Whatever Happened to Patsey?

Patsey brought Lupita Nyong'o success, which was way beyond what the actress imagined.

She won an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role last month, playing the young female slave, whom Solomon Northup befriended at the cotton plantation owned by the cruel Edwin Epps. Northup was the author of "Twelve Years a Slave", a harrowing memoir of a black man from the North, who was kidnapped in 1841 and sold to the slave owners from the South. Solomon reunited with his family, but the happy ending was momentary. He disappeared, under mysterious circumstances, during the final years of his life.

Did his book prompted some white men to hunt him? Did he became a slave again? Did he had another chance encounter with Patsey?

Patsey was obedient, always picking 500 pounds of cotton daily, which was more than what was required. (Anyone who picked below were being slashed, by Epps no else.) She was also a gentle soul, which Epps might have noticed. There might be no other reason why he became attracted to her, which infuriated Mary, his wife, prompting her to humiliate Patsey on every chance she got. Solomon was a witness to it all, which pained him. He had hopes that someone would tell his family and friends from New York, to come and save him. One of them did, but not without a tearful farewell to Patsey. There was no doubt that he thought of her ever since.

Solomon's narrative provided a wealth of information on the slave market during the 19th century, as well as the the sugar and cotton cultivation on major plantations in Louisiana. This doesn't mean that his triumph against all odds wouldn't affect anyone who read his story. One can't help but admire Solomon's determination, not wanting to fall into despair. At the same time, he witnessed what was it like to be on the other side. (He was born a free man.) It was a different picture for Patsey, often used and abused. She was resigned to the life of slavery, but all she wanted was a little respect. Epps didn't show her.

Steve McQueen's adaptation brought out the topic of Solomon's disappearance once more. The kidnap rumors persisted, even believed in. But what about Patsey? It was possible that she didn't dare escape the Epps plantation. There was little curiosity, as it was assumed that she spent the rest of her life there.

Lupita Nyong'o's portrayal of Patsey can't be overlooked. Her eyes suggested that her mind was far away, not wanting to feel the pain and humiliation. She looked fragile, but there were moments that those eyes showed defiance, which displeased Mary no end. Her performance won her an Oscar, giving her opportunities that winners were being given to. In the case of the Kenyan-born actress, it was a lucrative contract from Lancôme Paris cosmetics and gracing the cover of People's Magazine. There will be more roles to come her way, where she might earn another (Academy Award) nomination. But she'll always be identified to Patsey.