jail. However, a few minutes later, she discovers her and they take her back to childcare.
In fact, the head of prison (Jin Young) knows that Yong-Gu was not the assailant but he couldn’t
tell anything in front of the power of the police commissioner.

Fortunately, the people who are in the jail helped out Yong-Gu so that he can win the case in a
trial. On the trial day, before he goes into court, the police commissioner calls him, then beats
him up and says if you are found innocent, your daughter will die. After that Yong-Gu lies that he
killed the police commissioner’s daughter. Eventually, he is sentenced to death.

People decide to help Yong-Gu and Ye-sung’s family. The prisoners make a hot air-balloon and
let them in there. They tried to fly out, but the hot air-balloon’s rope got hanged to the jail’s
barbed-wire fence. Finally, the day was December 23th, which is Yong-Gu’s electrocution and
her daughter Yesung's birthday. Ye-sung wants congraturation from her father, so Jin-Young
helps to see his father before he gets electrocution. The room 7 people group up and wish happy
birthday to Ye-sung.

But soon, the executor calls Yong-Gu. Yong-Gu and Ye-sung started to cry and hugged each
other. Unfortunately, Yong-Gu was falsely accused and left to heaven. Jin-Young (head of prison)
adopted Yong-Gu’s daughter and Ye-Sung became an adult. Then Ye-Sung is trying to clear her
father of false accusation. She became a judicial apprentice and re imprim for his father. Finally,
she got a sentence of innocence. After that, when she walked out, she saw a balloon that hanged
to fense and cast back.

This emotional rollercoaster of a movie threw me back and forth from laughing to crying.
Although some of the events that occur are not believable in a prison for people who are on
death row, all the pieces fit together and worked so nicely. The contrast between criminal drama
and prison comedy should not work, but for some reason, this movie did a spectacular job
melding the two together.

a. Characters
1. Yong – goo
2. Ye – Seung
3. So Yang – Ho
4. Choi Choon Ho
5. Shin Bong – Sik
 6. Man – Bum
7. Old Man Seo
8. Jang Min Wan
b. Settings

This movie filmed in a jail, in Korea.

c. Point of View

Deeply moving and emotionally heartfelt, Miracle in Cell No. 7 boasts fantastic
performances from a quirky set of characters in circumstances that are perhaps a little
too fanciful at times, but no less compelling for it. A rare gem that will truly make you
laugh and cry before making you do it all over again backward and six times over.

d. Theme
Family love and human nature

e. Conflict
It all started with Sailor Moon Bag, the warrior of justice and ironically they were
deprived of justice.

3. Message & Implications

The movie “Miracle of room 7” is the world’s best movie. It has some great actors, actresses and
good camera graphics. Also, the storytelling was great combination with actors and actresses.
This movie will be able to appeal to everyone even though they speak different language. I
expect you to watch this movie.
 AGED MOTHER

1. Synopsis (Summary)

“The Story of the Aged Mother” by Matsuo Basho is a story in which a son and his mother’s pain
in their battle against the decree of putting aged people to death. The story started at the foot of
the mountain where a poor farmer lived with his aged mother.
Their place was governed by an absolute leader who sent the decree of killing aged people in
that place. That time, killing aged people was not common. When the poor farmer heard the
decree he felt sorrow in his heart, since then he prepared an escape. Just as his work ended, he
cooked food, wrapped it in a small piece of cloth and tied it in his neck together with cool and
sweet water. Then, he carried his mother on his back and started walking towards the summit of
Obatsayuma, the mountain of the “abandoning of aged”. On their way to the summit, the
helpless mother noticed the dangerous path and thought that her son doesn't know the paths
and might pass through danger so she reached for twigs, snapped them to pieces and quietly
dropped them until they reached the summit. The poor farmer released his mother and created
comfortable cushion and said his farewell. Before he left her, she told him about the path she
made, and then the farmer realized that they need to face the decree together so he carried his
mother again on his back and stated walking back. When they arrived back, he told the emperor
his story and the emperor listened to his story and abolished the decree.

2. Critical Analysis

a. Character
The characters in the story are the emperor who is a despotic leader. He is around
character and may be the antagonist in the story. He declared the decree of killing the
aged people because he was a warrior he thought aged people were useless and can’t be
helpful to those who are still strong as him but in the end, he realized that those aged
people are useful in their own ways and he also learned their importance to the kingdom.
Another character in the story is the farmer who is the protagonist. He was the ever
loving son of the aged mother in the story, he did not think of himself but instead, he
thought of his mother who was in great danger of being killed innocently.
He loved his mother very much that he did not think that it will be a great danger if he
will go back down. And the aged mother who is the flat character in the story. She is one
of the main characters in the story. She was the one who made the emperor changed his
mind and helped her own son in returning without danger. She is the role model in the
story who has the wisdom that brings to save her own self and others life from the
decree that was made.
 b. Settings
The story took place at the foot of a mountain somewhere in Shinano.
c. Point of View
The Point of View of the story was in the “Third person Point of View” because the author
is the one who narrates the story, and she is not included in the characters of the story.
It is written in the third person point of view because the author wrote freely.
d. Theme
The story is about a mother’s love, it’s something that no one can explain because it is
made with deep devotion, sacrifice, understanding and pain, the way that the aged
mother made a way so that she can have assurance that her son can go home safely.
She knew from the very start that she will be abandoned in the summit of the mountain
but she understood that it was for her own good.
e. Conflict
The conflict of the story was Man vs. Man because the only antagonist in the story was
the emperor of Shinano who proclaimed a law to immediately kill all the aged people.
The emperor was the one who wants the aged people to be killed because he thinks that
aged people are already helpless and can’t contribute to their place.

3. Message and Implications

He took his mother to the bare summit of Obatsayuma and planned to abandon her
there. On their way to the summit of the mountain the heart of the loving mother grew
concerned because she knew that her son will be in danger on his way back because he was not
familiar to the paths. The aged mother broke the twigs and dropped it quietly on the road to
serve as a guide on the way back of her son.

The story shows us two important virtue-love and wisdom. Mother’s love is nothing can
be compared; it is pure and unselfish. Most of all serves as our courage, weakness and strength
that guided us to walk through our journey called life.
 12 YEARS A SLAVE

1. Synopsis (Summary)

The movie opens with a group of slaves receiving instruction on cutting sugar cane. A
man sits languidly atop a wagon of the raw cane root, idly looking at the labor of the men. The
scene shifts to a group of shacks. The slaves are eating. Solomon Northup notices the dark juice
of blackberries and is inspired to create ink and a quill. Unfortunately, the scheme fails. The juice
is too thin. Later, in the crowded slave quarters, a female stirs in her sleep and advances on
Northup sexually, using his hand for release. Solomon flashes back to happier times with his wife
and children and the title card flashes. We see snippets of Solomon's life as a free man. He plays
the violin exquisitely and is much in demand as a performer in his home of Saratoga. Later that
night, after settling the children in their beds, he talks with his wife, who will shortly take the
children with her as she works as a cook. He playfully expresses jealousy at being deprived of her
cooking. The following morning he sees them off in a carriage. Later that afternoon, he
encounters a friend who introduces him to two travelers (Brown and Hamilton) claiming to work
with a circus-like show. They promise him an outrageous sum to accompany them to
Washington DC and promise his return before his wife gets back. He agrees to join them. We
next see the trio at a restaurant in DC. His patrons plunk down a bag of coins in excess of their
promised sum. They share wine and one of them watches closely as Solomon drains his glass.
Everyone is having a great time. Suddenly, Solomon awakes in a dank cell, chained to the floor. In
a series of flashbacks, we see his "friends" carry him up to his hotel room, excusing his drunken
stupor to other patrons. Brown urges Hamilton that time is short, and they need to be done with
it. Their departure ends the flashback, and we rejoin Solomon in the cell where he is told that he
is a runaway Georgia slave. Despite his protests of being a free man, he has no papers. Solomon
is mercilessly beaten and eventually sent into a slave pen with others.

He discusses his situation with Clemens, an apparently educated slave who advises him
on the dire nature of their situation. Soon a mother (Eliza) and daughter are brought to the pen
to join a previously captured son. She tries to keep a brave face while understanding the
forthcoming tragedy. Under cover of darkness, they are pulled from their cell, chained and
transported to a river boat. They are led to the hold, crammed with other human cargo. Clemens
reiterates his advice that Solomon maintain a low profile, denying his ability to read and write.
The encounter another slave (Robert) who wants to revolt and take over the ship. They
contemplate their odds before opting for caution. Later that night, a slaver visits the hold and
awakens Eliza to rape her. Robert attempts to stop the rape but is stabbed and killed. Clemens
and Solomon are charged with dropping the body in the river, prompting Clemens to remark that
Robert is better off in death. Later, they arrive at a dock. Clemens's master is waiting for them
and immediately demands the return of his stolen property. Clemens gratefully scampers down
into the embrace of his master, abandoning all evidence of his previously displayed intellect.
Solomon has lost his only friend. After disembarking, a slaver (ironically named Freeman) calls his
new property to their feet by announcing their names. He calls Solomon "Platt" which he
obviously doesn't recognize. Solomon is slapped for denying the name.

The indignity of Freeman's slave operation is displayed as the naked slaves bath in
buckets at his offices. Inside, he puts on his sales spiel to eager customers. A genteel plantation
owner (Ford), expresses interest in Platt (Solomon) and Eliza. She begs him to take her children
as well, but Freeman balks, swiftly selling her son to another buyer. Ford attempts to buy her
daughter (clearly of mixed heritage), but again Freeman won't adjust his price. Ford can only
afford to pay for the two. Eliza is distraught and wildly screams in her grief, upsetting the sale.
Solomon is commanded to play the fiddle to lighten the mood. Ford transports his purchases
back to his plantation. Eliza has been sobbing the whole trip. Ford's wife mentions that food and
a night's rest will help her forget them. The next morning, the slaves are introduced to Tibeats, a
slave handler, and Ford's overseer, Chapin. TIbeats sings a derisive song warning the slaves
against escape as they perform their labor. They continue chopping timber and ultimately
encounter a small band of native people with whom they share a brief respite. Solomon notices
a stringed instrument and appears to remember his own violin.

The next day, Solomon (against Clemens advice) approaches Ford with a novel idea to
transport the lumber via the river. Tibeats is extremely patronizing, but Ford is impressed with
Solomon's opinions and is persuaded. The scheme succeeds, and Tibeats is embarrassed. Ford
offers Solomon a violin to play as a reward. Back at the slave quarters Eliza is moaning in sadness
over the loss of her children. Solomon is frustrated by the noise and debates her about surviving
under Ford's "decent" treatment. Eliza argues back that Ford must surely realize that Solomon is
not a slave, yet does nothing to free him. Solomon is given pause. Eliza is eventually sold off as
Ford's wife can't "bear the noise." Over the next few days, Tibeats attempts to wreak petty
vengeance on Solomon, leading to a verbal confrontation. Tibeats attempts to beat Solomon
who fights back and gets the better of him. Chapin comes upon the scene and sends Tibeats
scurrying. He warns him that he cannot protect him if he runs and implies that he will get Ford to
straighten it out. Later, we find that Tibeats has gathered some thugs to lynch Solomon for
daring to fight him. They have the noose around his neck and are preparing to hang him when
Chapin returns, guns drawn. He chases them off, but allows Solomon to hang there, barely able
to support his weight, on tip toes (punishment for striking a white man). Gradually, slaves
emerge from their cabins and appear to take no notice of his plight. A woman furtively brings
him some water, but quickly retreats. What appears to be hours later, Ford finally returns and
slices the rope, saving Solomon. He drags him into the house for protection, but decides that he
must be sold. Tibeats will not be denied his vengeance. It is here that we learn Ford has sold
Solomon to a notorious plantation owner named Epps, who is known for merciless beatings.
Epps reads a Bible passage, slanting the scripture to reinforce his ownership of the slaves. The
next day brings a day of picking cotton. At the end of the day, the weight of each worker's
bundles are marked. Solomon's yield is less than average. Slaves that picked less than the
previous day receive lashes. Meanwhile, Patsey exceeds the best production of any worker by
nearly double. Epps lingers around Patsey and offers extensive praise for her. It is clear he is
fascinated by her, and his wife is none too pleased. Epps enters the slave quarters and rouses
them from sleep, creating an impromptu dance where Patsey is the center of attention. Epps
wife throws a heavy crystal decanter at Patsey's face, brutally scarring her. She demands that
Epps sell Patsey, but he claims that he would send his wife away before losing Patsey.

Mistress Epps sends Solomon on an errand to the store. She hands him a list and notices
him reading it. She makes it clear that he should not do it again. On his way to the store,
Solomon is inspired to attempt escape, but stumbles into a lynching. Seeing the fate of the two
men, his spirit is broken, and he continues to the store. Seeing the paper, he develops the idea
to take a spare sheet each time so that he might craft a letter. Sometime later, Epps dispatches
Solomon to a nearby plantation owned by Shaw. Shaw has married one of his slaves and
elevated her status (at least on his plantation). Patsey is there for a visit, enjoying the finery, but
apparently Epps is jealous that Shaw might attempt to bed her. After a brief refreshment,
Solomon convinces Patsey to join him. As they return to Epps' plantation, he is clearly drunk.
Solomon whispers to Patsey that she avoid Epps, which Epps interprets as Solomon making a
sexual advance. After a drunken chase around the yard, Mistress Epps intervenes, if only to
express her disgust at her husband's obsession with Patsey. Later that night, Epps stumbles to
the slave quarters and rapes her. Mistress Epps has had enough of her husband's affair and
chastises Patsey before cruelly slashing her face. Later that night, Patsey begs Solomon to
strangle her and dispose of her body. She can no longer bear the burden of Epps's rapes and his
wife's torments. Solomon refuses, despite her entreaties. Sometime later, we see that Epps's
cotton crops have been devastated by insects. Two crops have been lost, and he decides to lend
his slaves to a judge who can derive some use of them and pay the mortgage on their purchases.
This returns us to the opening scene, where Solomon is cutting sugar cane. The judge notices
Solomon's skill and recommends him to a neighbor seeking music for a party. As a bonus, the
judge says Solomon may keep whatever wages he earns. The party is a fancy costumed affair,
and Solomon clearly sees parallels between his old life as a free man and his forced servitude.

The party is over, and it's time to return to Epps's farm. As Solomon walks up to the
house, Patsey's bloody eye indicates that her torments have continued. The cotton crop is in,
and that means it's back to the fields. This time, they are joined by a white laborer (Armsby) who
is picking to earn money to get back on his feet. Even though his yield is well below any other
worker, he is spared the whipping that all the other slaves receive. In the quarters, he tends to
Solomon's wounds and tells his story. He appears to be a decent man and a sympathetic ear.
Solomon decides to risk trusting him with sending a letter North, in hopes of securing his
freedom. He gives Armsby all his earnings from the party and swears him to secrecy. He will
deliver the letter to him in two days. Solomon sets about creating ink and drafts the letter. Just
that night, Epps enters the quarters and walks Solomon outside. Armsby has broken his word
and told Epps everything. Fortunately, he told his story BEFORE Solomon gave him the letter.
Thinking quickly, and playing on Epps's low opinion of slaves, he flips the story on Armsby,
branding him a liar who is seeking to curry favor in order to get a job. This story persuades Epps
and Solomon is spared. Later, Solomon burns the letter and watches as his hopes of freedom are
extinguished in the ashes.

Sometime later, we find a team of workers building a structure with a hired hand, Bass. Bass is
from the North and holds strong views that fly in the face of Epps's strongly pro-slavery leanings.
They chatter back and forth in front of Solomon, piquing his interest. Later, Epps is in a lather
about Patsey. She's gone missing, and Epps thinks she has run away. He threatens all the women
with violence over her loss; however, she has simply been back to Shaw's plantation to visit her
friend. She attempts to convince Epps that she is faithful to him and went there to get some
soap, a "luxury" that Epps's wife has denied her. She loudly asserts her worth and insists that she
deserves to be clean. Epps is pushed over the edge by his wife's bickering and calls for Patsey to
be tied to the whipping post. As he prepares to strike, he finds himself unable to inflict the
punishment. Cravenly, he insists that Solomon do it. At first, Solomon attempts to be gentle, But
Mistress Epps sees through the deception and nudges her husband to increase the severity. Epps
points a gun to Solomon's head and claims he will kill every slave he sees if he doesn't whip
Patsey harder. Faced with an unspeakable choice, he whips her harder, a pink mist of blood
accompanying every new strike. After he pauses, Epps rushes forward, seething with rage and
finally whips Patsey himself. The brutal punishment rends her flesh to shreds, and she collapses.

Solomon finds himself alone with Bass, the hired hand. He asks where he's from and
when Bass replies, "Canada," Solomon offers convincing knowledge of the country. Bass asks
how he's so well travelled, and Solomon explains his dire circumstance. Bass comes to believe
Solomon's story and knows the horrible injustice of it. As they continue work, Solomon takes a
chance and asks Bass to write letters to his friends in Saratoga. Bass agrees. Then the work is
finished, and he leaves. A long shot lingers on Solomon. He has no idea whether Bass has kept
his word. We don't know how long Bass has been gone, but the tears in Solomon's eyes indicate
that perhaps he's beginning to think that he has been betrayed again.

Now we see a group of men tilling the soil and planting seeds. A carriage pulls up to the
Epps plantation, and an official looking man calls out for Platt (Solomon). He answers and
approaches the man (a sheriff). The man asks him some questions and motions to another man
in the carriage. It is Mr. Parker, a shop owner from Saratoga and friend of Solomon's. With little
further prompting, the sheriff is convinced, and Solomon rushes to embrace his friend. Epps is
enraged and shouts empty threats. The sheriff rebuts the arguments and Parker helps Solomon
into the carriage that will take him to safety. Patsey is there and calls out to him. Solomon leaps
from the carriage to embrace her one last time before his departure. As he leaves, Patsey
collapses in grief. Now Solomon has been carried home. Outside his door, he appears overcome
at having been delivered from his nightmare. Upon entering, he sees his family. They are 12
years older, but overwhelmed at seeing him. His daughter has married and named their son,
Solomon Northup. Tears flow as they gather around him and welcome him home. A series of title
cards explain that he attempted to sue his kidnappers but failed. Northup became an abolitionist
and aided many runaways in achieving their freedom.

2. Critical Analysis

Slavery has always been known to be one of the most shocking phenomena of our world, which
by itself appears as an unnatural event provoking mixed of feelings from every heart. From the
first historical form of exploitation, slave was the private property of the salve owners for
numbers of reasons, and even some kind of consumer item rather than an individual human. It is
obvious that even though the severely secure and harsh slavery system with the racial
hierarchical white supremacy structure was eliminated with the end of the Civil War, people are
still obsessed by slaver holder’s brutally dehumanized treatment as well as effects this
phenomenon brought about.

a. Characters
 Solomon Northup / Plat
 Edwin Epps
 Patsey
 Mary Epps
 John Tibeats
 William Ford
 Mistress Harreit Shaw
 Samuel Bass
 Eliza
 Armsby
 Merrill Brown
b. Settings
Solomon spends years on the Epps plantation: Felicity Plantation, Vacherie, Louisiana
c. Point of view
Black man Solomon Northup lives as a free man in Saratoga, New York with his wife and
two children, he earning a living as a violinist. On what he believes will be an out of town
 music gig, he is instead drugged and sold into slavery in the deep south under the name
Platt as that is for who the slave trader has papers. Initially incredulous to his plight, he
decides that cooperation is the best way to survive. He sees few others in the same
situation as him, but slowly he is separated from those with who he has built support.
This process continues over his life as a slave, as he is at the mercy of whoever his master
at the time and his master's associates who work on their own priorities. He finds that
cooperation generally gets one nowhere and sometimes can get one into further trouble
due to jealousy.
At times, he cannot take the emotional abuse, his actions which lead to physical abuse.
There are also times where he thinks he can trust someone to get himself out of his
plight only to be turned upon instead. But as bad as his situation is, he finds that others
are in much more dire straits, they who will do anything to get themselves out of a life
they feel is not worth living.
d. Theme
12 Years a Slave grapples with the racism that fuels slavery and Solomon Northup’s
suffering. The narrative illustrates how racism is an instrument for human wickedness—a
justification for a slave owner to be unrelenting, cruel, and inhumane. 12 Years a Slave
clearly points out that racism is a learned behavior, not an inherent understanding that
people are born with. The overarching purpose of 12 Years a Slave is to reveal the
heartbreaking realities of slavery for the sake of strengthening anti-slavery attitudes and
furthering the Abolitionist Movement, so Northup’s assertion that racism is manmade
and a means for human brutality ties neatly into this purpose.
e. Conflict
The main conflict in the story is when Solomon was caged and beaten, and thought that
he will eventually die, being a slave. But Solomon kept faith in God, and in others around
him, and eventually he was saved.

3. Message and Implications

After watching the film, 12 Years A Slave, I realized that a gruesome part of history has only
become worse. The relevance of such a movie in today’s age of unrivaled human progress is
distressing. Despite becoming illegal, the modern-day slave industry is thriving in every corner
of the globe. It has a different name nowadays. We call it “human trafficking” and it remains, as
it always was, a terrible blow to human dignity.
There is a genuine and beautiful message in 12 Years A Slave: people don’t just deserve
the capacity to survive, but to live. We must make a cultural change that urges us to do
something, anything, and everything to end human trafficking. There must be more than
conversation; there must be an outcry to forever end this persisting crime authored by and
against humanity. We must permanently close the festering and open wound of slavery.