Slavery in Life of Olaudah Equiano

Equiano's Narrative: Challenging Stereotypes and Dispelling Misconceptions


Equiano wrote the story in 1978, during the early years of slavery, and was one of the first few slaves to have their works translated. It was sad that slaves were not offered the ability to read and write because they were seen as less human. An in-depth examination of the text shows that he tried to dispel the myth that African Americans were barbarians. Combating this misconception was done by demonstrating how Europeans acted like savages. In the novel, he was convinced and convinced that it was a planet of evil spirits out to destroy him (Equiano 695). From this account, the reader gets an objective view that questions the barbaric and inhumane treatment by the whites. Besides, Equiano plays a major role in demythologizing other forms of stereotypes like the slaves detesting education and being actual heathens.

Exploring the Justification of Slavery: Comparing African and American Forms


Slave traders and holders during the author's era believed that there was a prior existence of a harsher form of slavery in the African continent. For this reason, their mistreatments in America were justified, making the path to acquiring freedom an unachievable dream. An elaboration of this fact can be found in the argument on the "Iron Muzzle' as well as the contrast between the African and the American forms of Slavery (Equiano 123). The stance that Equiano took on slavery is complicated in the whole text. Instead of dealing with ending the practice of slavery in its entirety, he concentrated on the abuses that the slaves faced and the immoral practices that they were subjected to. A state of ambivalence can be identified on his earlier stand, but he eventually stood firm on the abolitionist idea. Equiano's account was also geared towards making the readers acquire valuable "lesson of religion and morality" in a bid to make them "better and wiser" (Equiano 255).

Understanding Colonial Life and Social Classes in America


Equiano's account serves as a rich source of information in understanding the life in the colonies that had a direct impact on the American face up to date. The early settlers in the colonies in the 1600s were desperate for labor and food. Enslaving the Native Americans, who were abundant and well versed with the new land, was impossible. This is why they opted to support an indentured servitude system that later spread to all colonies. The people in the lower class would only be free to start their lives after working for seven years. A form of conflict, therefore, emerged between the haves and the have not, a basis for the bourgeois and proletariats friction. Another class of people in a worse state arrived in the Dutch Slave Ship that was ferrying Africans who got an even harsher treatment. With these facts, an analytic reader is therefore at a position to understanding the sources of indifferences between the various social classes in America. The initial relationship and its ingrained history of mistreatments, dehumanization, discriminations, and prejudices, continues to shape the American culture up to date. Looking for a long-term solution to national integration and solidarity, therefore, calls for the subscription of knowledge from Equiano's account, which has a profound scrutiny into the issue of class divisions and to an extent, hatred.

Work Cited


Equiano, Olaudah. The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano. Broadview Press, 2001.

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