The slave vessel carried Equiano to Barbados, the eastern-most Caribbean island and an inglorious port of entry for thousands of captive Africans. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is the first example in English of the slave narrative, the autobiography written by one of the millions of persons from Africa or of African descent who were enslaved in the Atlantic world between the sixteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Every bit of information that he presented to his readers was seen as an illustration of a slaves life (Jaros 17). . Equiano makes the plight of slavery more vivid and relatable to his readers by talking about slaves not as property (like the slave traders do), but as human beings subject to exhaustion and able to be creative and strategic within the bounds of their dire circumstances. The Kidnapped Prince: The Life of Olaudah Equiano. -Graham S. For the nearly 300 years that preceded Olaudah Equianos writing of his life, the international slave trade had shrunk the world like never before: globalization could already describe this interconnected relationship between humans, goods, and places. In The Interesting Narrative Equiano idealized Africa and showed great pride in the ways of life there, and he attacked those who trafficked in slavery across Africa. Rediker, Marcus. What does moses symbolize african american literature? Olaudah Equiano, also known as Gustavus Vassa (b. What are some examples of how providers can receive incentives? Olaudah Equiano In his memoir, he writes that he grew to the point where he yearned for death. They can only justify these actions by considering black people as less than human. Equianos is an extraordinary memoir, telling the authors life story from his birth in west Africa, in what was then known as Essaka (in what is now the nation of Nigeria), his kidnapping, the middle passage across the Atlantic ocean in a slave ship, the brutality of the slave system in the American colonies in the Caribbean, the mainland of North America, and at sea. Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. Equiano is even baptized in 1759, although his conversion later in his life was a more profoundly impactful event in his spiritual growth. However, the question of credibility of the facts introduced in his book may change ones perception of Equianos narrative. Rather, they focused on ending the slave trade, arguing that if slave owners were unable to purchase new slaves kidnapped and transported from Africa, they would be forced to be more benevolent to their own slaves, and the institution would be forced to reform itself. His story is an inspiration to all who read it, and his contributions to literature and to the fight against slavery are significant and lasting. From there he was traded between a number of different masters and participated in the French and Indian wars, events that he recounts at length in his autobiography, before finally purchasing his freedom. This Far by Faith . Olaudah Equiano | PBS The life of Olaudah Equiano, otherwise known as Gustavus Vassa, is interesting for a number of reasons. Though Equiano gained his freedom in the Caribbean, he was also simultaneously confronted with the reality of the unimaginable violence perpetrated against slaves. Once, a Creole man, who worked as a servant in Montserrat, told. Olaudah Equiano | Slavery and Remembrance Among his experiences, religion greatly influenced Equiano in developing a certain character found like-able among his masters as a slave. During a stay in London in the late 1750s, Equiano worked for two sisters who sent him to school where he began to learn to read and write. The standard history of people of African descent in Britain. The narrative that Equiano proposed in his work should have expanded beyond one person to the nations that suffered from slavery. Complete your free account to request a guide. Corrections? Because of its wide influence, Equiano is sometimes regarded as the originator of the slave narrative, although numerous autobiographies in various forms by people formerly enslaved in the United States were published beginning in the mid-18th century. In 2009 a tablet memorializing Equiano was installed at Londons St. Margarets Church, where he was baptized in 1759. He came from a powerful familyhis father was a political leaderbut that fact could . Updates? He was a man who managed to overcome tremendous odds to achieve success and make a difference in the world. Who wrote the music and lyrics for Kinky Boots? These parallels helped to merge his identity as an African ex-slave into that of his European identity of Gustavus Vassa. In his autobiography, Equiano detailed his experiences as a slave, as well as his eventual emancipation. Moral Capital: Foundations of British Abolitionism. What type of literature does steinbeck write? Your email address will not be published. He also turns to the Bible, citing Acts 17:26: God who hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth., Equiano was 11 years old when Igbo-speaking slave catchers stole him and his sister away from their home. In twelve chapters, Equiano presented a body of evidence that helped to support the cause of abolition and the end of transatlantic slaving by Britain and others. Equiano is writing his narrative against such benevolent maintenance of the status quo, though in his own life hes found it necessary to work within an unjust system. Complete your free account to access notes and highlights. In his work, Equiano portrayed the lives of enslaved people and devoted a significant part of the text to describe various types of abuse from which many slaves suffered.