Olaudah Equiano (ca. 1745-1797)
The Interesting Narrative of the Life (1789)
Things to Consider:
- Identity: Racial, Sexual, National
- Attitudes toward Slavery: Consistent or Contradictory?
- Religious Belief and the Formation of Attitudes toward
Slavery
- Treatment of Slaves: Determining Factors in Africa
and Elsewhere
- Relationships between Men & Women, Black & White
- Language: Appeals to God, Appeals to Logic
- Re-Socialization/Acculturation
- Dates:
- 1772: Mansfield Case (No Slave could
be forcibly removed from England to be sold)
- 1773: Wheatley's Poems on Various Subjects
published (England)
- 1775: American War for Independence begins
- 1783: American War for Independence ends
- 1789: French War for Independence begins
- Equiano's Narrative published (England)
- 1791: Haitian (St. Dominique) War for
Independence begins
- Equiano's Narrative published (America)
- 1793: France abolished slavery in St. Dominique
- 1802: Slavery reestablished by French under
Napoleon
- 1804: Haitian Independence
- 1807: Britain, U.S. abolish slave trade
- 1833: Slavery in British territories "abolished"
- (As of Aug. 1, 1834, for those under six; others
become unpaid "Apprentices" for six year period)
- 1838: July 1: All British slaves freed
- 1863: Emancipation Proclamation in U.S.
- 1865: Thirteenth Amendment to U.S. Constitution
ratified, ending slavery
Discussion Questions:
1534:
- Scholars have offered a theory that Equiano was
actually not born in Africa, but rather in South
Carolina. How does this possibility affect the
validity and importance of this text?
- Why does Equiano get renamed
Gustavus Vassa?
1535:
- What literary genres,
according to the editors, does The Interesting Life combine?
Explain.
Chapter One:
1539:
- Describe the system of slavery practiced by Equiano's
community and in the surrounding communities.
Chapter Two:
1542-47:
- What is
the Middle Passage? What does this experience involve for
Equiano?
1542-43:
- Describe
Equiano's first impression of white people. What factors
contribute to this impression?
1546:
- Describe what occurs at the
slave auction.
1546-47:
- What attitude toward
Christianity does Equiano express at the end of his
description of the auction?
Chapter Seven:
1547-51:
- How
does Equiano obtain his freedom?
Chapter Twelve:
1553:
- Who is Queen Charlotte? Why is Equiano writing to her?
Other Discussion Questions:
1535:
- What is
the purpose of Equiano's Dedication to Parliament?
Chapter One:
1536:
- What is the purpose of this chapter?
- Why does Equiano consider himself "a particular
favorite of Heaven" (1536)?
1537:
- Which aspects of his native culture does Equiano relate to
aspects of other countries? Why is he making these
comparisons?
1538:
- What is libation? What does it involve? What is its
purpose?
Chapter Two:
1543:
- What is a windlass?
- Explain the purpose of the nettings on the ship.
1544:
- Explain the whites' treatment
of themselves.
- Why does Equiano believe the
ship is magical?
- What are necessary tubs?
1545:
- Why do the whites flog the
man who has jumped overboard?
- What is a quadrant?
Chapter Seven:
1547:
- Why is it significant for
Equiano to see a woman talking at the Quaker meeting?
1548:
1548-49:
- Explain what happens with the
silversmith.
1549-50:
- What role does the captain
play in Equiano's securing of his freedom?
1550:
- Describe Equiano's reaction
to his emancipation.
Chapter Twelve:
1554:
- Summarize the message of Equiano's letter to Queen
Charlotte.
Discussion Questions for Unassigned Excerpts from the Narrative:
Chapter Three (10th Ed.):
1454:
- Describe the iron muzzle.
What is its purpose?
- Describe Equiano's reaction
to seeing the watch and picture. Why does he react this way?
- Why is he called Jacob? Why
is this significant?
1455:
- Why does he get renamed Gustavas Vassa? Why does he prefer
the name Jacob?
- Describe Equiano's reaction
to seeing snow.
1456:
- Explain Equiano's reaction to
the book.
1457:
- Why does he try to wash his
face to resemble the white girl?
Chapter Four (10th Ed.):
1457:
- What surprises Equiano about
the Bible?
1458:
- Why does Equiano believe
Captain Pascal can't sell him to Captain Doran?
Chapter Five (10th Ed.):
1459:
- Explain what happens to
Emanuel Sankey when he tries to escape.
Chapters
Four & Five (Page
#s refer to pdf 
):
1:
- What does Equiano mean when he says he has become "almost
an Englishman" (1)? Why almost?
- Why does it appear "as if it were no crime in the whites to
rob an innocent African girl of her virtue, but most heinous
in a black man only to gratify a passion of nature, where the
temptation was offered by one of a different color, though the
most abandoned woman of her species" (1)?