OL AU DA H EQ UI AN O
LI FE
He was born in a territory in the present day in Nigeria, he was kidnapped and sold as a slave several times => then
sold to slave traders > Barbados > Virginia > sold to an English lieutenant > he brought him to England > he was
baptized + able to learn English > FREEDOM.
He thinks he’s free thanks to his education + baptism > but he was sold by this lieutenant to get money, but then he
REALIZED HE WAS VERY SMART > HE BECAME HIS SECRETARY.
In 1766 he was able to buy his freedom: he returns to England but then he goes back being a sailor > he takes part to
an expedition in south and central America
He dies on 31st March 1797
= it contradicts the typical life of African slave.
It’s also a TRAVEL NARRATIVE: he travels a lot; in fact, his life could be divided in different journeys which are A
CROSS WITHIN CULTURES.
The first part of the narrative concerning the African experience: different stages
1. Life before his kidnap
2. Kidnap
3. RUPTURE in the NARRATIVE: he sees the sign of corruption
GEOGRAPHICAL POINT of VIEW:
Equiano applies the same idea to innocence to corruption = what is CORRUPTION?
CORRUPTION:
- Puritan form: comes from exterior, outside
- Equiano: COMES FROM WHITE CIVILIZATION
- He is first of all an observer.
TH E IN TE RE STI NG L IF E OF O LA UD AH E QU IA NO , O R GU ST AV US V AS SA , TH E AFRIC AN ,
WR IT TE N BY HI MS EL F (1 78 9) .
He wants to represent a huge part > AFRICAN AMERICAN STORY.
He became one of the most famous writers of slave narrative + he goes through details.
There are strong details in the narration of this experience.
The book was written before the War of Independence , but in the truth, Equiano’s life includes the war of
independence too.
He didn’t want to be considered American = what he wrote, it’s extremely valuable to comprehend the
American history => it’s understandable bc slavery is worse in the American colonies
He is pretty contemporary > he focuses on CONTACTS btw the varies COLONIES and AFRICAN. So, his
narrative is basically geographical, social, and political.
He writes in a time where the debate of slavery was important > he sort of gave a CONTRIBUTION to this
debate
+ ILLUMINISM PRINICIPALS
He wanted to represent the experience of ALL AFRICAN AMERICAN (he tries to create a transnational
narrative)
His life was spent between the colonial and revolutionary period.
Text. 733
They show that they had contacts w/ white civilization => so in the first part he builds civilization and associate
corruption w/ SLAVE TRADE
+ same moment when she sees a SLAVE SHIP
The first time an African sees a white person is like a spirit, bad spirit: sort of devils, and he will repeat it =>
he was afraid of cannibalism. He was afraid of being eaten by them (= SORT of REVERSION)
So, he is basically questioning who is civilized and who is not, concerning not only the African experience, but the
entire.
He wrote from a very difficult position (slave): the fact that he’s believed to be true is VERY IMPORTANT.
BOOK
There are the two names:
1. The first one (the original one)
2. The second after being kidnapped
+ WRITTEN BY HIMSELF: to make clear the fact that he can write
Quote from the Bible: he wants to place this experience in biblical term bc God has the authority, so, as
the puritans believed, the authority must be given to God: I use God in order to say that “I AM A MAN, I HAVE THE
RIGHT TO BE FREE” => God is the SALVATION. YOU CAN’T GO AGAINST GOD’S WILL.
ADDRESS to the PARLIAMENT: we can find some similarities w/ puritan tradition => he’s writing his political, his
rights.
