Essay on The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauda Equiano

"Of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," by Olaudah Equiano gives me these Images, dialogue, and personal feelings that help give me a picture of this historical period. First, Olaudah describes the slaves in this image; "African prisoners

"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.

One of the most interesting arguments that modern apologists makes for the practice of race-based slavery in the Americas is the fact that slavery existed in Africa during that time period and that Africans were complicit in the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. What is fascinating about Olaudah Equiano's discussion of the Middle Passage is that, as a man who had been enslaved in Africa prior to being shipped as a slave to the Americas, he was in a unique position to describe slavery in Africa with his introduction to European-influenced slavery in North America. His perception was that the immense brutality of the Middle Passage foreshadowed the dehumanization of slaves in the Americas, which was more inhumane than the treatment he had received as a slave while in Africa. Furthermore, he did not suggest that this brutality was linked to the race of the traders, though that seemed to have been his initial impression, but to the nature of the Trans-Atlantic trade. Therefore, Equiano's writings suggest that shipping Africans across the ocean for slavery was part of the dehumanizing process that helped fuel the practice of slavery in America.

Historically during the 1520s African trade consisted of trading slaves to most of South America as well as Europe, and also at that time Kilwa was one of the best when it came to trading gold and transacting it to merchants (Muslim). An additional document need would be one from a Muslim merchant as well as from a Kilwa merchant expressing their points of views. Document five written by Abdul Hassan ibn Ali al Mas’udi, an Arab traveler, a merchant and a geographer, depicts the trading system used by the Zanj with China and India. As a merchant, traveler, and geographer Mas’udi’s point of view is that he finds out trading sites to which he may inform the king about and also wants to make these trading sites sound amazing. Historically during the late 10th century C.E. trade with India developed in East African coast, markets became focused on urban centers along the coast with concentrations of wealth and power. An additional document needed is that of a geographical map around which shows specific trading sites/systems near the East African coast. Document nine is a document in which it specifically shows Hansa and its trade products. The point of view for this document is that it depicts Hansa’s wealth and expansion in trade showing why Hansa is so

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.

The slave trade, yet horrific in it’s inhumanity, became an important aspect of the world’s economy during the eighteenth century. During a time when thousands of Africans were being traded for currency, Olaudah Equiano became one of countless children kidnapped and sold on the black market as a slave. Slavery existed centuries before the birth of Equiano (1745), but strengthened drastically due to an increasing demand for labor in the developing western hemisphere, especially in the Caribbean and Carolinas. Through illogical justification, slave trading became a powerful facet of commerce, regardless of its deliberate mistreatment of human beings by other human beings. Olaudah Equiano was able to overcome this intense

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.

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

Their life was change after Europeans came to Africa and they destroyed their society. They tried to obtain slaves by weapon, money and avaricious chiefs. Young people was kidnaping and the Africans lived in fear. Although, Olaudah was sold to an English captain and was taken to Virginia for plantation. he was a pioneer and influence over British abolitionists and he was active among leaders of the antislavery trade movement in the 1780s.

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

Olaudah Equiano begins his narrative by describing the customs of his native land in modern-day Nigeria. The customs are very different from those of England, but he also makes the case for their similarity to traditions of the Jews, suggesting that Jews and Africans share a common heritage. This allows Equiano to begin to assert the full humanity of slaves and of colored people in general, who only seem inferior to Europeans. While Equiano describes the practice of slavery as common among his own people, he contrasts slavery within Africa to the brutal racial hierarchy established by white Europeans.

Widely admired for its vivid descriptions of the slave trade, Olaudah Equiano 's autobiography reveals many aspects of the eighteenth-century Western world through the experiences of one individual. Throughout the narrative, Equiano -- a man defined by his abilities and usefulness, not by his skin color -- demonstrates the foundations for America’s role in the world and how his experience became a global story. From the west coast of Africa to the east coast of America, Equiano encounters a different culture in which he was able to develop his own sense of identity. In this Narrative, Equiano goes through a cultural change by learning the English language, meeting new people from different places, and experiencing different cultures and beliefs.

Olaudah Equiano was a young man who experienced trans-alanticism and was sold from Nigeria to Virginia and finally in London. In Olaudah Equiano’s text The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself he speaks about how he cannot fit into one category. He is no longer just the young man