Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano - Essay Example

Identity of Olaudah Equiano Olaudah Equiano’s 1789 autobiography, Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, the African notable in its searing condemnation of slavery and its brutality, as well as the hypocrisy inherent in both the American and British civilizations. His text was instrumental in the emergence of the abolitionist movement and Equiano’s work was widely read by the British ruling class. Equiano’s work became the landmark distinguishing the autobiography from other forms of literature, especially his assertion at the commencement of the book that it was “written by himself”. It was one of the earliest first-hand accounts of slavery, documenting the experiences of an immigrant to England and the tortures he suffers as a slave to white men. The identity that Equiano adopts in his work is that of a native of Essaka, a village near the river Niger that is located in modern day Nigeria. In the village, his father occupies a respectable position as an elder in the village. But Equiano is sold off to slave traders at the tender young age of ten and a half years. This is the first indictment against slavery, because in narrating his experiences in being exchanged among various owners, Equiano is also able to highlight the bitter travesty that had denied him his heritage as the son of a respectable village elder, stripping him of the respect that could potentially have been his, in exchange for an oppressive existence. Throughout his book, Equiano narrates several incidents to demonstrate how demeaning and oppressive the practice of slavery was. One of these was his arrival in Virginia where he was purchased by a Navy lieutenant named Pascal. One of the first things Pascal did upon buying Equiano was to change his name to Gustavus Vassa. Equiano resisted this name change and boldly demanded another name that he liked. But his master forced him to accept the name he had chosen by beating and shackling him until he agreed to do so. The name Gustavus Vassa was an uncommon choice and was not a name that Equiano particularly liked. Simon has offered the view that one of the reasons propelling Pascal to the choice of such a Latinized name could have been that the lieutenant had served on a ship with that name and therefore experienced a sentimental attachment to it (Schama, 161-162). This incident however highlights the fact that a slave did not even have the right to choose his own name or retain a name that he had been given at birth. Rather, he was expected to live as his master’s total and absolute possession, without even the right to his own name. This demonstrated the lack of the most elemental and basic human right that was denied to the salve, so much so that Equiano was even beaten and shackled until he agreed to accept the name his master forced upon him. In further describing his experiences as a slave in Virginia, Equiano has also described the cruel and inhuman punishments that the slaves were subjected to. One of these was the practice of shutting up the house slaves and keeping them quiet by using an iron muzzle around their mouths. This iron muzzle fit so closely around their mouths that it restricted the slave’s movements to the extent that he could not even speak or eat. The slaves were subjected to such a great degree of punishment that they lived in a constant state of fear and terror that they would be picked on for some reason or the other. Equiano describes how his fear of his master was so intense that he even imagined that the pictures on the walls had eyes and followed him about, keeping tabs on what ever he did so that his master could be informed if he did anything wrong. Through such descriptions, Equiano highlights the miserable and tortured existence that was the plight of the slave. The practice of muzzling is one that is considered inhuman even for use with animals because of the cruel manner in which it interferes with the animal’s freedom to eat and even breathe properly. By subjecting human beings to such inhuman and cruel forms of punishment, the practice of slavery constituted a gross violation of the basis right to dignity of every human being and reduced a slave to a status that was even worse than an animal. In his description of his experiences as a slave, Equiano points out that unlike other slaves who had to spend their entire lives in a state of drudgery and oppressive labor where they were treated worse than animals, he was able to learn some good things because his master was a Navy lieutenant. For instance, Equiano was not merely expected to function as Pascal’s personal servant, he was also required to assist him in times of battle by performing duties such as hauling the gunpowder to the gun decks. Equiano was one of the few slaves who was sent to England to learn to read and write. It may be argued that this represents the good side of slavery to some extent, because it was reading and writing that later became the tool for Equiano to write his own autobiography and articulate his experiences as a slave, so that it could be shared with others. Another good outcome that resulted from Equiano’s position as personal slave to Pascal was his baptism. While he was in England, he was warned by the other slaves that if he was not baptized, he would not be able to reach heaven. His master than allowed him the special favor of being baptized in the Westminster church in England. This had its good side and its bad side. The good side was that Equiano was baptized, but it also highlights the innumerable numbers of slaves who did not have the privilege of being baptized, thereby being deprived even of the presence of God in their lives, to help them bear the travails of their existence. Another aspect Equiano points out is that despite allowing him to be baptized and giving him his freedom after the war, his master did not give him his share of prize money that he should have lawfully received as a sailor, despite Pascal’s assurances that he would receive it. The reason Pascal was able to get away with denying Equiano his prize money was simply because he was a slave and therefore did not have the right to seek such rewards which were the prerogative of the free man. Where the slave was concerned, he was the possession of his master, therefore his money belonged to his master. This highlights the injustices that were rampant and prevalent during the practice of slavery, where the provision of even basic amenities to the slaves was left entirely to the discretion of the slave owners and no measures were in place to ensure that the slaves were allowed the basic human rights that every human being deserves. Apart from being suppressed and treated in an inhuman manner, the slaves did not even have the right to be baptized, which constituted yet another violation of their fundamental rights. In all of these ways and through many other examples, Olaudah Equiano in his book has described the trials and tribulations that he suffered and thereby highlighted the plight of the slaves, trapped in a bondage from which there was no end, a bondage where they were treated as mere possessions rather than human beings. Equiano’s book packed a powerful impact because it was written based upon his own personal experience and thereby provided a shocking revelation of the terrible fate of millions of other slaves who were unable to read, write and thereby speak up for themselves. Works cited: * Equiano, Olaudah. Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, the African, 1789. * Schama, Simon. Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution. Harper Collins, 2006, p.161-162.  Read More