olaudah equiano essays

olaudah equiano essays Olaudah Equiano called Gustavus Vassa by his white masters, became a legend through his words. In 1788 England published his autobiographical work, Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative, which set the precedent for anti-slavery literature written by former slaves themselves. This would have a profound impact on the abolition movements in the eighteenth century. Born in a small village called Eboe, Equiano would travel far before his death in 1797. African slave traders took him from his family when he was eleven, thus beginning a journey that can be compared to no other. Equiano's narrative reveals the difference between slavery in Africa and the West. The West was much more cruel and inhumane. Equiano recalls that slavery was a part of the Eboe world but, unlike the European exploitation of Africans by Westerners, Eboe slaves were acquired as prisoners for committing inhumane acts. Equiano's enslavement did not follow the rules of his land, he was taken as a young innocent boy. Equiano was fortunate to have mostly kind masters. He nevertheless recalls his African masters as like second families to him. Many spoke the same language and had similar customs. As he was passed from master to master, the differences in languages and cultures became greater. Equiano now had to assimilate to each culture, usually by force. The purpose of Equiano's narrative was to heighten the awareness of those who had little knowledge of the cruelty of the institution of slavery. Through Equiano's vivid accounts of the mistreatment of blacks, the reader is able to understand the malicious treatment Equiano and other slaves endured. After being taken from his family and living with some African masters, Equiano then endured the notorious trials associated with the voyage across the Atlantic known as the middle passage. Equiano tells of the horror he faced while aboard the ship, "I was not ...