Twelve Years a Slave, Chapter 15 summary
Chapter 15 of 24 · 15 min to read the chapter
In Chapter 15, the narrator explains sugar cultivation and manufacturing, then describes Christmas feasts, dancing, and the comfort his violin brings during slavery. The holiday gives enslaved people a brief escape from forced labor, but his account of marriage shows how owners control even their closest relationships.
What happens
- Epps hires the narrator out for sugar work, and he describes planting, harvesting, and preparing cane fields for repeated crops.
- The narrator explains how Hawkins’s mill crushes cane, filters juice, and produces white and brown sugar.
- Christmas brings a short holiday, with large shared suppers, special clothing, and visits among plantations.
- The narrator describes his violin’s comfort and earnings, then recalls Lively outlasting Sam Roberts, Pete Marshall, and Harry Carey at dancing.
- Holiday passes permit limited travel, while marriages require owners’ consent and husbands’ visits depend on permission.
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Douze ans d’esclavage, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Commencez 90 jours gratuitsNothing to pay today. 0,14 USD a day in the first year, then 0,27 USD a day.
In this chapter
Quick check
What must enslaved people obtain before marrying?
Free for 3 months
Get the full summary of Douze ans d’esclavage, free
- 200,000+ classics as eBooks, audiobooks and 15-minute summaries, and print and large print at cost
- Up to 5 readers in your home on one plan
Commencez 90 jours gratuitsNothing to pay today. 0,14 USD a day in the first year, then 0,27 USD a day.
200,000+ classics to read, hear and hold
15-minute summaries today, eBooks and audiobooks as each book opens, and printed books, large print included, at cost.
Try 3 months free
