Abstract
This paper analyzes a single passage from the slave narrative of Olaudah Equiano, entitled 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano', or 'Gustavus Vassa, the African'. In this paper, the author chose a passage from the text that highlighted the significant and intriguing economic argument that Equiano made against slavery and the slave trade in this autobiographical narrative.

From the Paper
"I have sometimes heard it asserted that a negro cannot earn his master the first cost; but nothing can be further from the truth. I suppose nine tenths of the mechanics throughout the West Indies are negro slaves; and I well know the coopers among them earn two dollars a day; the carpenters the same, and oftentimes more; as also the masons, smiths, and fishermen, &c. and I have known many slaves whose masters would not take a thousand pounds current for them. But surely this assertion refutes itself; for, if it be true, why do the planters and merchants pay such a price for slaves? And, above all, why do those who make this assertion exclaim the most loudly against the abolition of the slave trade? So much are men blinded, and to such inconsistent arguments are they driven by mistaken interest!"

Tags:olaudah, equiano, analysis

Abstract
Olaudah Equiano's book The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written by Himself is an extraordinary book. Published in 1789, it is the autobiographical narrative of a man kidnapped into the hell of slavery from his home village in Benin, Africa. Equiano recalls how he was taken to England, where he was educated and converted to Christianity. Thereafter, he tells of his adventures as a slave in the West Indies.

From the Paper
Comparison of Two Articles on The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written by Himself Olaudah Equiano's book The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African, Written by Himself is an extraordinary book. Published in 1789, it is the autobiographical narrative of a man kidnapped into the hell of slavery from his home village in Benin, Africa. Equiano recalls how he was taken to England, where he was educated and converted to Christianity. Thereafter, he tells of his adventures as a slave in the West Indies. The majority of the book deals with his life and adventures as a free man, culminating in his life as a free man in England. This

Tags:slavery, narrative, equiano

Abstract
An examination of the autobiography "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," and the slave psychology that Equiano does not entirely abandon. This is evident even though his autobiography is meant as an antislavery polemic.

From the Paper
In 'The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano' written by Himself, Olaudah Equiano purportedly offers the experiences of his own life as a means of legitimating his social protest against the slave trade even as he fails to fully abandon the psychology of slavehood, which may be partly explained by research showing that the autobiography may not be factual. Over the course of his narrative Equiano's double consciousness as slave and as free man surfaces in complex and ultimately troubling ways. There is tacit evidence from the..."

Tags:Olauda Equiano, antislavery, autobiography, slave narrative, abolitionism, ethnic identity, factitious narrative

Abstract
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."

Tags:dehumanization trespass flogging anger, bad spirit, savage

Abstract
This paper discusses and reviews the autobiography entitled, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African,". It describes the storyline and the plot of the book and the discusses the writer's personal reactions to it. The paper then looks at how effective Equiano's narrative was as a from of propaganda to develop opposition to slavery.

Table of Contents:
The Book's Message about the Institution of Slavery and the Slave Trade
Surprising Aspects of Equiano's Account
Effectiveness of Equiano's Narrative as a Form of Propaganda Meant to Develop Opposition to Slavery
Editing Equiano's Account

From the Paper
"More than anything else, the book would have forced those far removed from the procurement of their slaves on a distant continent to face the ugly realities that paid for their source of labor. In the most developed and so-called civilized nations of the Western part of the world, treatment of slaves, while still atrocious by any moral standard, would likely have been much better, on the whole, than on the African continent."
"In retrospect, it is nothing less than astonishing that post-Enlightenment/post-Industrial Revolution men of education and societal distinction would ever have tolerated, much less partaken in the enslavement and life-long exploitation of fellow human beings. The justification most often suggested is that it is difficult, if not entirely unfair altogether, to judge social conventions of earlier times by modern ethical and humanitarian standards."

Tags:slavery, civilization, morality

Abstract
This paper discusses the life of Olaudah Equiano, through his autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano". The paper outlines Equiano's life as a slave, illustrating how during his lifetime, he was bought and sold like a commodity. The atrocities, cruelties and hardships of slavery are portrayed as they were witnessed by Equiano. The paper points out that Equiano tells his story with an unbiased, fair and accurate historical tone.

From the Paper
"Equiano was born in 1745 in an Ibo village in Nigeria. In 1756 he was kidnapped by British slave traders and taken to the West Indies. He eventually ended up on a Virginia Plantation. Equiano lived through the Seven Year's War, which was one of the most important naval battles in history. During this battle, he was owned by a British man, Lt. Michael Henry Pascal, who had bought him as a gift for his cousin in London. Equiano fought for the British during the seven-year war against France. Even though he had earned his freedom by fighting in the war, Pascal would not allow Equiano his freedom. Instead he took away all of Equiano's books and sold him to the captain of a slave ship in 1763. He was then sold to Robert King, a Quaker who eventually sold him his freedom for forty pounds."

Tags:ibo, nigeria, pascal, robert, king

Abstract
The paper provides an overview of the life of Olaudah Equiano and relates that his autobiography "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African" is credited by many historians with assisting in the eventual abolition of slavery. The paper discusses how researchers have indicated certain reservations about the authenticity of aspects of the autobiography, but the narrative is generally accepted to be authentic. The paper concludes that this work is both a personal expression of one individual's life experience as well as a political act that helped to bring slavery to a close.

Outline:
The Life and Writings of Olaudah Equiano
The Question of Authenticity
Conclusion

From the Paper
"According to the autobiography, in the summer of 1754, Equiano was sold to Michael Pascal an officer in the Royal Navy. This is a fact that has been independently verified by researchers, which suggests the veracity of the account of his life. (Olaudah Equiano: A Critical Biography). He was given the name Gustavus Vassa, which an ironic reference to a Swedish nobleman who led his people to independence. (Olaudah Equiano: A Critical Biography) It should also be noted that the naming of Equiano was typical of the process of slavery where the individual was intentionally deprived of all sense of individual identity. Despite this, Equiano went on to become a successful and independent individual in his own right.
"As a slave to a naval officer, Equiano had some excellent opportunities to develop himself. In the first instance he broadened his horizons through travel and visited England. From there he was also able to visit the rest of Europe. With the help of his owner he also learnt to read and write at a school in London. (Olaudah Equiano: A Critical Biography) This was to prove invaluable to his later advancement and development.
"In the 1750s The Seven Years War was being fought between Britain and France. Equiano was involved in the war in both Canada and the Mediterranean. (Olaudah Equiano: A Critical Biography) After this period he was again sold as a slave to a Quaker by the name of Robert King. As he was by now relatively well educated, he was considered to be too valuable to work as a normal slave in the plantations and he was trained as a gauger, a person who calculates weights and measures."

Tags:slavery, freedom, authenticity

Abstract
The paper discusses the serious doubts many have as to Olaudah Equiano's roots and how some assert that Equiano may have invented rather than reclaimed an African identity. The paper considers how Equiano presented himself as an African and why Equiano adopted a complicated notion of self-identity. The paper discusses how even after publishing his book, "The Interesting Narrative", critics in London doubted that he could have written it himself. The paper opines that given the slavery and racism at the time, it is not hard to relate to the skepticism of Caucasian editors and critics regarding a black man's writing skills.

Outline:
Thesis
Introduction
Questions for Consideration

From the Paper
"Olaudah Equiano and Gustavus Vassa are of course the same person with two distinct identities. Equiano did not choose Gustavus Vassa as a name; Equiano became known as Gustavus Vassa because an officer in the British Royal Navy gave it to him, a slave owner named Michael Henry Pascal. Having a name like Gustavus Vassa apparently gave Equiano (in the eyes of Pascal) more European legitimacy and dignity. And it matched up near perfectly with Equiano's desire to be modern, polite, educated and polished like Caucasians. And so there were clear purposes to this duel identity: a) being Equiano gave the man a link to his native culture and gave him justification to write at length of his slave experiences. And b) being Vassa gave the man a European identity and the credibility to write and have his work published as a man of letters and vast New World experience."

Tags:slavery, writer, Caucasians, racism

Abstract
The paper discusses Olaudah Equiano's personal journey of transcendence to become a deeply spiritual man, and looks at how Christianity gave him the means by which to escape the psychological bonds of slavery. The paper describes how he developed his sailing skills and became a leading proponent in abolishing slavery in Europe. The paper notes the influences slave owners had on Equiano and relates that he introduced the element of social protest that provided the basis for later slavery autobiographies.

From the Paper
"Olaudah Equiano's story is a story of self realization. Externally, he had to rise logistically from the bonds of slavery. But the lessons he learned about himself and about humanity in his experience are what informed his own personal journey of transcendence to become a deeply spiritual man, and a great writer who transformed the perceptions of slaves through the slave autobiography genre that he in effect began, and whom famous writers such as Frederick Douglass and Carver were to follow. It begins with the fact that Equiano realized that he needed and could escape what was a horrific fate of slavery, he would have to develop his wits and outshine or outmatch and overcome the brutal and overwhelming trap of slavery. Professionally, he needed an economic outlet by which to buy his freedom so he developed his sailing skills. Spiritually, he need a moral code and a moral connection that could enable him to overcome the spiritual and psychological pain that slavery imposed upon him and all who were enslaved by society. And ultimately socially, he became a champion for the abolition of slavery and was a leading proponent in abolishing slavery in Europe."

Tags:Christianity, sailors, abolitionism, slavery

Abstract
This paper is on slavery in the 18th century as illustrated in the autobiography of the slave, Olaudah Equiano. It explains how this was the first autobiography by a slave and was first published in 1789. The book tells us about the country he was captured from and also about the horrors and cruelties he had to bear because of his enslavement in the West Indies.

From the Paper
"From his famous autobiography, written in 1789,we learn that Olaudah Equiano was born in 1745 in Nigeria. He was kidnapped and sold into slavery when he was only eleven years old. He was bought by a captain in the Royal Navy, and later sold to a Quaker merchant. It was through his second master he learnt about trading and saving that eventually led to his emancipation. As a seaman, he traveled around the world, from the Mediterranean all the way to the North Pole. It was after moving to London, that he became so closely involved in the movement to end the slave trade, and also motivated him to write and publish The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa the African. The book was an instant bestseller proved to be highly persuasive in ending slavery. This book was written nearly thirty years after he was emancipated from slavery."

Tags:west, indies, slave, slavery, africa