READING OLAUDAH EQUIANO

In Olaudah Equiano’s Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself (1789), we take on a new genre: the slave narrative. Many of you have read slave narratives before, and will want to consider Equiano’s narrative in the context of other examples of this genre. For example, you’ll want to consider the issues that Equiano stresses in his treatment of slavery, his representation of African slavery, and his inclusion of his manumission documents at the close of the narrative.

We’ll also consider the ways in which this narrative relates to other texts that we’ve studied. How is it similar to and/or different from other autobiographical texts that we’ve read? To what extent is the genre of captivity narrative similar? How much does Equiano’s representation of his life and his eventual prosperity resemble Franklin’s account?

How does Equiano set up his narrative? Consider his title. What claims does it make for the narrative? How does Equiano introduce his project in the narrative’s opening pages? How familiar or conventional are these gestures? Does Equiano modify them in significant ways?

Consider Equiano’s style. How would you characterize the language that he uses to describe his life? Is his diction formal or informal? Does he use elaborate metaphors, or does he prefer plainness? What might the implications of such choices be for his literary project? Do the details of his prose have different stakes for him than they might for an author such as Franklin, who addresses his audience from a position of fame and prominence?

We’ve talked at several points during the semester about encounters between Europeans and Native Americans. How does Equiano represent encounters between Europeans and Africans? Does his representation of Europeans and European culture evolve or change over the course of the narrative?

Since we’ve spent so much time on theology, you might also want to consider theological issues in this narrative. How much attention does Equiano give religious or theological issues in this text? How would you characterize his religious position?

Finally, some scholars have recently raised questions about whether Equiano was really born in Africa.  Here are some relevant sources:

• Caretta, Vin. "Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vasa? New Light on an Eighteenth-century Question of Identity." Slavery and Abolition 20.3 (December 1999).
• Coverage in The Chronicle of Higher Education
• Letters to the Editor in response to the Chronicle article
• See also the notes to the Penguin edition of Eqiano's Interesting Narrative

Does scholarly debate about Equiano's biography affect your understanding of the narrative, and if so, how?

I asked the bookstore to stock several copies of the Penguin edition of the Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself . If you find yourself interested in Equiano, you may want to supplement the excerpts included in the Norton Anthology by referring to the Penguin edition. I’ve also included a few additional passages from the Interesting Narrative below.

The stupidity of negroes is . . . urged by the friends of slavery as a plea for using them as brutes; for the represent the negroes as little removed above the monkey, or the oranoutang, with regard to intellects. But I am very certain, nothing has been written by the late defenders of slavery, that discovers half the literary merit or ability of two negroe writers. Phillis Wheatley wrote correct English poetry within a few years after her arrival in Boston from Africa; and there is a Latin ode of considerable length written in classic language by Francis Williams. . . . I never heard of poems by a monkey, or of Latin odes by an oranoutang.

Adultery, however, was sometimes punished with slavery or death; a punishment which I believe is inflicted on it throughout most of the nations of Africa: so sacred among them is the honour of the marriage bed, and so jealous are they of the fidelity of their wives. Of this I recollect an instance.--A woman was convicted before the judges of adultery, and delivered over, as the custom was, to her husband to be punished. Accordingly he determined to put her to death: but it being found, just before her execution, that she had an infant at her breast; and no woman being prevailed on to perform the part of a nurse, she was spared on account of the child. The men, however, do not preserve the same constancy to their wives, which they expect from them; for they indulge in a plurality, though seldom in more than two. Their mode of marriage is thus:--both parties are usually betrothed when young by their parents (though I have known the males to betroth themselves). On this occasion a feast is prepared, and the bride and bridegroom stand up in the midst of all their friends, who are assembled for the purpose, while he declares she is thenceforth to be looked upon as his wife, and that no other person is to pay any address to her. This is also immediately proclaimed in the vicinity, on which the bride retires from the assembly.

I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did, and so to learn how all things had a beginning: for that purpose I have often taken up a book, and have talked to it, and then put my ears to it, when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much concerned when I found it remained silent.

Since the first publication of my Narrative, I have been in a great variety of scenes in many parts of Great Britain, Ireland, and Scotland, an account of which might well be added here; but as this would swell the volume too much, I shall only observe in general, that in May 1791, I sailed from Liverpool to Dublin where I was very kindly received, and from thence to Cork, and then travelled over many counties in Ireland. I was every where exceedingly well treated, by persons of all ranks. I found the people extremely hospitable, particularly in Belfast, where I took my passage on board of a vessel for Clyde, on the 29th of January, and arrived Greenock on 30th. Soon after I returned to London, where I found persons of note from Holland and Germany, who requested me to go there; and I was glad to hear that an edition of my Narrative had been printed in both places, also in New York. I remained in London till I heard the debate in the house of Commons on the Slave Trade, April the 2d and 3d. I then went to Soham in Cambridgeshire, and was married on the 7th of April to Miss Cullen, daughter of James and Ann Cullen, late of Ely.

I have only therefore to request the reader’s indulgence, and conclude. I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this Narrative; I hope censure will be suspended, when it is considered that it was written by one who was as unwilling as unable to adorn the plainness of truth by the colouring of imagination. My life and fortune have been extremely chequered, and my adventures various. Even those I have related are considerably abridged. If any incident in this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most readers, I can only say, as my excuse for mentioning it, that almost every event of my life made an impression on my mind, and influenced my conduct. I early accustomed myself to look at the hand of God in the minutest occurrence, and to learn from it a lesson of morality and religion; and in this light every circumstance I have related was to me of importance. After all, what makes any event important, unless by it’s observation we become better and wiser, and learn "to do justly, love mercy, and to walk humbly before God!" To those who are possessed of this spirit, there is scarcely any book or incident so trifling that does not afford some profit, while to others the experience of ages seems of no use; and even to pour out to them the treasures of wisdom is throwing the jewels of instruction away.

--Equiano (Penguin) 235-6