Although equiano s pages on the middle passage and the horrors of west indian slavery are searing, he knew that most of his audience had by now heard such stories. Equianos autobiographical account of his passage into slavery. Equiano passage is between west africa and the caribbean island of barbados, at that time a common voyage as the british plantation island was among the most easterly of the caribbean islands. Olaudah equiano wrote an account of the middle passage in his 1789 autobiography. Because only a native african would have experienced the middle passage, the abolitionist movement needed an african. Equiano is sold to the owner of a slave ship bound for the west indies, and he goes on to describe the middle passagethe journey across the atlantic ocean. Olaudah equianos argument against slavery was his life. The story of his passage into slavery arrived just at a moment when the. This definitive biography tells the story of the former slave olaudah equiano. An analysis of olaudah equianos the middle passage 1019 words 4 pages middle passage by olaudah equiano one of the most interesting arguments that modern apologists makes for the practice of racebased slavery in the americas is the fact that slavery existed in africa during that time period and that africans were complicit in the transatlantic slave trade. In 1789, a middleaged africanborn man in london published the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavus vassa, the african, laying the foundations for new genres of literature and new ways of understanding the experiences of enslaved people. The interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano wikipedia. The interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavus vassa, the african, first.
Equianos life story exposed the cruelty of the slave trade and made. Olaudah equianos narrative museum of american history. Courtesy of the historic maps division, department of rare books and. Describing an intense journey of being captured, enslaved, and freed, the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano or gustavas vassa, the african is a book, which provides firsthand details of the traumatic stronghold slavery held over those directly and indirectly affected by slavery. The freed slave whose epic book tour taught britain about.
They were separated, and equiano was sold to various masters in africa. Olaudah equiano describes the horrors of the middle passage, 1780s. The interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavas vassa, the african. Summary of the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano.
In 1756 equiano and his sister were kidnapped by aro peoples. Olaudah equiano recalls the middle passage 1789 olaudah equiano 1745. The interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano. Olaudah equiano describes the middle passage, 1789 the. An analysis of olaudah equianos the middle passage. Upon the release of his memoir, equiano was an instant success and is remembered today as the first slave narrative to detail the middle passage. A teaching guide from the antislavery literature project, with a crosscultural study guide coauthored by shi penglu. Equiano eventually purchased his freedom and lived in london where he advocated for abolition. When he was about ten years old, he was kidnapped by africans known as aros and sold into slavery. The book describes equianos time spent in enslavement, and documents his attempts at becoming an. Excerpt from the interesting narrative of the life of.
Nevertheless, his book was a very important part of the campaign to abolish slavery in. Pdf teaching guide to the interesting narrative of the. The interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano study guide contains a biography of olaudah equiano, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The shrieks of the women, and the groans of the dying, rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable. Here equiano recounts the middle passage, the trip that slaves made from africa to the western hemisphere. This extract, taken from chapter two of the interesting narrative, describes some of the young equiano s experiences on board a slave ship in the middle passage. At the end of his account of the middle passage, equiano pauses his narrative and addresses the reader. It is a compelling and wellwritten source which describes the middle passage the terrible. Equiano, 58 equiano s writing on the middle passage is the section of the work most likely to end up in anthologies for history and literature classes. In this harrowing description of the middle passage, olaudah equiano described the terror of the transatlantic slave trade. The book was a bestseller and equiano even went on book tours throughout europe to promote his work and the abolitionist cause. Olaudah equiano, the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano, or gustavus vassa, the african, written by himself london. His pioneering narrative of the journey from slavery to freedom, a bestseller first. The life of olaudah equiano quotes and analysis gradesaver.