The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano

Throughout history, early American authors, such as Jonathan Edwards, Thomas Jefferson, and Olaudah Equiano, convey how they view human nature in their pieces of literature. Although these early American authors are different people, they share similar views on human nature, through their use of rhetorical strategies, such as figurative language, parallelism, and connotative diction, to show different perspectives of human nature.

"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.

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.

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.

On April 7, 1709 William Byrd II woke up and read in Hebrew and the Odyssey. He also had breakfast and danced his dance. He settled his accounts and started to read Italian and then he went to his wife. He said for the fresh beef to be used first and for the old beef to be kept. This made his wife angry and put him out of his humor. He ate boiled beef for dinner then checked on his people and then he sat down and read more Italian. Then his wife came and begged for a pardon and then they became friends gain.

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:

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

One day while Olaudah Equiano and his sister were maintaining their house, they got kidnapped and then sold to slavery. He went through numerous places in a six or seven month period before finally arriving at the sea coast. There he began to lose hope. The smell and thought of never going home made him extremely ill. He refused to eat and wished to die. Then, two white men forced him to eat by tieing him up. Finally, they reached the island of Barbados. White people got slaves to help the sick men and then shortly after brought to land to be put to work.

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

Born in 1745, Equiano was born a member of the Igbo tribe in a village called Essaka in the kingdom of Benin. He describes Essaka as a remote and fertile village where slavery is a part of life. Born into a family of seven, Equiano is the youngest of six sons and the "greatest favourite of his mother." One day, when he and his sister were left to mind their house while their people were gone to their work, they were both kidnapped and enslaved, violating the unwritten rules that slaves should only be acquired as prisoners of war or criminals. This day would change Equiano's life forever and begin his experiences in slavery.

In The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings by Olaudah Equiano, Equiano gave interesting descriptions of his and others experience as a slave. He begins his novel by first explaining the place where he grew up, Nigeria, Africa. This part of Africa during that time was very fruitful and rich. Given this location, it can be understood that Equiano came from a family of wealth and power. He was the youngest and most favored of his siblings. Equiano explained the different African traditions and practices, i.e. honoring the dead, arranged marriages, dance ceremonies. Equiano loved Africa and his family but sadly one horrific day, he and his older sister were stolen from their home and later separated from each other. Not only was he

Colonialism is a multifaceted term. It used to be referred to people settling in a new country while remaining citizens of the homeland, and being granted property rights in the new country by the occupying authorities. Nowadays, it refers to settling and depending on a land for resources and sustenance, but still being controlled by their country of origin in terms of politics and economics. This may involve simply utilizing the foreign land’s natural resources, or outright extermination of the local population to take possession of the land. It has taken on a negative connotation, with settlers denying the natives basic rights, and becoming conquerors instead of peaceful settlers at an equal status as the natives.