12 years a slave, and other slaves

Image credits: Google Images

12 years a slave is a movie set in the years before the American Civil War. It is based on the story of Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery in the South.

So, it’s a film about slavery in short, portrayed by a star-studded cast. I recommend it for your viewing as I will not be doing a review of it here. But the subject of slavery is one which has been touched on in a number of books, movies and documentaries, and is still a current issue with which the world contends till date. The experiences however, follow a consistent trend irrespective of the circumstances or dimensions, and it is these unifying characteristics that I wish to highlight in this post.

It occurred to me while watching this movie, that slaves have always numerically outnumbered their masters in every setup throughout history.

They are usually also more physically fit than their indulgent masters who having been rid of the opportunity of manual labour and its accompanying physical exercise, often become less capable or efficient at physically demanding tasks, especially if they don’t compensate with an exercise regime.

Yet somehow, the slaves are kept in control by a group of fewer and relatively weaker people. How?

I learnt a few things from the movie:

Fear

The real bonds that bind the slave are those of fear and uncertainty about the future. Terror is an effective tool of manipulation and not necessarily because of the pain that might accompany it. For the slave, the only thing that is certain is that he is subject to his master's will. There is no other reality.

The subject of freedom contrary to popular assumptions, is  not even a comfortable subject for the slave especially if he was born into slavery. He cannot imagine how he would handle that alternate reality. He may not also be ready to assumed the responsibility that comes with taking initiative and exercising his will.

Image credits: Google Images

Betrayal

A slave has very few friends and is surrounded by many potential traitors. If he realizes the advantage of inspiring or sponsoring a revolt, he cannot tell how well his plans will be received by those with whom he should be sharing the cause.

He is constantly at risk of being betrayed by his own kin. The bonds that restrain him are mental. They are much stronger and more effective than any physical ones that the master could impose.

Ignorance

One of the bonds with which the master enslaves the slave is ignorance. The slave is usually kept ignorant of his true situation and condition, deprived of information with which he could be sufficiently enlightened to plan his revolt. He is only allowed to know what suits or promotes the master's will.

Despair

I would call this the fruit of fear. The slave resigns himself to his fate. He knows that death may be the only exit from his predicament, otherwise he no longer feels the responsibility to question or protest his lot. Life becomes a waiting game till death does he and his master apart. This seems like a lesser dread than the prospect of failing while trying.

I see this pattern surreptitiously repeated in political and religious circles. I confront the conflict daily within myself as well. We all do need a saviour - help from above and beyond our own realities.

Wisdom is recognizing the saviour when  he appears. 

Flipping the script
Interestingly, these factors can be used in the opposite way to inspire the slave to his freedom, if he could only change his point of view.

Can't the prospect of living in perpetual terror all one's life empower him to do something decisive about his situation? 

Hope of success and renown thereby can often quench the threat of betrayal.

Innate curiosity about the unknown can overwhelm the blanket of ignorance.