Assignment #1 “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789)” by Olaudah Equiano 1. Author is Olaudah Equiano‚ he was born in Essaka‚ Benin Empire(1745). His ethnicity is Igbo‚ his occupations are writer‚ merchant‚ explorer. 2. Document was published in 1789. 3. It is an autobiography. 4. It was written during the era of slave trades‚ and it mainly focuses on the African slave’s journey from Africa to the Americas‚ and England. 5. It reflects the author’s point of view
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In his biography‚ Olaudah Equiano writes that he was born in Nigeria at the age of 11‚ he was kidnapped. Some days later he was sold to European slave traders‚ with other slaves he was put or packed into a ship and transferred across the ocean to Barbados islands. Many years later Equiano wrote a biography about the treatment of slaves in Virginia. His descriptions of the punishments and humiliations that slaves had to endure were the first published account of an autobiography of an African slave
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takes a particularly complicated stance in its critique of slavery. While Equiano has a (biased) tendency to focus on the good natured character of African slaves‚ he also tends to portray them as a commodity‚ a title he immensely fears. In addition‚ Equiano appears throughout the narrative to attempt to forsake his African identity‚ leading some to believe that Equiano is complicit towards his stance on slavery. However‚ Equiano also portrays slavery as an affront to all of humankind and argues against
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The third thesis topic is Equiano narrative attracted much attention‚ and the right attention. Once Equiano settled down after he bought himself out of slavery he starting writing a book about his slave experience and his life. Equiano did everything he could to attract the attention of society to share the issue of slavery. He caught major attention from British political leaders‚ and he attracted numerous of readers across the world. Furthermore‚ Equiano writing skills has also caught readers’
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The excerpt from The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano‚ by Olaudah Equiano‚ touches upon the treatment and life of slaves in the West Indies. Through this short excerpt the reader learns about what he saw while he was a slave in the West Indies islands. Not only are there very few primary sources that have survived from the eighteenth century to modern day‚ but also there are hardly any sources that come from the viewpoint of a well-educated‚ free slave. When reading this excerpt
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Slaves‚ in general‚ endured unthinkable things while‚ on the Middle Passage Ship to the Americas as well as their duration in slavery‚ Olaudah Equiano was no different. After reading Olaudah Equiano’s‚ article “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano‚ or Gustavus Vassa‚ the African”. Slavery affected many lives. Most importantly‚ as any slave it was additionally agonizing to live in that period. Through Equiano’s eleven-year-old eyes‚ his voyage was extremely devastating. Captured
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story there is a contrast between a white slaveholder’s Christianity and actual Christian beliefs. While Equiano exemplifies himself as a true Christian‚ slaveholder Christians have perverted faith. It is seen that Christianity is used positively by Equiano and negatively by Christian slave-owners. Double edged‚ Christianity helped justify and support slavery while empowering and encouraging Equiano and the abolition of slavery. The common accepted method to twist the words of scripture to meet with
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Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography‚ The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano‚ or Gustavus Vassa‚ the African‚ published in 1789‚ is significant for numerous reasons. Firstly‚ it is one of the very rare scripts written in English by an individual of African ancestry during the eighteenth century. Secondly‚ it is one of the initial accounts of a passage up from captivity written by someone who had personally gone through enslavement. This makes Equiano’s narrative one of the earliest
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Olaudah Equiano’s 1789 biography “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” depicts the horrifying realities of the slave trade‚ in which African American captives were viewed as simple objects who exist only to create a profit. In contrast‚ however‚ many may argue that compromise is more effective in establishing freedom‚ as stated by Benjamin
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Olaudah Equiano undertook an incredible journey during his lifetime. Facing many trials and tribulations he was pressed to the verge of death‚ but‚ as he would tell you “.. Through God’s Mercy” (Equiano and Edwards‚ Pg.122) he was able to survive and earn his freedom. Equiano was baptized in February 1769 by his present name Gustavus Vasa at St. Margaret ’s Church in Westminster‚ England. Yet‚ whichever name one may refer to him as‚ one thing remains unquestionable‚ his faith in God. Equiano placed
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