THE LIFE OF OLAUDAH EQUIANO

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THE LIFE OFOLAUDAH EQUIANO

• A SLAVE NARRATIVE

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SLAVERY

• Brought by the Dutch, the first African slaves in
• North America arrived at Jamestown, Virginia, in
• 1619.
• As the plantations grew, so did the slave trade.

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• The details about people who are so different
• from the people with whom he is familiar
• emphasize his confusion and fear.

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• The description of so many people chained
• together and of their expressions creates a
• horrific image.

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• In Equianos experience, slavery in Africa was
  far
• less brutal than slavery in the New World.

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• Seeing slavery through Equianos eyes captures
• the experience vividly.
• Such a perspective can be far more powerful
• than reading facts or statistics.

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• Equiano creates a mood of confusion, fear, and
• despair.

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• By describing how he felt, Equiano shows the
• confusion of the situation and the horror of
• being held captive by cruel strangers.

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• Equiano describes the ships cargo hold as so
• crowded that each slave had scarcely room to
• turn himself.

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• In 1845, the British ship Albatross captured the
• Brazilian slave ship Albaroz.

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• Francis Meynell was a mate on the Albatross.
• Meynell later became a famous painter. His
• work is exhibited in the National Maritime
• Museum, London, England.

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• Equiano exposes the brutality of the white
• people on the ship.

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• The white people are cruel not only to the
• Africans, but also to each other, suggesting that
  
• they have no regard for people in general.

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• Equiano includes himself and all the other
• Africans on the ship as cargo.

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• Instead of being treated like human beings, they
• are treated like cargo, or objects to be
• transported and sold.

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WRITERS TECHNIQUE

• The writer of this narrative wanted to expose
• the horrors of slavery in order to support its
• abolition.

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PUNISHMENTS

• Equiano states that previously he was beaten for
• NOT eating.
• Now people ARE being beaten for trying to eat.

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CHARACTERIZATION

• Through Equianos actions, comments, and
• descriptions his personality is revealed.

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• Equiano is
• Observant he can remember in vivid details
  events that happened to him long ago.
• Curious he is very curious when he watches the
  sailors use their strange instrument.
• 3. Resilient he remains resilient despite the
  staggering hardships of the journey.

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• In addition to brutal treatment onboard, slaves
• had to deal with the threats of bad weather
• and being thrown overboard.

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• Equiano describes the Africans as sheep.
• Reinforcing the idea that they are still being
• treated as cargo or as animals, not as humans.

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• The writers tone changes from a first-person
• account to direct addressan appeal to make
• changes.

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LITERARY ELEMENT

• Equiano appeals to these peoples own religious
• beliefs by quoting the Bible, to emphasize
• the importance of abolishing slavery.

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INTERNET CONNECTION

• For more information on first-hand accounts of
• slave narratives go to the Library of Congresss
• home page at www.loc.gov.
• Search for the African American History and
• Culture page.