Analysis Of Without Faith, There Is No Freedom

Although Olaudah Equiano was not directly involved in American slavery, several aspects of The Life of Olaudah Equiano can be used to understand why the institution lasted so long. A major part of the novel was dedicated to counter one of the major propagating ideas of slavery: the widespread myth that Africans were either not fully human or were of a less developed branch of humanity so enslaving them was moral. Equiano spends the first section of the book

Equiano's Travels reveals a European mind state far removed from philosophe theory. From the outset of his narrative, Equiano's description of his short-lived childhood is filled with cultural detail giving insight into the life of his people. His words also convey his naivety, as Equiano claims to have at one time never even heard of Europeans. When he recounts the day he and his sister were kidnapped from their own yard by greedy countrymen, the reader gets a sense of the inhumanity that exists even in the earliest stages of slavery. Being torn from his sister is a similarly gut-wrenching detail that plagues the reader with a sense of guilt that refuses to leave even after the excerpt has ended. The narration between that takes the reader from the shore of Equiano's homeland to the interior of the putrid-smelling slave ship and across a seemingly endless ocean drives the point of slavery's evils home. The conditions of such enslavement stand in direct violation of the philosophe's theory of human freedom. While their beliefs deny authority, Equiano's account tells the story of a place where these laws are permanently suspended, and man is made beast before his master.

Equiano felt the Christian God’s omnipresent power in times of oppression and in times of success. Thus, his narrative is akin to the typical Christian journey of finding salvation through trials and tribulations. He began his journey in slavery, blind to the existence of God. His eyes were opened when he gained knowledge of Christianity and read the scriptures. Equiano was led by God through the horrors of the slave trade and into the light of

The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equiano's long, remarkable journey. Through Equiano's own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from

"I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous, and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great; but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life." Olaudah Equiano lived the life as a slave like many black people of the 18th century. He was born free but soon was forced into slavery which took him all around the world. From his accounts he has written down, he shows his life as a slave. Equiano had been bought and sold throughout the Americas and Europe; he showed the

The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equiano's long, remarkable journey. Through Equiano's own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from slavery. As one reads

For Equiano, Christianity becomes a cornerstone to his identity as a free man. In his work he talks about the beliefs of the African people, but explains how he became a Christian after learning about the faith in his youth. It was his belief that the good things that had happened to him were part of God’s plan for him, and that bad things were just experiences that allowed him to learn more about life. Believing in predestination, he thought his life course was already set, and therefore he should have accepted whichever changes or vicissitudes life brought to him. Rather than becoming a slave to contemporary Christian doctrine, Equiano uses same to defend his stand against slavery and in support of abolitionism. Religion serves as a bridge that allows him to cross the cultural and social gap that existed between races. Christianity makes of him, to his audience, a fellow human being. Although Equiano’s beliefs were personal and sincere, he also makes use of them to become part of society and to help others embrace his cause.

Equiano was able to utilize his life experiences and expose the true story behind a slaves journey (from the capturing to the day the slave is placed with an owner), which allowed him to be an influential opponent against the enslavement of Africans. Equiano stated that, “[t]ourtures, murder, and every other imaginable barbarity and iniquity are practiced

Equiano’s rhetorical devices which include ethos, pathos, and logos abet to define and accomplish his rhetorical purpose. His ethos, or ethical assurance, is conveyed in his level of education portrayed by his sentence structure and high diction. Furthermore, as proven in historical documents, Equiano was a slave aboard one of the many slave ships. With this, the reader can accredit Equiano’s narrative to be a reliable and first-hand source to the journey of the “Middle Passage.”

Equiano’s luck soon shifted when he was once again kidnapped and sold as a slave, this time he would have to endure the notoriously dreadful journey across the sea to America. Knowing that this was a pivotal point in his life and that he would become a gudgeon to the harshness of slavery, Equiano attempted to prepare himself for what lay ahead. However, the sight of the inhumane acts he witnessed on the African coast, while being transported, were new to Equiano and instilled fear into his consciousness.

The cruel and harsh treatment of slaves in the seventeenth and eighteenth century is something that in today’s millennium a person could not even dream of. Slaves were known to be illiterate; however there are few that had the opportunity to be educated and from them society has a small glimpse into the past. There are two slaves in particular that give people a way to see life through their eyes. Frederick Douglass and Olaudah Equiano were two slaves during those times that were forced into the world of slavery. Frederick Douglass’s “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave” and Olaudah Equiano’s “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” are literary pieces that talk about their views, experiences, and ideas in relation to slavery.

History shows that both Africans and African Americans alike faced unique problems prior to and during the 1800's, particularly prior to 1865. One such problem is the issue of Diaspora and how culture and slavery has affected the choice of religion. It is the purpose of this paper to expose comparatively the extent to which individuals have been influenced by these issues. One such individual is Olaudah Equiano. By following and analyzing some of the key moments of faith in his life, this paper seeks to expose the extent to which the series of controversial dialectical incidents that happen throughout his early life, i.e., his cultural African religious traditions

Olaudah Equiano was one of the most famous black men in the history of slavery who was fortunate enough to purchase his own freedom. In addition, Equiano becomes extremely popular by writing his first slave narrative in 1789. In his autobiography named The interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano he emphasized various aspects of slavery throughout the entire book. In the narrative, he establishes his perspective about himself, God and Slavery. He was definably a man of motivation for all other slaves in his lifetime who continue to struggle for his freedom.In The Interesting Narrative, Olaudah Equiano utilizes poetic diction, mood, displeased tone and internal conflict in order to illustrate his perspective as a slave by emphasizing the cruelty as well as the brutality of slavery.

Olaudah Equiano was an African slave born in the year 1745. At the age of eleven, he was savagely taken from his family and sold into the boundaries of slavery. Equiano was shipped to the West Indies but later found himself traveling across the Atlantic. Equiano served the captains of slave ships and British navy vessels. He spent eight years under the leadership of Officer Henry Pascal. During that time frame, he was renamed Gustavus Vassa and sent to school to become educated in reading and writing. He was also persuaded in to being baptized by Protestant Christians. Equiano then worked for King Robert as a clerk. He was allowed to engage in minor trade and soon made enough to purchase his freedom in 1766. Shortly after his liberation, Equiano published a slave narrative in 1789 to try and undo the process of European colonization. Despite minor flaws in this slave narrative, Olaudah Equiano helped contribute to the end of British participation in the slave trade.

Equiano is one of the many slave narratives and this text describes Equiano’s life in slavery and how he was sold to traders on the Atlantic Coast. Equiano is described to be a young African boy aged 10 when he was taken from his family and kidnapped like many others to be used as a slave. After he was