12 Years a Slave: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Solomon explains to the reader that most plantations have an overseer who ensures the slaves are working efficiently. Overseers are armed with pistols, a knife, a whip, and dogs. Solomon says that “the requisite qualifications in an overseer are utter heartlessness, brutality, and cruelty.” Besides an overseer, many plantations have drivers, which are slaves who, on top of their regular responsibilities, are given the task of whipping their fellow slaves for not working fast enough. If the driver fails to whip the other slaves enough, the driver himself is whipped.

Epps enlists Solomon as a driver. Solomon knows that Epps is always watching and will know if Solomon doesn’t use the whip as he is supposed to. To satisfy Epps’ violence while protecting his fellow slaves, Solomon learns how to crack the whip without actually touching any of the slaves, “throwing the lash within a hair’s breadth of the back, the ear, [or] the nose.” The slaves scream in pretend pain at Solomon’s painless lashes, and Epps is satisfied.

One day, Epps arrives at the fields clearly intoxicated and motions for Patsey to follow him. Patsey begins to cry, “aware of his lewd intentions,” and Solomon whispers for her to continue working. Enraged at Solomon for interfering, Epps grabs Solomon by his shirt and pulls out a pocket knife, prepared to cut Solomon’s throat. Solomon manages to loosen himself out of Epps’ grasp, and Epps chases him around the field, knife in hand.

Mistress Epps watches the “half-serious, half-comical maneuvers” from the distance, and Solomon runs to her for protection and tells her what’s going on. Epps, now mostly sober, “attempt[s] to look as innocent as a child.” Mistress Epps screams at her husband, but he accuses Solomon of lying. Solomon is forced to stay silent, since “It is not safe to contradict a master, even by the assertion of a truth.”

Solomon tells the reader that throughout his enslavement, he was constantly on the lookout for an opportunity to write to his friends and family. Nine years into Solomon’s slavery, he finally obtains a single piece of paper when Mistress Epps sends Solomon into town to buy several things, including a stack of paper. Solomon steals a single sheet and hides it under the wooden plank that he sleeps on. After much experimentation, he also discovers how to make his own ink and pen. Solomon writes a lengthy letter to a longtime acquaintance, explaining where he is and asking to be rescued.

Solomon secretly keeps the letter for a long time, until one day, he finally finds a potential opportunity to send it. A poor white man named Armsby comes to work at Epps’ plantation among the slaves. Solomon tries to befriend him, and eventually asks Armsby if he would mail a letter for him in town. Unsure as to Armsby’s trustworthiness, Solomon doesn’t tell Armsby that the letter is already written or that he managed to find paper. Armsby agrees to send a letter for Solomon and promises to keep it a secret.

The next day, Solomon’s suspicions are confirmed. Epps enters Solomon’s cabin, whip in hand, and confronts him about the letter. Solomon pretends to be confused, asking Epps how he could possibly write a letter without ink and paper. Faking innocence, Solomon tells Epps that he doesn’t even have friends to write to. Solomon shifts the blame onto Armsby, calling him a “lying, drunken fellow” who is merely trying to get the slaves in trouble so that Epps will hire him as overseer. Epps believes Solomon’s story, and Armsby is removed from the plantation. With his hopes crushed, Solomon burns the letter in the fire.