Olaudah Equiano Enlightenment Era

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.

However, that incisive mind of his was also indelibly stained with the perspective of Western supremacy, which eventually eradicated virtually all respect he had for his indigenous way of life. To his credit, he was able to overcome the personal horrors of slavery and, for the duration of the rest of his life, became a staunch advocate for the end of the institution that mercilessly wrenched him from his family and from his native perspective at a tender age.

An examination of various aspects of Equiano's life demonstrates the fact that these were his only admirable feats, and that the rest of his life was spent pitifully wallowing in the notion of Western superiority and African inferiority. It is extremely disturbing to see how much Equiano was completely 'whitewashed' after surviving slavery and assimilating to European society afterwards.

He married a European woman, and readily took up the virtues of Christianity, which is one of the most preeminent Western religions on the face of the earth and, more importantly, one of the primary tools used to ultimately justify the form of chattel slavery that victimized him. Therefore, the fact that he lived the majority of his life acclaiming the virtues of this religion certainly appears to be a huge contradiction, although in fact it is just a mere testament to how much he had assimilated into European culture.

Moreover, there should be little doubt that he placed this Westernized religion and other components of its cultural mores well beyond anything he associated with his native Africa. The subsequent quotation shows how taken he was with all things European, including this religion that epitomizes Westernized greed and exploitation.

After referencing his enslavement he concludes that he was "more than compensated by the introduction" he got to "the Christian religion, and of a nation which, by its liberal sentiments, its humanity, the glorious freedom of its government, and its proficiency in arts and sciences, has exalted the dignity of human nature" (Equiano). It is quite clear to the prudent reader that the superlatives that Equiano bestos upon westernized culture in this quotation simply comes from his full assimilation into it.

The author wants to partake in all of the goodness and glory that he exalts the West for, therefore he lauds it unabashedly. However, the contradictions in this quote, and within Equiano's life and character, are readily abundant. He praises a free government that readily usurps the freedom of others (Equiano included). He rewards the "dignity" of such Westernized civilization he engage in cheating, robbing, stealing, raping, and wantonly engaging in other undignified acts in other people.

He rewards the humanity that robs the humanity of others, and is extremely willing to supplant his own heritage, his own culture, for the sake of a Christian religion that justified all of the pernicious, noxious behavior that the greed of slavery came to manifest. The crux of Equiano's complexity is the fact that he has whole heartedly subscribed to the standards that European civilization represents, particularly in regards to asserting its purported cultural dominance over cultures that are different, and not necessarily inferior.

That is why the author is quick to issue plaudits to the aesthetics of that culture, its arts and sciences. His memoir was his attempt to again become part of that tradition of perceived excellence. Since he has adopted the European view of superiority, he downplays any cultural, artistic, or scientific -- not to mention spiritual -- achievements of his own people.

Even when he is disparaging the ills of slavery, he still makes it abundantly clear that he considers African culture, traditions and customs grossly inferior to that of Europe -- which merely emphasize the extent to which he has assimilated to Westernized ways. In his memoir, he asserts "Let the polished and haughty European recollect that his ancestors were once, like the Africans, uncivilized, and even barbarous. Did Nature make them inferior to their sons? And should they too have been made slaves? Every rational mind answers, No" (Equiano).

The author's diction is this passage is critical to understanding his propensity for standing up for slavery, yet readily acknowledging the superiority of Europe and her ways.