Background
“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” is a memoir that describes the author’s life as an enslaved person and documents his struggle toward becoming independent. The book’s setting is in England and parts of the world, such as the Caribbean Islands and Nigeria, as the writer’s position as a slave denied him the chance to grow up like others and live in a comfortable home. Nevertheless, the author’s experiences are relatable, judging by the events documented by African-Americans during the slavery Era. The literary text is unique to others published during its time because it was one of the first to question society’s humanity, morality, and rationality based on the existing social fabrics. Throughout the text, the author adopts intriguing literary styles, vivid imagery of his encounters, and features such as religion and superstition to explain why slavery is animalistic and should be eradicated. Olaudah Equiano’s work had significant implications on the public’s opinion of slavery and allowed him to become a prominent figure in the slavery abolitionist movement.
Olaudah Equiano is a celebrated writer whose African roots trace back to the Eboe region of the Benin Kingdom of West Africa. In the book’s first few chapters, the author explains his plight and describes how he was kidnapped with his sister and shipped to the Caribbean, where he ended up as a servant to a Royal Navy Officer. The author recounts his life and the struggles people faced in the 18th century, allowing him to dive deep into several issues that made life miserable for individuals considered different. However, his story culminates when he finally wins his independence and achieves a position as a renowned antislavery advocate. The narrative quickly gained international prominence and mixed reactions from critics, most of whom were biased because the author was African-American. However, his approaches to slavery issues are remarkable because they leave a long-lasting impact on their readers.
Imagery, Issues, and Ideas Associated with the Period
Olaudah Equiano adopts vivid imagery to describe his escapades from when he was a child to when he achieved his ambitions. The author compares and contrasts his people’s cultures, religions, and beliefs with the Jews’ and concludes that they are broadly similar. Like the Jews, his people believed in a creator who was the Supreme Being, practiced circumcision, and respected the marriage institution. Similarly, he describes his feelings after losing his sister and reuniting, only to lose her again (Equiano, 2021). Moreover, he takes time to describe the atrocities African-Americans faced as they were transported like animals in sail ships. According to the author, some preferred drowning to living another day in distress. A failed attempt to drown was punished by flogging and being locked up in chains for days. Therefore, his descriptions of these events serve a significant role in soliciting empathy and understanding from his readers.
The narrative is set in the 18th century when slavery was a booming business in England and other parts of the world. As a victim of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, the author is best suited to explain its destructive nature and associated immoralities. During the period, whether slavery was moral or immoral was based on double standards because Europeans championed the idea that Blacks were inferior (Equiano, 2021). However, the author tackles this issue by suggesting that the only difference between whites and blacks is their skin color. Otherwise, Africans share a common heritage, value their families, and speak a unified language, which disqualifies their classification as inferior. The author clarifies that they were only different because they did not understand each other. Thus, the author shared his opinions on slavery and encouraged others to alter their perspective of the trade.
Moreover, the author used his platform to shed light on the immorality that prevented society from advancing and ensuring everyone’s well-being. For example, discrimination against women is an issue that the author deems immoral due to the severity of the atrocities women face. The author notes that he witnessed women being raped in broad daylight by clerks and other white men without fear of apprehension (Equiano, 2021). Therefore, he suggests that the high levels of injustice and actions like trading human beings reflected societal immorality as people did not value human life. When Olaudah Equiano wrote his memoir, many individuals suffered because of impoverished living standards, and the government did not care much about the social welfare of its people. Hence, acknowledging the existence of these inequalities and rebuking them was a courageous act because the majority of people in power and influential positions were pro-slavery because of the associated gains.
Unique Aspects of Equiano’s Narrative and its Revolt against Common Ideas of the Period
Many individuals, including the author himself, did not think the memoir would gain attention and recognition because its writer was a black man. When the book was published, slavery was at its peak in England, but more people were questioning its justification and morality. Europeans denied enslaved people their freedoms and treated them like commodities with their respective owners (Equiano, 2021). Therefore, it was rare to find a well-educated black man who could actively voice concerns using logic and reason. Nevertheless, the author’s journey allowed him to associate with white individuals and live with them as equals under the same roof. His memoir became unimaginably popular as soon he published it and quickly sold out its first few series. Thus, the writer’s ability to achieve the unimaginable classifies him as an extraordinary man because he ended up more wealthy than anyone could have imagined.
Additionally, Olaudah Equiano’s reasoning perspective is different from the men of his time because he does not consider whites purely evil. In reality, human trading is pathetic and despicable because slave owners are obligated to occasionally dispose of dead individuals without acknowledging their humanity with a simple send-off or burial (Equiano, 2021). Moreover, the conditions under which most of them survived were deplorable because they were forced to eat and relieve themselves in chains and fixed positions until their journey was over. Nevertheless, the author proposes that trade is the main reason the white man was greedy, mean, and cruel. He is even surprised by how mean and callous they are to each other. Hence, he insinuates that getting rid of slavery is the ultimate solution to curing white individuals’ of their malice.
“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” is distinctive because it challenges the existing notion of blacks being ignorant and unreasonable. Contrary to most individuals’ perceptions, Equiano presents the black man as rational, intelligent, and talented, thus dehumanizing slavery and condemning European atrocities against them. The picture Equiano painted represents African-Americans as ordinary individuals whose only mistake was being ignorant of the English language (Equiano, 2021). Otherwise, they desire to marry, raise children, provide for their families, and succeed in their endeavors. Therefore, he encouraged the English to consider these individuals’ humanity instead of subjecting them to suffering and mistreatment. His message was clear and led to numerous discussions regarding whether it was right to deny another individual their freedoms. Although he never lived to see his dreams of racial equality substantiated, he is a highly respected abolitionist whose views were critical to the movement.
Forms of Writing Used and their Relation to the Period
Equiano’s literary text is a memoir, which authors commonly used in the 18th century. However, he slightly deviated from the apparent forms that featured great men and had striking and surprising news. In his preface, the author addresses his audience and cautions them against having high expectations of the publication. The author notes that he is prepared for criticism but is willing to endure. In addition, he suggests that he is aware that memoirs should contain unique content with a high degree of admiration or pity (Equiano, 2021). Rather than providing accurate details of the white man’s atrocities and the horrific realities of slavery, the author prefers hiding some facts so that he does not feature disturbing images. Nevertheless, he assures his audience that his memoir is worth reading because of its value to him and his message.
Although memoirs were usual in the 18th century, most literary authors preferred writing novels or poems because of their popularity. As a result, opting for a memoir was a bold move for Equiano because he was not well-known or accomplished. Nevertheless, like some of the prominent novelists of his time, the author focused on critical societal issues, a feature of most artists. 18th-century literature reflects the thinking or enlightenment era when human beings experienced numerous social changes due to higher quality education (Equiano, 2021). Scientists, philosophers, and scientists investigated and discussed various factors related to social life, politics, human relations, morality and immorality, and man versus nature, thus resulting in a social revolution. Thus, although Equiano’s work was designed as a memoir, it was similar to other forms of literature in the methods used to send the message and the contents addressed.
18th-century writers were preoccupied with the realistic depiction of society, encouraging them to focus on describing the aspects of everyday life. Therefore, Equiano’s work represented this form of literary design because it featured his life experiences and personal opinions of societal events. Throughout the memoir, the author revealed a side of life that many people were unfamiliar with. As a result, he was able to catch the attention of readers who were intrigued by his reasoning and perspective. He also includes instances of superstition where he declares his belief in a seer who once told him that he would not be enslaved for life. Moreover, his reference to religion and adherence to Christian principles legitimized his arguments and allowed him to win readers’ hearts worldwide.
The Literature’s Relevance to the Events of the 18th Century
“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” is historically relevant and suitable for the period the author published it because it sheds light on one of the most controversial issues of the century. The 1700s and 1800s were when slavery was at its peak, and he feared that his book would solicit adverse reactions from anti-abolitionist groups. Additionally, despite his freedom and education, the author was still at risk of apprehension because the lives of black individuals were less valued. Therefore, publishing the book was difficult and risky due to the uncertainties associated with discussing critical social topics during that time. However, the 18th century is considered a time when individuals embraced higher moral standards due to awareness and education. Thus, Olaudah Equiano had enough supporters to make his book an overnight success and a profitable venture because he reaped massive profits from its royalties. In addition, his message had far-reaching implications because it informed other narratives that openly argued against slavery and mobilized more individuals to support the abolitionists’ movement cause.
Equiano’s narrative significantly affected individuals’ perceptions of slavery and encouraged more activism against the vice. The author revealed that the existing societal frameworks were designed to dehumanize others for monetary gains and enrich wicked and selfish individuals. In addition, he refuted the argument that blacks and whites were different by suggesting that they originated from the same place. Moreover, he designed his narratives through the eyes of a free and educated man who was once a slave, which allowed a diverse audience to resonate with his work. Slavery is a vice that was difficult to abolish and would have existed to date if not for the courage of revolutionaries like Olaudah Equiano. Racism, gender violence, discrimination, marginalization, and inequality are issues that still limit humans from establishing solid bonds and excelling. However, Equiano and other creators in his era paved the way for the fight for justice because slavery was abolished in England in the early 19th century, allowing the nation to focus on other areas of development.
Conclusion
“The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” is one of the most widely read books written and published by an enslaved person. Its release challenged the status quo because the author addressed sensitive topics and openly rebuked the white man’s wicked actions. Scholars and researchers have never agreed on the appropriate description of Equiano’s narrative because it does not focus on a single issue. The author describes his life, his people’s culture and beliefs, the white man’s religion, his escapades worldwide, religion, and spiritualism. However, it sends a clear message suggesting that slavery is wrong and should be abolished from the face of the earth. Like other writers of his time, the author discussed issues essential to constructive societal development. Moreover, he shed light on slavery as an immorality that the white man adopted and justified because of his greed. Regardless, the author holds that white men are not inherently callous. Instead, their nature is a result of trading human beings. Thus, the author’s reasoning and approach made him a legend because he touched the hearts of many people unfamiliar with the features of human trade.
References
Equiano, O. (2021). The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: With a foreword by David Olusoga. Hodder & Stoughton.