- 0:13:14 An Explanation about His Freedom
- Solomon Northup: My name is Solomon Northup; I am a free man, a resident from Saratoga, NY. The residence also of my wife and children who are equally free.
- 0:21:39 Clemens’ Advice
- Clemens Ray: If you wanna survive do and say as little as possible, tell nobody who you are and nobody that you can read and write unless you wanna be dead.
Clemens Ray: Survival is not about serving death; it's about keeping your head down.
Solomon Northup: Days ago I was with my family, now you're telling me that is all lost?
- 0:23:10 Solomon’s Goal
- Solomon Northup: I do not wanna survive, I wanna live.
- 0:52:58 Solomon’s Plea
- Master Ford: It is no longer safe for you here.
Solomon: Master Ford, you must know that I am not a slave.
Master Ford: I cannot hear that.
Solomon: Before I came to you I was a free man.
Master Ford: I am trying to save your life! And I have a debt to be mindful of. Whatever the circumstances, you are an exceptional nigger, Platt. But I fear no good will come of it.
- 0:55:12 Deception
- Mr. Epps: That nigger that don’t obey his Lord, that’s his master did you see, that there nigger shall be beaten with many stripes. That’s scripture.
- 1:19:20 Desperation
- Patsy: All I ask, end my life. Take my body to the swamp or the margin, take me by the throat, hold me low in the water until I still without life, bury me in the lonely place of dying.
Solomon Northup: I will do no such thing.
- 1:34:30 Lost Hope
- Edwin Epps: Well, boy. I understand I've got a learned nigger that writes letters and tries to get white fellows to mail 'em. Well, Armsby tol' me today the devil was among my niggers. That I had one that needed close watchin' or he would run away. When I asked him why, he said you come over to him and waked him up in the middle of the night and wanted him to carry a letter to Marksville. What have yah got to say to that?
Solomon Northup: There is no truth in it.
Edwin Epps: You say.
Solomon Northup: How could I write a letter without ink or paper? There is nobody I want to write to 'cause I ain't got no friends living as I know of. That Armsby is a lying drunken fellow. You know this, just as you know that I am constant in truth. Now, master, I can see what that Armsby is after, plain enough. Didn't he want you to hire him for an overseer? That's it. He wants to make you believe we're all going to run away and then he thinks you'll hire an overseer to watch us. He believes you are soft soap. He's given to such talk. I believe he's just made this story out of whole cloth, 'cause he wants to get a situation. It's all a lie, master, you may depend on it. It's all a lie.
Edwin Epps: I'll be damned... Were he not free and white, Platt. Were he not free and white.
- 1:52:00 Property
- Solomon Northup: Thou devil! Sooner or later, somewhere in the course of eternal justice thou shalt answer for this sin!
Edwin Epps: No sin! There is no sin! A man does how he pleases with his property.
- 1:55:45 Fear
- Bass: Well traveled for a slave. How came you here?
Solomon Northup: Master Bass, if justice had been done I never would have been here.
Bass: How’s this? Tell me all.
Solomon Northup: I’m afraid to tell ya.
- 2:05:00 The Journey
- Solomon Northup: I apologize for my appearance. But I have had a difficult time these past several years.
