Twelve Years a Slave · Chapter
II explained
Solomon Northup meets two strangers, Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton, who hire him to play violin for their circus company.
What happens
Solomon Northup meets two strangers, Merrill Brown and Abram Hamilton, who hire him to play violin for their circus company. They travel from Saratoga to New York, where they help him obtain free papers, then continue to Washington, D.C. After attending President Harrison's funeral, Solomon falls suddenly ill and loses consciousness, awakening to find himself chained in a dark cell.
Themes in this chapter
Deception and Betrayal
Brown and Hamilton feign friendship and generosity to lure Solomon into captivity, drugging him and selling him into slavery.
Quest for Freedom
Solomon's initial journey is motivated by a desire for employment and adventure, but it leads to his enslavement, beginning his struggle for freedom.
Hypocrisy of American Freedom
Solomon, a free man, is kidnapped in the nation's capital, highlighting the contradiction between American ideals and the reality of slavery.
Characters to notice
- Solomon Northup
Narrator and protagonist; hired by Brown and Hamilton, travels with them, falls ill in Washington.
- Merrill Brown
One of the two strangers; a short, thickset man who hires Solomon and later drugs him.
- Abram Hamilton
The other stranger; a tall, slender young man who accompanies Brown and assists in the scheme.
- Anne Northup
Solomon's wife; mentioned as having gone to Sandy Hill for work.
- Elizabeth
Solomon's daughter; mentioned as possibly accompanying Anne to Sandy Hill.
- Margaret
Solomon's daughter; left with her aunt at Saratoga.
- Alonzo
Solomon's son; left with his aunt at Saratoga.
Key passages
“I gave them my confidence without reserve, and would freely have trusted them to almost any extent.”
Solomon trusted Brown and Hamilton completely, believing them to be sincere friends.
Highlights Solomon's naivety and the depth of their betrayal.
“I laid down to rest, thinking of home and wife, and children, and the long distance that stretched between us, until I fell asleep.”
Solomon fell asleep thinking of his family and the distance separating them.
Shows Solomon's longing for home before his capture.
“But no good angel of pity came to my bedside, bidding me to fly—no voice of mercy forewarned me in my dreams of the trials that were just at hand.”
No warning came to Solomon in his sleep about the impending danger.
Foreshadows the tragedy that awaits him.
“I began to experience most unpleasant sensations. I felt extremely ill. My head commenced aching—a dull, heavy pain, inexpressibly disagreeable.”
Solomon felt sick with a severe headache after drinking with Brown and Hamilton.
Describes the onset of the drugging that leads to his capture.
“It was impossible to sleep. The pain in my head continued to increase, until it became almost unbearable. In a short time I became thirsty. My lips were parched.”
Solomon could not sleep due to worsening pain and intense thirst.
Details the effects of the drug administered by Brown and Hamilton.
