Today I’m being forced to talk about how Northup and Eliza, two people referred to in Northup’s book, had different reactions to having their children separated from them. This is a theme of the book, and it uses this point a lot to show how evil the slavery system was, and how it broke families apart and wrenched hearts.
First, I am going to talk about how Northup responded to the separation. He, like anybody would, had deep sadness and grief for his loss, but he remained hopeful that he would be able to see his children again in the future. This hope is all that kept him strong through his captivity, and was a strong response on his part.
Eliza responded in a vastly different way. She was overwhelmed by her loss, and was unable to handle her emotions relating to the subject. Her emotional strength, unlike Northup, is weakened by this, and she has no hope on which to go on. Her physical health declines with her emotional health, and she ends up way worse off for it.
In conclusion, Northup had a very hopeful reaction to seeing his children stolen away from him, and it was able to help strengthen him through his captivity, while Eliza had a very hopeless reaction, and her health significantly suffered from the separation. An emotional toll was taken on both of the parents, and it was all a part of a cruel and unjust system, that fostered strength in some, weakness in others, and unhappiness in all.