User:Safari92

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African purpose was to promote the abolition of slavery as well as give the author a chance of telling his own story of the horrible things he had endured throughout his time as a slave. The preeminent issue being brought to the attention of readers of this narrative is the reality of the inhumane practices being inflicted on Africans that were taken captive then snatched from their native lands. Since The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African publication this text has acted as the premier, reported account of captive Africans and the Middle Passage from an actual victim’s perspective. The title of this narrative is undeniably accurate because it is truly an “Interesting Narrative” of a man’s life and legacy and illustrates slavery in a distinctive manner not normally viewed by people. The author allowed his audience to see him transform into a man, as well as, develop self-identity as a result of his experiences of the slave trade and the various environments he was placed in. Equiano becoming more acquainted with Christianity plays an imperative role in the development of his identity. The Christian faith influenced Olaudah Equiano’s identity & feelings toward Europeans by eventually allowing him to view himself as an Englishman, forgive his captors for dismantling his family and view Europeans as superior. In his arrival to England, he first hears of the idea of God when he inquired about where exactly the snow came from as well as its creation and purpose. The snow alone astonished him but being told of an unknown being (God) that created him and all other things, astonished him even more. His master began taking him to church and by this being his first encounter with Christianity it was easy for him to be extremely engaged in worshipping services and the topics discussed and just as open-minded to possibly be converted. While in London his master sends him to work for a group of ladies written as the “Miss Guerins.” “Their servants told me I could not go to Heaven unless I was baptized. This made me very uneasy; for I had now some faint idea of a future state…” (Equiano 213); easily convinced he should conform to English society/religion. Equiano became more comfortable with his situation of being a servant, as he viewed his master bringing him closer to God as an act of kindness on his master’s behalf. In fact, this could be seen as the pivotal moment that runs away the fear he had of Europeans when he initially was taken captive. “From various scenes I had beheld on ship-board, I soon grew a stranger to terror of every kind, and was, in that respect at least, almost an Englishman” (Equiano 212). This emphasizes that he was beginning to form an identity, which stemmed from his connection to Christianity. He was not completely, in his mind, an Englishman but was very close to becoming one. Olaudah Equiano is slowly slipping away from the image of a social non-person which is a being that by legal definition could have no family, personal honor, no community, no past and no future. It takes a lot for someone to be able to forgive those who wronged them in life and it can be profoundly difficult. With his acquired knowledge of the English people and their ways, Olaudah Equiano was able to quickly find it in his heart to forgive those who dismantled his family. Simply imagining the mental distress he dealt with while enduring the kidnapping and serving other families at the young age of eleven is heartbreaking. One would think after enduring so much that he would grow into a bitter disobedient young man but he did not. Though non-religious people may be confused by this, Olaudah’s knowledge of God lessened his anger and resentment toward the Europeans. He believed that God was the reason that the white people were happy and that this made them good people; people who should be forgiven. “…and in seeing these white people did not sell one another as we did I was much pleased; and in this I thought they were much happier than we Africans. I was astonished at the wisdom of the white people in all things I saw; but was amazed at their not sacrificing, or making any offerings, and eating with unwashed hands, and touching the dead” (Equiano 212). He was generating positive characteristics about the Europeans therefore seeing more good in them; this made them easy to forgive.