Olaudah Equiano

Equiano's Travels reveals a European mind state far removed from philosophe theory. From the outset of his narrative, Equiano's description of his short-lived childhood is filled with cultural detail giving insight into the life of his people. His words also convey his naivety, as Equiano claims to have at one time never even heard of Europeans. When he recounts the day he and his sister were kidnapped from their own yard by greedy countrymen, the reader gets a sense of the inhumanity that exists even in the earliest stages of slavery. Being torn from his sister is a similarly gut-wrenching detail that plagues the reader with a sense of guilt that refuses to leave even after the excerpt has ended. The narration between that takes the reader from the shore of Equiano's homeland to the interior of the putrid-smelling slave ship and across a seemingly endless ocean drives the point of slavery's evils home. The conditions of such enslavement stand in direct violation of the philosophe's theory of human freedom. While their beliefs deny authority, Equiano's account tells the story of a place where these laws are permanently suspended, and man is made beast before his master.

Olaudah Equiano, born in 1745, was a prominent member of the british movement for ending the slave trade and wrote an autobiography entitled, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”. Equiano 's main purpose within writing this excerpt from chapter two of his autobiography was to convince his audience to support the anti-Slave Trade movement, this is evident in his tone switching by the paragraph, his switch of style from a narrative to rhetorical questioning, and his liberal use of phrases that would create sympathy.

Equiano was a victim of this Triangular Trade enterprise and was taken away from everything he had ever known at the young age of 11. He was traded from tribe to tribe and in most cases was treated just like any other child of the village. He is labeled as a slave, though the treatment he receives does not fall under the stereotypical conditions of a slave. He was allowed to play with other children and was treated like a

Equiano’s rhetorical devices which include ethos, pathos, and logos abet to define and accomplish his rhetorical purpose. His ethos, or ethical assurance, is conveyed in his level of education portrayed by his sentence structure and high diction. Furthermore, as proven in historical documents, Equiano was a slave aboard one of the many slave ships. With this, the reader can accredit Equiano’s narrative to be a reliable and first-hand source to the journey of the “Middle Passage.”

Olaudah Equiano’s “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavas Vassa, the African” was first published in 1789 in London, England (687). Equiano’s narrative is informative; however, it is critical of the treatment of slaves and persuasive in its appeals to end the brutal treatment of African Americans. His intended audience was his friends and the public. Regarding the purpose of his narrative, Equiano wrote in Chapter I, “If it affords any satisfaction to my numerous friends … or in the smallest degree promotes the interests of humanity, the ends for which it was undertaken will be fully attained” (688). His narrative also offered a first-hand (first-person narrative) account of slavery and shared the story of his journey towards freedom. Equiano’s narrative is in chronological order after a brief introduction in Chapter I, which explained his purpose for writing his story along with providing background information on his childhood and the culture of his birthplace in Essaka, Africa. Furthermore, although much of Equiano’s story centered on his extensive sea travel, his harmonious mixture of formal and informal word choices along with the lack of the technical terminology commonly associated with sailors helps the general audience

Equiano’s awareness of his situation helps him find a way to buy his own freedom and become his own man. He no longer belonged to anyone else. After he managed to free himself, he worked the rest of his life in attempts to abolish slavery. The entire intention of his book was to convince people that slavery was wrong and tried to help them realize how horrible it was being treated like farm animals. However, the book also spends a large amount of emphasis on Equiano’s religion.

Equiano’s writing in comparison to others at the time was very against what others would argue. He was able to use his own evidence to prove to other writers about the truth. His evidence is used to argue against the opposite ideas of other writers. These writers are abolitionists, philosophers, and writers. They have their own perspectives and their own ways of explaining their own ideas. Each writer made their own statement about Equiano. He was able to use his life to tell a story about himself and the adventure he went to achieve his freedom. He is able to use

The Life of Olaudah Equiano focuses on the various scenes to which Equiano or otherwise known as Gustavus Vassa was a witness too. Equiano’s story allows for an in depth perspective of slave trade and the way it functioned. Equiano takes the reader upon his journey as an African Slave beginning with his experiences in his native village, his numerous amounts of masters, cruelties and oppressions across the globe, and all the way to his success as a freeman. Equiano strongly focuses on the fact that almost every event in his life made an impression on his mind and influenced his conduct. Hence, making sense of the importance of his status and growth despite of his roots. Equiano always remained aware of his race and culture however he was in search of a freedom that no matter whom he was told to be his identity of obtaining this as well as soon gaining control of his own life always remained the same.

Olaudah Equiano, the author of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano was captured in Africa and sold into slavery. Later in life, he purchased his freedom and wrote his autobiography in 1789. Equiano experienced hardships beyond imaging in his years as a slave and oftentimes witnessed extensive cruelty by whites towards Africans. Equiano 's experience of the Atlantic slave trade and middle passage as we understand it today was typical of a regular captive. The Atlantic slave trade, more specifically the experience that Equiano had was horrific. The Atlantic slave trade stands as one of the greatest mistreatments towards other humans to have ever happened, for nearly 400 years this occurred. Equiano 's experience however

Everyone has traits that enables them to overcome adversity and prevail against all odds, whether it be strength, passion, intelligence or perseverance we all have the capability to achieve and survive the unthinkable. Olaudah Equiano possessed many of these personality traits and much more when it came down to his survival during his enslavement. Not only was he able to survive the harsh and dreadful life as a slave but he was able to achieve great accomplishments as a free black man. Even though Olaudah Equiano believed life for a free black was harder than the life of a slave he used his characteristic traits such as obedience, diligence, honesty, and his businessman mindset to help him navigate and get through such times whereas others did not or could not survive. Equiano used his positive personality traits to his advantage in some ways but most importantly he was genuine in his will to survive and become free.

Throughout the book The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Equiano tries to say that he is just an ordinary person, but this cannot be the case. He survives several ship wrecks, learns to read and write, and is able to buy his freedom. This is far from ordinary and borderlines with extraordinary. As he describes his adventures he starts by telling you a depressing story of how his sister got separated from him. This sets up the reader to know that there is plenty more tragedy to come. This is when he gets thrown into a life of slavery. From there he tries to wiggle his way out from the life of a slave and to create his own. Equiano uses anecdotes that he has experienced to prove to his readers that slavery is cruel and unforgiving, such as the time when he was being transported, to the treatment under his masters, and finally even when he was a free man.

In Olaudah Equiano narrative discusses the many obstacles, struggles which he has to overcome for his path to freedom. Equiano had many difficult problems in his life which many people have taken a special role in. I will discuss about the countless people that had both positive and negative impact in Equiano’s life. Equiano’s life was not an easy one, I will argue despite the many obstacles that came across his life he always remained strong which is why he was able to gain his freedom. I will discuss the major transitions that were made in in his. The unexpected journeys that came in his life and changed it entirely.

Olaudah Equiano is a former African slave that accounts his capture and passage to the New World. He was the son of an African chief in a West African village. He begins his accounts by talking about his family and life in Africa. Equiano describes how he and his sister were kidnapped by African slave traders when he was 11. He was soon separated from his sister and traveled for months till he reaches the Atlantic coast.

In The Interesting Narrative and Other Writings by Olaudah Equiano, Equiano gave interesting descriptions of his and others experience as a slave. He begins his novel by first explaining the place where he grew up, Nigeria, Africa. This part of Africa during that time was very fruitful and rich. Given this location, it can be understood that Equiano came from a family of wealth and power. He was the youngest and most favored of his siblings. Equiano explained the different African traditions and practices, i.e. honoring the dead, arranged marriages, dance ceremonies. Equiano loved Africa and his family but sadly one horrific day, he and his older sister were stolen from their home and later separated from each other. Not only was he

In Olaudah Equiano’s life there were three ways a person became a slave. Either by one 's tribe losing a battle against another, and being forced to serve them, committing a horrendous crime, or being abducted by kidnappers, and purely sold for weaponry or money. Equiano’s journey through his life as a slave, started as just that, by being kidnapped. At a young age Equiano