Life is dear to every living thing; the worm that crawls upon the ground will struggle for it.
Solomon NorthupRead
I can speak of slavery only so far as it came under my own observation - only so far as I have known and experienced it in my own person.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Personal experience is crucial in understanding and discussing complex topics like slavery.
In this quote, Solomon Northup emphasizes the importance of personal experience in forming one's understanding of difficult subjects, particularly slavery. He suggests that one's observations and lived experiences are the primary basis for discussing such a significant and sensitive issue, highlighting the limitations of discussing topics one has not personally encountered.
Themes
ObservationExperienceSlaveryUnderstandingTruth
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of lived experiences in understanding social injustices.
More from Solomon Northup
All quotes βIt is not the fault of the slaveholder that he is cruel, so much as it is the fault of the system under which he lives. He cannot withstand the influence of habit and associations that surround him. Taught from earliest childhood, by all that he sees and hears that the rod is for the slave's back, he will not be apt to change his opinions in maturer years.
Solomon NorthupRead
They are deceived who flatter themselves that the ignorant and debased slave has no conception of the magnitude of his wrongs. They are deceived who imagine that he arises from his knees with back lacerated and bleeding, cherishing only a spirit of meekness and forgiveness. A day may come - it will, if his prayer is heard. A terrible day of vengeance when the master in his turn will cry in vain for mercy.
Solomon NorthupRead
What difference is there in the color of the soul?
Solomon NorthupRead
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