Slavery and the "Life of Olaudah Equiano"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African", by Olaudah Equiano, a freed man, who seeks to convey the horrors of slavery and the pain he experienced, while not offending his white readers so much that his story is never heard. The writer shows that Olaudah Equiano, although there is subdued resentment and seemingly subtle instances of contempt of his captors in his narrative, more often writes with respect and humility, showing that he still has his sense of obedience to them (and perhaps feelings of obligation to them for setting him free, but even more obligation to his own people to make sure their story is heard).

From the Paper:

"Since we know Equiano writes from the perspective of a freed man, we can understand why he views and describe some of his experiences with disdain and bitterness. However, even though he shows his frustration with the whites, he does so eloquently (rather than in a bashing and more brutal way), so as not to offend the white reader. In Chapter II, Equiano, when describing his fear of being killed on board the slave ship, refers to the Whites as "bad spirits," referring to "their long hair, and the language they spoke (755)." In such great fear, it is somewhat odd that Equiano refers to them merely as "bad spirits," and talks only of their physical attributes."

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• Book Review # 149295 : "The Autobiography of Olaudah Equiano"

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