Add to ORKGThe aim of this paper is to illustrate the life of slaves in the novel 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup. The first part covers the historical facts about slavery and the importance of slave narratives as the legacy of former slaves for the development of American literature. The rest of the paper depicts the reality of everyday slave life of Solomon Northup, from being a free man that was taken to slavery, the years he spent as a slave, and to his freedom at last. The life of slave women is also mentioned: the cruelty and sexul abuse. The paper concludes by demonstrating that 12 Years a Slave has to be seen as an attempt to change the institution of slavery and the government to achieve moral justice for slaves and African American peopl...