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He takes advantage of each new situation and has his fellow mariners and owners teach him new skills. He says that he often used his free time to "improve himself" (70). When visiting a new island he speaks of his being able to go "about different parts of the island [ . . . ] gratifying [himself]" (75). He expresses a great amount of autonomy in these actions. He is free to choose his occupations and does so. Though inarguably he is in these places because of his being abducted and put into slavery, Equiano's independent and self-confident attitude makes him see each turn of events as being advantageous to him as an individual. He learns "many of the manoeuvurs [sic] of the ship" he sails on; the knowledge helps him gain a career as a sailor (53).
The extent of Equiano's belief in his freedom is mentioned throughout the book. He asserts again and again that he does not consider himself a slave. He tells the reader that he cannot remember how he came to be purchased by Michael Henry Pasial; he does not "remember" the details or how much Michael paid for him (45). For Olaudah Equiano to purchase his freedom from Michael, he must pay his master back, as law demands. But Equiano doesn't how much he cost Michael. He appears indifferent to the very detail that would enable him to secure his own freedom. The implication is that it is not important to him. He does not consider himself a possession; therefore, he does not have to worry about buying his freedom. He affirms this interpretation when he says, "no man has a right to sell" him (81).
Though he certainly admits to serving his masters throughout the course of the novel,...
He says again and again that he was not forced, but rather had a "wish to serve" (170). The use of "wish" puts the power of choice into Olaudah Equiano's hands: a very un-slave-like attitude. This idea of choice is echoed in his descriptions of how he "shipped" himself on a boat (175, 174). He is not forced upon one boat or another but chooses the vessel of his own accord; he does it to himself.
He sees himself on par with the people who own him. As mentioned earlier, he sees himself as part of their family. He also adopts their religion not because they order it but because he wants to save his own soul. A fellow slave tells him that he "could not go to Heaven unless [he] was baptized" (62). The concern is for his individual benefit. It's not that he can't be saved unless they, the powerful owners, baptize him, but rather only if he takes the initiative and baptizes himself. He also struggles to learn their language and educate himself in their ideals. He works to become more like them daily. His captors aid him in this. Miss Guerins "sent [him] to school" (62). What is intrinsic here is Equiano's belief that he is on enough of a par with his owners that he can be equal with them: he can be educated; he can be saved. He says, "from the various scenes I had beheld on board ship I" became in certain respects "almost an Englishman" (62). Though society may view Equiano as a slave, his actions, words, and attitudes throughout the novel indicate that he does not see himself in the same light.
Works Cited
Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah…
Works Cited
Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus
Vassa, the African. Ed. Shelly Eversley. New York: Modern Library, 2004.
Olaudah Equiano, Enlightenment Era Olaudah Equiano is credited with surviving, and perhaps even thriving in, perilous circumstances that would have destroyed the best of men. His is a character study in complexity because he has an extremely trenchant mind, as manifested in his verbal prowess and in his business acumen, the latter of which was directly responsible for the purchasing of his own freedom from chattel slavery in the 18th century.
..really believe[d] the people could not have been saved" (Carretta, p. 129). In conclusion, this is a fascinating man who was put into slavery and later became an educated, respected writer in his own time. And yet, even after publishing his book, the Interesting Narrative, critics in London doubted that he could have written it himself. A black man with such narrative skill was obviously a rarity. In the Monthly Review,
Equiano and Slavery Equiano's main purpose in writing this Narrative was to inspire Parliament to abolish the African slave trade, which he stated at the beginning when he presented it in 1789. Part of his strategy was to describe himself as a humble "unlettered African" grateful to the West for obtaining knowledge of Christianity, liberalism, and humanitarian principles who is petitioning on behalf of his "suffering countryman" (p. 2). For the
5). Although the author was far from being fortunate to have been sold and bought and sold again, his ability to survive the sea passage that killed so many of his brethren testifies as much to his luck as to his mental and physical strength. Moreover, Equiano was young enough when he was first sold to the British to have still retained the fear of a child that might
(Olaudah Equiano: A Critical Biography) In the final analysis while there may be some controversy about various details and dates, the narrative in the book is generally accepted to be authentic and reveals a man's search for meaning and freedom. 3. Conclusion The autobiography of Olaudah Equiano is a testament to the search for human freedom and a firm indictment of the practice of slavery. Whatever the debate it about its
Although Equiano portrays 'good' whites in his narrative, perhaps to make his condemnation of slavery more persuasive to his audience, he is also unsparing in his presentation of its horrors. African girls as young as ten are defiled, and men are branded with their master's initials to prevent them from escaping: "And yet in Montserrat I have seen a negro man staked to the ground, and cut most shockingly,