Black Joy as a Form of Escapism in Northup's 12 Years a Slave

الملخص

This study examines the concept of “Black Joy” as a form of psychological and cultural escapism in Solomon Northup's 12 Years a Slave (1853). While existing scholarship has primarily focused on resistance and suffering within slave narratives, this analysis introduces “Black Joy” in the context of Early American slave narratives as both survival strategy and form of collective cultural knowledge and cultural resistance. Through close textual analysis of Northup's narrative, this paper shows how enslaved individuals employed musical expression, professional competence, spiritual faith, and strategic adaptation to support their humanity and agency under dehumanizing conditions. Deploying Kleaver Cruz’s “Black Joy Project” and James C. Scott's concept of “hidden transcripts” as guides, this study argues that joy itself is a powerful form of political resistance and cultural preservation. The paper extends beyond traditional readings of slave narratives that emphasize physical escape and liberation to explore psychological and spiritual forms of freedom practiced within bondage. This study reveals African slaves as subtly resisting racial dehumanization in their quest for personal survival and community building. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of African American literary traditions and show the continued relevance of “Black Joy” as a historical phenomenon and a contemporary practice of resistance against ongoing racial oppression.