Slave Narrative

Equiano, Olaudah. "Account of the Middle Passage"
02 April 2008. < http://www.wsu.edu:8000/~dee/Equiano.html >


Reflection: Equiano's vivid imagery of his torment and confinement appeals to the physical human sense as well as the emotional sense. Before his captivity in the filthy pilgrim ships that transported his able body to be sold as a working automaton, Equiano's life was based upon hunting and supporting his village. However, his peaceful routines were ruined by the self-righteous white man who sought drag him and fellow villagers out of their beds and forced them to serve white men simply because they wished others to do their dirty work. After their captivity, black men, women, and children were shoved into the decks of ships and rotted for some month's time until the arrived at the island of Barbados. Not only are they captured but beaten into submission as a reminder that they are on the bottom of the food chain, while the white men rule over them as if they were God. Throughout his narrative, Equiano questions the interaction between slaves and masters. For example, young black girls are sexually abused and it is ok for a white man to treat minorities in such a way. Yet if a black man commits some action or is even accused, death knocks at his doorstep. Equiano is questioning whether or not the blacks like him are even recognized as humans. He is disgusted at how the white man journeys the world not to understand, learn, or negotiate with other peoples, but instead destroys and enslaves all for their selfish humanly desires. He is disgusted at the how the white man feels superior to all and defines "civilized" only to their culture.


Diary: These people indeed posses some fascinating items. I'm starting a diary today because my master's spouse is teaching me reading and writing. I guess she wants me to learn since master takes a long leave of absence. I'm not sure about him, but his spouse is very nice. I guess I'll start by telling my story. I used to live in a huge forest where the people here call "Africa". But one time, I guess the people here started taking me, my family, and the rest of our people onto these huge things called ships. Father told me, that the men used spells and magic to make the ships float and move on the water. We stayed in the dark for a long time on these ships and most of the time we just sat next to other people. Then they led us out and started separating us. I cried and cried for my mother, but no one would answer me. I was scared and felt alone even when I was with other kids like me. They put us on stands and that's when people here just started taking us into their huts. That's how I got here, but my master left his hut as soon as he brought me in. I couldn’t understand anything these people said until his spouse started teaching me their language. One day I asked, "Misses Pettigrew, when can I see my mother and father again?" she then looked up at me and said, "I don't think you can" she told me. I asked her another question, "Why not? What can I do to see them again?" she then told me "All you can do is looked toward God, only God can help you now".

What about the Dream? (EQ)

Although they lived a happy and well-suited life, the African natives were soon captured by the white man and sold as property. So now, all they want is freedom. Eventually a man named Olaudah Equiano soon achieved his freedom and wrote a narrative based on his captivity and harsh times as a slave. So now he has his freedom, what possibly more could he want? Even though Equiano is free, he does not enjoy the full rights of a white man. To be understood and treated as a human is just as important as his freedom. In the 1800's a man by the name John Brown sought to banish slavery from the earth since he believed it to be pure evil. He was loser in life, but fought many battles against those who favored slavery and was eventually executed for it. His violent actions were to be called the meteor of the Civil War. Due to slavery, America's government divided with hostility and bitterness toward the differing opinions. Over 620,000 American lives would be the cost to end such a feud.