#EDWIN EPPS FREE#

Come nightfall, Epps would rape Patsey regularly, beating and strangling her while he does, and does so knowing that it makes his wife Mary evermore jealous and hateful, and as a result, she takes her rage out on Patsey, beating her as well.When Mary stops them and admonishes her husband for his obsessive nature (as Solomon had told her of prior), Epps lies and says he hasn't even spoken to Solomon, attempting to paint him as a liar instead, knowing he won't speak up against his master, on the pain of torture or even death for insubordination. After tripping up, Epps feigns surrender to Solomon, only to immediately attack him once more when Solomon extends his hand to help him up. After witnessing Solomon speak to Patsey, Epps comes to believe the former is sexually advancing on Patsey and, in a fit of jealousy, attempts to cut him with a blade.This is exemplified by Epps telling Mary that she will be gone from the plantation long before Patsey-a female slave whom he is obsessed with and shamefully attracted to-when she demands he sell her and his general apathy towards her. It's implied he had some sympathies for his wife Mary when he first met her living a poor life in Cheneyville-whether or not he did, by the film's present, their marriage has dissolved into (or perhaps stagnated on) verbal domestic conflict and mutual contempt for one another.There were times when Epps did physically assault Solomon, however. He constantly threatens to beat Solomon or attempt his life, threats which were often empty but still kept Solomon on edge.

After purchasing him, he develops a fascination with Solomon and becomes determined to break his spirit, a goal formed out of a combination of infatuation with clever slaves and his infamy for breaking his slaves.

He also thinks Patsey is at fault for his sexual aggression towards her for tempting him. Thus, due to his faith, he is unable to perceive his sinful activities as sinful at all, even blaming his slaves for bringing God's scorn to him when his crops are infested, rather than even considering that his own horrid behavior may be the source of his misfortune.

In his first appearance, he justifies his inhuman treatment of the slaves using the Bible, citing Luke 12:47, which essentially states that if servants are not subservient to their masters they will face harsh physical punishment.

#EDWIN EPPS FREE#

He also openly attacked the whites who came to free Solomon, threatening both legal action and potential mob violence. Any whites who did not agree to his racist views were treated with potential violence, as was seen when he threatened a worker who showed sympathy for slaves and warned them they were no longer in the North, implying that if they continued to support ideas of racial equality, they would face harm.While any white laborers that Epps may have working for him remain unscarred by the whip, as indicated when he exonerates Armsby instantly for having 'lied' to him (a lie itself) because he is white, this is not leniency and only spares them because they aren't legally his property, thus the law may have condemned him for abusing them.He would also storm into the slave quarters, drunk and manic, demanding their presence in the house for song and dance, depriving them of much-needed sleep and presumably threatening them if they didn't comply to his satisfaction. As a result of Epps' overseers' abuse and generally poor labor conditions, some of the slaves would collapse and die while working the fields.

Had his slaves whipped mercilessly-especially if they don't meet their cotton quota-or would attack them himself to the point of crippling them physically and/or mentally, so much so that he's gained notoriety among surrounding plantations for this exceptional cruelty.It's all a lie, master, you may depend on't.

I believe he's just made this story out of whole cloth, 'cause he wants to get a situation. He wants to make you believe we're all going to run away and then he thinks you'll hire an overseer to watch us. Didn't he want you to hire him for an overseer? That's it. Now, master, I can see what that Armsby is after, plain enough. You know this, just as you know that I am constant in truth. How could I write a letter without ink or paper? There is nobody I want to write to 'cause I hain't got no friends living as I know of. When I axed him why, he said you come over to him and waked him up in the middle of the night and wanted him to carry a letter to Marksville. That I had one that needed close watchin' or he would run away. Well, Armsby tol' me today the devil was among my niggers. I understand I've got a larned nigger that writes letters and tries to get white fellows to mail 'em.

Edwin epps