Equiano : The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano

     Both, “The Interesting Narrative Life of Olaudah Equiano” and “Amistad” are important stories about slavery in pre-civil war america because they both address the issues of slavery. These gentlemen in the story made a difference in the slave trade. In “The life of Olaudah Equiano”, Olaudah was sold on a slave ship that came to the Barbados. Olaudah worked for his freedom, and in the end became efficient in American language. He worked his way to the free life and in the end it worked out for him, although it leaves scars on his soul. In “Amistad”, Cinque is a slave that leads a revolt on a slave ship after escaping. When they get to america, Baldwin, a

"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

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.

The writings of Olaudah Equiano and Elizabeth Keckley are of the highest admiration. As they spoke on their experiences with an intoxicating mixture of vibrancy and precision, they allowed the reader to come along for the journey without getting lost. Most commendable, is that the writers were able to leave subtle hints that would foreshadow their fortunes meticulously in efforts to keep the readers engaged. There is a vital point to highlight from the workings of both authors - how humble and vulnerable their writings maintained as they were written during the peak of their success. Therefore, the common theme is how they foreshadow their success without neglecting to pay homage to where they came from.

In Olaudah Equiano narrative discusses the many obstacles, struggles which he has to overcome for his path to freedom. Equiano had many difficult problems in his life which many people have taken a special role in. I will discuss about the countless people that had both positive and negative impact in Equiano’s life. Equiano’s life was not an easy one, I will argue despite the many obstacles that came across his life he always remained strong which is why he was able to gain his freedom. I will discuss the major transitions that were made in in his. The unexpected journeys that came in his life and changed it entirely.

Slavery for many was a time of despair and anguish, it felt like hell not only by the heat of the sun, but, by the treatment many received from their owners as well. Despite written almost 100 years apart, two of the most famous and well known slave narratives that give the modern day reader just an idea of what slavery was like are, Aphra Behn’s “Oroonoko, or, The Royal Slave” and Olaudah Equiano’s “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”. The journey of these two young men, although in many ways are similar, from a larger perspective could not be more different. For Oroonoko a somewhat established young man who comes from royalty, optimizes what it means to be a noble savage. As for a young Equiano who seems to spend most of his childhood in slavery, must find a way to overcome the hand he has been dealt and work hard to earn his freedom. Throughout both of these stories there are similarities and there are differences as well. Some of the most interesting aspects that might stand out to the reader are, the aspect of slavery and or the lack of it, suicide and how both characters go about it in their own way and points of view and how the reader is influenced by it.

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 autobiography, “The interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”, the author summarizes the life of a slave as unsanitary, cruel, and degrading. Equiano describes the transportation through the middle passage as “crowded” (171) and “unfit for respiration, from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought sickness among the slaves, of which many died” (172). The author illustrates the overcrowding space that the slaves shared and lived in for months. Stating that the smells alone suffocated the ship’s “cargo” (171). The closed spaces and harsh living conditions vividly depict slavery as unsanitary as described by Equiano. He writes how food “rather than give any of them to us to eat, as we expected, they tossed the remaining fish

Religion plays a significant part in both The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano, a former slave, and a series of poems written by Phillis Wheatley, a former slave who resided in Boston. The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano is a first person abolitionist slave narrative published in 1789 about Equiano’s experiences during the Transatlantic Slave trade retelling Equiano being forced from his home, the disparity from being moved from place to place, and his discovery of Christianity. While the series of poems written by Phillis Wheatley was created in the Revolutionary Era (1764-1789) during Phillis’ leisure time. Both Equiano and Wheatley were Africans whose works drew from their experience of slavery and

The story of Equiano was a very interesting look into the life of a slave. This narrative was particularly interesting because he told his story all the way from the beginning. The reader gets to follow his journey from when he was a small boy who is kidnapped all the way up to adulthood. I don’t think anyone can really imagine what his life must have been like during these events. He does paint a picture of the harshness and how scary many things he encountered were for him. Being a young child with no one to turn to thrust into the world of a rough and harrowing sea voyage is horrible, but add the cruelty and the inhuman conditions that the slaves were faced with and the narrative becomes a down right atrocity. It is amazing to me that

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was organized on a three point circuit of Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It was the largest forced migration of people globally; between 20 and 30 million people with souls, lives, and families were transported from Africa to the Americas. This dim period of human history took place during the 16th and 19th centuries. The premise of this trade was to recruit Africans to work on European plantations anywhere from the eastern parts of North America in plantations all way down to the West Coast of South America working in mines. This undertaking of domineering over other human beings were due to the pseudo ideas that Africans had the ability and power to work tirelessly on farms with power. It was thought that Native Americans were not energetic enough to undertake farm labor. Although don’t get it wrong, Europeans did not introduce the idea of slavery. Slavery has existed since the dawn of time through all cultures, prisoners of war, anti-socials, people in debt, and many others were enslaved. To think though that the Europeans sailed over to Africa and just took natives from their homes would

Humans can be cruel by nature and the efforts to get what you want at the cost of what you also deem moral and right is s struggle to live with. Would have the suppression of this wrong behavior left the world without ‘progress’ or simply a different outcome. Talking numbers and nameless groups make what happen more digestible but when it is personalized on such a relatable level. It is easier to multiply the experiences of one man than sweeping millions with the same brush. The moral reminder of this letter was needed as a part of progressing not only the global commercial economy but the standards societies live by.

Written by Equiano himself, The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings was published in 1789. It is written from a first person point of view. It includes a number of letters written to express himself as a person. Equiano was born in 1745 in a province of Africa, called Eboe. The book discussed, in detail, his cultural background as well as his family. His father was a very important man within their village. In the book it also discusses the bond that he had with his mother and his only sister, expressing how very strong his bond with his sister was.

In 1789, Olaudah Equiano published his autobiography that was entitled, The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa, the African. The purpose of the book was to aid the abolitionist efforts in their struggle to abolish slavery. From the beginning of the book, it is apparent that the intended audience of the book are Christians. A quote from the book of Isaiah, containing “Behold, God is my salvation ;” preluded Equiano’s narrative that detailed his life, beginning with his kidnapping as a young boy in Africa, the voyage across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Islands, and his adventures travelling the world as a slave aboard one of England’s warships. In fact, Equiano’s book established a large audience among Christians and some English royalty.