Equiano 's Journey Of A Slave

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.

“Let us again face the winds and seas, and swear not, but trust to God, and [H]e will deliver us”. In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, the narrator displayed himself as being spirituality devoted, though he struggled with his faith throughout his narrative of his journey into slavery, as a slave, and as a freed African. As a boy, Olaudah Equiano was kidnaped from his childhood home and forced into the transatlantic slave trade of the sixteenth century. With the influence of several upstanding Christians in Equiano’s life, he felt that Christianity was the appropriate life path to walk. Throughout his life as a slave and then a free man, Equiano frequently questioned himself and his fellow Christians about what it

"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

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.

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.

Olaudah Equiano, the author of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was captured in Africa and sold into slavery. Later in life, he purchased his freedom and wrote his autobiography in 1789. Equiano experienced hardships beyond imaging in his years as a slave and oftentimes witnessed extensive cruelty by whites towards Africans. Equiano 's experience of the Atlantic slave trade and middle passage as we understand it today was typical of a regular captive. The Atlantic slave trade, more specifically the experience that Equiano had was horrific. The Atlantic slave trade stands as one of the greatest mistreatments towards other humans to have ever happened, for nearly 400 years this occurred. Equiano 's experience however

The Life of Olaudah Equiano focuses on the various scenes to which Equiano or otherwise known as Gustavus Vassa was a witness too. Equiano’s story allows for an in depth perspective of slave trade and the way it functioned. Equiano takes the reader upon his journey as an African Slave beginning with his experiences in his native village, his numerous amounts of masters, cruelties and oppressions across the globe, and all the way to his success as a freeman. Equiano strongly focuses on the fact that almost every event in his life made an impression on his mind and influenced his conduct. Hence, making sense of the importance of his status and growth despite of his roots. Equiano always remained aware of his race and culture however he was in search of a freedom that no matter whom he was told to be his identity of obtaining this as well as soon gaining control of his own life always remained the same.

Throughout the book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Equiano tries to say that he is just an ordinary person, but this cannot be the case. He survives several ship wrecks, learns to read and write, and is able to buy his freedom. This is far from ordinary and borderlines with extraordinary. As he describes his adventures he starts by telling you a depressing story of how his sister got separated from him. This sets up the reader to know that there is plenty more tragedy to come. This is when he gets thrown into a life of slavery. From there he tries to wiggle his way out from the life of a slave and to create his own. Equiano uses anecdotes that he has experienced to prove to his readers that slavery is cruel and unforgiving, such as the time when he was being transported, to the treatment under his masters, and finally even when he was a free man.

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.

Equiano conjured the horrors of slavery in ways that no one else would be able to. He had firsthand experience and was more educated on the occurrence. In the Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, it tells about his life and what he went through as a slave. A few things were trading between white slave owners, along with very harsh treatment. The people who transported the slaves ignored the fact that they were humans, too. The journey being labeled as horrific would be an understatement and would not give it justice.

The narrative by Olaudah Equiano gives an interesting perspective of slavery both within and outside of Africa in the eighteenth century. From these writings we can gain insight into the religion and customs of an African culture. We can also see how developed the system of trade was within Africa, and worldwide by this time. Finally, we hear an insider's view on being enslaved, how slaves were treated in Africa, and what the treatment of African slaves was like at the hands of the Europeans.

While living with his master, working on slave ships, and working on a plantation, Equiano had seen many practices of slavery in America. The way Americans treated their slaves was very different than the way Africans treated their slaves. For those who survived the slave ship, they were separated and

Equiano merged into manhood gradually, yet there are certainly experiences which aided him along. His narrative revolves around his youthful self journeying through foreign lands and over strange waters. His story is unique, for although he suffered from the oppression of slavery, he traveled all over the world, thereby gaining knowledge and education. Due to the fact that he was thrust into an entirely new environment at such a young age, his juvenile ignorance and naivety is extremely apparent, yet it is these learning experiences that caused him to mature faster than he would have otherwise.