Narrative of Life of Olaudah Equiano - Literary Analysis Essay

Introduction

Equiano narrates about his life from a tender age of eleven years when he was kidnapped together with his sister and sold as slaves to traders from the West Indies. The narrator was given the name Gustavus Vassa by one of his masters who was a British captain named Henry Pascal. He spent his life being sold from one person to another although much of his time was spent in serving captains in ships. The narrative begins by Equiano describing the African culture, for instance, the food, clothing, religion, and dressing among others. He depicts that Africans could be indirect relatives of the Christian Europeans through the Jews ancestry. It is an argument that makes him think that he should not be a slave but free like his European brothers. Equiano gives an account of the various trips that he went from West Indies to North America and he says that sometimes the journey was by water and time by land. The narrator further states that he met several slaves on the way being shipped to North America. His description of the life of slavery is that it is characterized by extreme hardship and poor conditions for instance people overcrowded in the traveling vessels and would sometimes go without food. Throughout his journeys, he witnessed slaves being sold, but he was never transferred to another trader. While working in the Dutch ship, he is purchased to work in the Virginia plantations but given light duties such as household chores. It is not long before Pascal a navy commander obtains him as a gift to his friend who is in England. Upon his arrival in England, he is introduced to Christianity, and he becomes a friend to an American boy named Robert. Robert guides him through Christianity, but he dies after two years. He describes the life of slavery as cruel because even the people one gets attached most betray them, for instance, Pascal whom he worked under for seven years sold him to another merchant contrary to his expectations because of the excellent relationship he had with him. The paper will, therefore, base on The Interesting Narrative of Life of Olaudah Equiano in describing some of the varieties of slavery systems and circumstances of slaves that he experienced or witnessed. It will also explore the type of slaves that are worse or better and give reasons as to why.

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The various types of slavery systems include forced labor where a person is coerced to work contrary to their will. In this type of slavery, people are regarded as property to their masters, and they can be bought or sold based on the owners wish. They are then exploited commercially because they provide services without any pay. Based on Equiano's story it is evident that he experienced this form of labor when Pascal sold him and did not pay him his wages and price money he says I have served him. . . Many years and he has taken all my payments and prize-money (p.176-177). It implies that he was commercially exploited. Besides, there is the debt slavery where one worked to repay a debt in this case the employer and the slave enter into an agreement although it is contrary to the law. The deal is ordinarily exploitative and benefits the employer because even after completion of the debt the slave continues to work for the master.

Additionally, there is domestic servitude where the slaves work in extremely private places where the slaves are locked in these homes. Their mobility is limited, and the employer uses force to control and convince the slave. To restrain them they are not allowed to travel to any place, and all their movements are controlled. Besides, unfamiliar languages are used and isolated environments. In the Virginia plantation, though Equiano was doing light duties, he worked as a domestic slave as he offered household services with restricted movements. Similarly, there is child slavery where persons under the age of eighteen years are taken to provide services with regardless of them being underage. In this case, deception or coercion is used to acquire the slave children they are then used as commercial workers in farms and industries among other places. Equiano is a perfect example of child slave because he was kidnapped when he was only eleven years old. He worked at a tender age and was transferred from one slave owner to another.

It is important to note that in the 18th-century slavery was at its pick and most Africans were taken to be slaves in plantations in the western world and Equiano gives an account based on the experiences he went through while being under the bondage of slavery. One of the circumstances the Equiano experience is the lack of a conducive place to stay while traveling from one place to another. Slaves were grouped in one vessel, and they were mostly overcrowded. Also, he also experiences lack of freedom to choose or make decisions and all the directions regarding where to work or whom to be sold to were given by the masters. It implies that the slaves had no free will. Equiano also witnessed torture as he says "I have seen a negro beaten till some of his bones were broken, for even letting a pot boil over" (Equiano, p.109). It implies that slaves were severely beaten without mercy when they refused to comply regardless of the state they are. Equiano also went through suffocation of rights as they were not allowed to give their opinion and talk about their liberties for instance when he was sold by Pascal he tried to argue that he had a right to be free because he had been baptized, but he was coerced. He mentions "I have been baptized, and by the laws of the land no man has a right to sell me" (p. 176-177). Also, Equiano witnessed that no slave is a friend to the master regardless of how long they have worked for them. It is evident where he worked for seven years for Pascal and had a good relationship with him, but he eventually sold him without informing Equiano. He argues "...I have served him . . . Many years and he has taken all my wages and prize-money" (p.177). It implies that he never expected his master to sell him to another person.\

The type of slave that it was better to be is the one of serving in the ship because one can travel to different places and meet new people who can be of help. For instance, when Equiano worked as a ship slave, he was taken to England, and he met a friend named Robert who became very helpful to him. Besides the ship he was able to do business by selling items to the travelers although he sometimes received the harsh treatment he was able to earn money. On the other, the worst slave to be was the one of working at the firm because it involved last hours of labor and involved a lot of energy doing farm work. The conditions were also not favorable at a time there was extreme weather conditions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is important to note that slavery was of different forms for instance forced labor, domestic servitude, debt slaves child slavery among other types and they all existed in the 18th century as the slave trade was at its pick. Equiano experienced slavery and worked in different places, and he had a lot to say about being a slave because he started experiencing it only when he was eleven years old. Some of the experiences of slavery include suffocation of personal freedom, limited mobility, neglected rights, work without pay among other aspects. It is, therefore, significant to say that Equiano's narrative is an accurate reflection of what happen in the 18th century. The story mirrors the life of a slave from how they are acquired to the various tasks they do. His description of the presence of slavery is that it is characterized by extreme hardship and poor conditions for instance people overcrowded in the traveling vessels and would sometimes go without food. Throughout his journeys, he witnessed slaves being sold, but he was never transferred to another trader

Works Cited

Allison, Robert J. Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Written by Himself. Macmillan Higher Education, 2016.

Messenger, Ann. His and Hers: Essays in Restoration and 18th-Century Literature. University Press of Kentucky, 2015.

U freedom.M odern abolition retrieved from http://freedomcenter.org/enabling-freedom/five-forms-of-slavery 2016