Equiano\'s Awareness of His Lowly

¶ … Equiano's awareness of his lowly status as a slave impel him to turn to a European religion; adopt European (capitalist) business practices; and become an 'individual' in the European and/or Enlightenment sense of that term? Do you think Equiano abandoned his 'roots,' by participating enthusiastically in European wars, religion, and commerce (including the slave trade), etc. Did he 'sell out' to some extent? Obviously, Equiano is a complex character. He was an abolitionist but he also participated in the slave trade and advocated the colonization of Africa (at the end of his memoir).

A former African slave among whites

Olaudah Equiano's autobiography is one of the first to have been written by an African-American and the first important slave autobiography, considering its influence on society as a whole. Although it is difficult to determine the writer's position in regard to the commercial character of slavery and slave-related businesses at the time, it is obvious that ending the institution was among his most praised goals. His choice to get actively involved in the European society is most probably proof of his desire to adapt to a particular community without letting preconceptions guide his behavior.

There have been several cases when Equiano was naively led to believe that it would be best for him to engage in supporting activities apparently meant to improve conditions for African people, only to find that the European society was less interested in investing in programs and more concerned about getting rid of people who were formerly slaves. Giving his rather beneficial relationship with those who owned him, it is very probable that the writer was primarily focused on improving living conditions for African slaves from around the world. Regardless of the motives behind writing the autobiography, it rapidly came to be appreciated by the contemporary society and in addition to the revenues it generated, it is considered to have been one of the main reasons for which the European community (the English community in particular) started to promote abolitionist convictions.

Equiano's choice to profit as a result of the knowledge he accumulated through the years does not necessarily have to be seen from the perspective of a biased anti-slavery individual. It is likely that he recognized the fact that there was little that he as an individual could do for his counterparts being sold and tortured around the world. As a result, he concentrated on bettering his condition, as he knew that capitalism was primarily based on one's influence in society.

In an environment valuing concepts like money, reputation, and social status in general, Equiano needed to do anything in his power to have those around him see him differently. His involvement in the slave business and his determination to support African colonization can be attributed to his concern about improving conditions for slaves. He was aware that it was very unlikely for slavery to be abolished during his lifetime and thus struggled to pave the way for the future.

One cannot blame Equiano for the fact that he came to behave more like Europeans than like people belonging to his own race. His ability to adapt and to make the best out of a situation earned him the right to freedom and self-improvement. Even though the contemporary society was determined to exploit Africans as much as possible, Equiano gradually demonstrated his superior intellect and came to be appreciated because of his character and because he was quick to learn.

Considering other stories involving Africans and their suffering as slaves, it is very probable that Equiano's autobiography was fueled by real-life occurrences. If one were concerned about producing an account that would impress society, it is likely that the respective person would involve more shocking narratives, as conditions for Africans were horrible at the time and an individual could have easily written an impressive book only by gathering stories from slaves.

Equiano demonstrated that an African was equally capable of earning money and of engaging in commercial affairs, with race being little more than an impediment imposed by society. Given his triumph in making enough money to earn his freedom, he and society as a whole acknowledged that one's success lays in the respective individual's determination. Even with that, the fact that Equiano came across several supportive masters across his life as a slave was essential in making him better prepared to deal with conditions in a society that was generally inclined to favor white individuals in favor of black people.

Matters were critical for slaves living at the time, especially for those working on plantations set on the American continent, with their masters being willing to work them to death, certain that black people were easily replaceable and that their only value was related to their capability to generate incomes through using physical power. Equiano is responsible for showing the world that black people were not actually as inferior as most people preferred to believe. His intellect made him a respected individual, one that was better prepared to deal with issues related to discrimination. Even when he was mistaken for a slave (at the time when he wanted to go to England to take advantage of his freedom), the way he spoke and his ability to put across rational reasoning assisted him in being released.

Equiano was experienced in business affairs involving the European society and as a result devised a plan meant to benefit Europe and Africa alike. From his perspective, investing in Africa would provide Europeans with large revenues. Similarly, Africans would live in better conditions as a result of putting their physical and mental power to work by collaborating with the Europeans. "Population, the bowels, and surface of Africa, abound in valuable and useful returns; the hidden treasures of centuries would be brought to light and into circulation" (Equiano 179).

The writer saw the potential that the African continent had and was determined to exploit its capacity to provide itself and Europe with large incomes. Equiano was certain that there were numerous industries that could be taken advantage of in Africa, each of them waiting to be accessed by a European merchant. He stressed the importance of abolishing slavery as an essential part of the collaboration that was to be started between Africans and Europeans. Africans would apparently be more interested in improving the industry if they were presented with the opportunity to profit from the business. Consequent to that, Europeans would recognize that slavery is wrong because of the fact that it makes Africans less interested in putting across dedication.

Equiano's main focus was related to proving that it would actually be profitable to abolish slavery, with this being better for society as a whole both from a financial point-of-view and from a moral perspective. His involvement in the trade business and one of the reasons for which he initially earned large amounts of money stands as evidence that he was well aware of his situation and of the fact that he could not experience progress if he returned to his homeland without becoming a part of the European society and of the white community in general. One can actually claim that Equiano was more interested in improving conditions for his people than in improving his own life.