Travis Fife Short Close Reading

One of the questions we confronted in section was whether or not 12 Years a Slave
humanizes the narrator and makes us empathize with him. In what follows, I will analyze page
26 in Chapter 1 in order to demonstrate that the chapter gives us a relatable image of the narrator.
When confronted by slaves in the north, the narrator tells us he was too ignorant,
perhaps too independent, to conceive how any one could be content to live in the abject
condition of slavery (pg 26). This creates the image of a narrator who stands firmly outside of
the world of slavery and so when he comes into contact with those who have experienced it, hes
unable to understand the condition. In his own mind, he would never let someone treat him that
way, but this comment also demonstrates how detached he is from the power dynamics that kept
slavery in place. He could not comprehend the justice of that law, or religion, which upholds or
recognizes the principle of slavery (pg 26). While the narrator condemns slavery, the language
here makes him seem like he stands above it. Its as if he is on a moral high ground from the
people who are content to let themselves be treated like that.
This admission of ignorance in chapter 1, however, also makes him seem more relatable
to the reader. One problem we discussed in section was how slavery is unimaginably bad and so
its hard to relate to. But here, the narrator gives a reaction that many people might have he
recognizes the evil of slavery but cannot understand why some would be complicit in it. This
also helps to explain on the next page why he says, thus far the history of my life presents
nothing whatever unusual (pg 27). He wants us to see him as an average person just making
humble progress in the world. Perhaps his comments about slavery demonstrate how shocking
the rest of the narrative will be when he experiences it first hand. Ultimately, these moments in
the first chapter serve to make the narrator easier to empathize with going forward in the book.