In Twelve Years a Slave, Solomon Northup tells the story of his life as a slave in Louisiana. Northup, a free man of color, was kidnapped in Washington in 1841, sold into slavery, and finally rescued in 1853. Northup describes in detail the people he met, the abuse he suffered, and, often, the side positive of slavery. In my Louisiana history class, I learned that slaves had different personality types and traits. By reading Northup's account of events, one is able to discern these types and traits. I intend to explore these types and traits as they relate to the slave's ability to adapt to the institution of slavery. The three main personality types identified in my history class include: Uncle Tom: feigned acceptance of the institution, not rebellious, often worked in the "big house" or closely with Master and Mistress. They often seemed compliant with the white man, even though they were actually looking out for their fellow slaves. Accommodator: Sometimes they resisted – they committed certain acts to “get revenge” for the punishment they had received. They may have broken tools or weigh down their cotton bag. Rebel: troublemaker who caused problems for the Master, making him uncomfortable. The Master was to “beat the rebel into submission.” The personalities described above also depended on where the slave was located – rural, urban, or industrial. If they were rural slaves, such as those on cotton or sugar plantations, field slaves and house slaves further divided them. There was a big difference in how these types of slaves were treated. The above traits and types took on various meanings throughout Twelve Years a Slave, depending on the situation the slave found themselves in. We first see the Northup exhibit...... middle of paper ... I would have done it if Northup had said so. He realized that they could not win without guns and ammunition, so he shot him (190), exhibiting the traits of Uncle Tom to protect the slaves from themselves. In a huge leap of faith, Northup confided in a man named Bass about his situation. Bass vowed to help him, and he finally did. Northup was ultimately saved through Bass's efforts, although he refused to give up Bass as an accomplice (239). In a great testament to Northup's character, he said: "I can only speak of slavery to the extent that it has been observed by myself - only to the extent that I have known and experienced it personally." » (3) Northup's account of his years as a slave depicts people, human beings, living without rights, under the total control of another person, often wicked and cruel. Northup changed, if necessary, to feign acceptance of the institution of slavery.