Twelve Years a Slave, Chapter 5 summary

What happens

1. At Norfolk, four more captives board, including Arthur, a free mason who describes his kidnapping and violent confinement.
2. The narrator distributes food as steward, and a violent storm terrifies the captives locked below deck.
3. During a calm, Arthur, Robert, and the narrator plan to seize the brig, but Robert’s fatal smallpox ends their attempt.
4. John Manning secretly supplies writing materials and posts the narrator’s appeal to Henry B. Northup, which brings no immediate rescue.
5. Two men from Norfolk secure Arthur’s release, leaving the narrator painfully aware of his own isolation.
6. Theophilus Freeman imposes the name Platt and confines the narrator with other captives, who settle down for the night.

In this chapter

What to notice

The narrator asks readers to judge the revolt plan through the captives’ suffering rather than from safety.

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