Book And Memory : Gustavus Vassa, Alias Olaudah Equiano, The African

Equiano wrote to help show society the evils that lie in slavery. He used writing, to tell the truth of conditions of life for slaves, making readers feel every word he used through their senses: “The stench of the hold, while we were on the coast, was so intolerably loathsome, that it was dangerous to remain there for anytime” (Equiano 364). While they both wrote with different purposes in mind, Rowlandson and Equiano managed to paint a picture so vivid that it invoked emotions that edified society.

The subject of slavery in the early 1700s had the potential to elicit an array of opinions depending upon the race, gender, and political role of the individual in question. Like the majority of white land-holding men who owned slaves, William Byrd viewed the treatment of Africans as that consistent with livestock: slaves were to do the work they were assigned and give in to every whim of their masters for fear of being severely punished. Olaudah Equiano provides a contrast in opinion to this widely accepted viewpoint. By humanizing Africans and detailing the intimate emotions experienced by them, Equiano implicitly argues against the attitudes of typical slave owners.

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

One example of a black individual who was a significant influence on the abolitionist movement was Olaudah Equiano (also known as Gustavus Vassa) a freed slave that spoke about his terrifying life story which helped contribute towards the end of the slave trade. Equiano was born in 1736 and bought his freedom as a slave in 1767. Equiano began his involvement in the abolitionist movement in the 1780’s when he published his best-selling book ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African’ in 1789. At the time, many Britons thought Africans were illiterate but Equiano proved them wrong as he could ‘wield the English language well’ and learnt several skills whilst still a slave. Furthermore, his book

I never thought being a slave was as much as this. I knew they suffered, but not as much as them preferring death over being alive. I can picture the situation as a horror scene as many slaves shrieked, groaned, and cried as they died of diseases or maybe of hopelessness. After I read this article, I’ve been interested in other stories about slave ship. The fact that Equiano bought his own freedom makes me realize that slaves having a position in liberty was not easy or given to anybody easily. It came to the moment in their lives where they lost hope in being happy which at some point in their lives, life was not taken seriously. Like Equiano, many slaves did not fight back or tried to escape. There was no point in fighting for their lives. Either way, they would have to die and suffer. I believe that most of the slaves’ reason for their death was the loss of hope they had for their lives. This is a good article to get readers attention and open their eyes to be thankful for what they have which is freedom, food, and a family. None of the slaves could enjoy what we have. They spent most of their lives working and serving others than being close to their families. Overall, “The Horrors of a Slave Ship” have impacted readers and also me in a way that we can see more than just a daily workforce. I know there are millions of other slaves than just Olaudah Equiano. To

"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

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

If it were not for the stories past down from generation to generation or the documentations in historical books, the history of the twelve million African slaves that traveled the “Middle Passage” in miserable conditions would not exist. Olaudah Equiano contributes to this horrid history with The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Through this narrative, the appalling personal experience of each slave is depicted. He accomplishes his rhetorical purpose of informing the world of the slave experience in this narrative. His use of unique style and rhetorical devices in this conveying narrative portray his imperative rhetorical purpose.

As stated in The Classic Slave Narratives: The Life of Gustavus Vassa, a sense of bewilderment and fright was his first response upon arriving at the coast. "the first object which saluted my eyes when I arrived…a slave ship, these filled me with astonishment, which was soon converted in to terror" (Vassa 57). Comparative to the area Equiano grew up in during his time as a child in Africa, the Europeans were far more technologically advanced, upon seeing ships for the first time he and other slaves agreed that it was magic that drove them due to a lack of understanding. The new world that was emerging around him became hard for him to explain. He and his fellow slaves rationalized the situation by stating that the westerners were spirits and that they possessed magic "there was cloth put upon the…and then the vessel went on; and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the water, when they liked, in order to stop the vessel" (Vassa 59). The traumatizing experience that was boarding a slave ship was almost surreal for Equiano and with his young age so to rationalize the situation he and his fellow slaves concluded that the men handling them could not be human because they were so different. "when I was carried on board. I was immediately handled and… I was now persuaded that I had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and that they were going to kill me"

Equiano’s awareness of his situation helps him find a way to buy his own freedom and become his own man. He no longer belonged to anyone else. After he managed to free himself, he worked the rest of his life in attempts to abolish slavery. The entire intention of his book was to convince people that slavery was wrong and tried to help them realize how horrible it was being treated like farm animals. However, the book also spends a large amount of emphasis on Equiano’s religion.

Another detail that Equiano incorporated within his writing, is the meaning of his name. As he says in the text “I was named Olaudah, which, in our language, signifies vicissitude or fortune also, one favoured, and having a loud voice and well spoken” (Gates Jr. & Smith 121). Equiano was a man who was the youngest born son to village leaders who owned slaves, became a captive of slavery himself, briefly worked in the fields as a slave before following his master overseas and ultimately buying his own freedom. What’s most profound throughout that, is the fact that he used his voice to help others who are stuck where he was able to break free. PBS has an article where

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.

Early American Literature reflects many conflicting differences in the presentation of slavery during that time period. Through the two chosen texts, the reader is presented with two different perspectives of slavery; Frederick Douglass’s narrative provides a look at a slave’s life through the eyes if a slave while Benito Cereno showcases the tale of a slave uprising from the viewpoint of the slave owner.. Benito Cereno’s work shows the stereotypical attitude towards African-American slaves and the immorality of that outlook according to Douglass’s narrative. Cereno portrays the typical white slave owner of his time, while Douglass’ narrative shows the thoughts of the slaves. The two stories together show that white Americans are oblivious to the ramifications and overall effects of slavery. These texts assist a moralistic purpose in trying to open up America’s eyes to the true nature of slavery by revealing it’s inhumanity and depicting the cruelty that was allowed.

In 1745, Olaudah Equiano was born in Eboe, which is now Nigeria. When he was about eleven years old, he was kidnapped and sold to slave traders heading to the West Indies. Though he spent a short time in the state of Virginia, much of his time in slavery was spent serving the captains of slave ships and British navy vessels. One of his masters, Henry Pascal, the captain of a British trading vessel, gave him the name Gustavas Vassa, which he hardly used throughout his life. Paul Lovejoy, Canada Research Chair in African Diaspora History stated:

In the except from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, he did not talk about the horrible treatment of a slave like beatings they would receive or how they were not fed but rather how they were ripped away from their family and friends. . (Foner, 2011) The author wanted the reader to realize that they were parted from family and friends because of the greed of the white man and that this is the new refinement in cruelty during those times. He made it known that the only positive aspect of being a slave was at least they were able to be with their friends and family, but now the white man had taken that away. He is asking the white men to live up to their perceived belief in liberty and that all men are created equal according to their god. He also is asking, why the African people should give up their comfort of being together because the white men want their luxuries.