Olaudah Equiano Narrative Analysis

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano presented English identity as the epitome of modernity, and the mark of cultural maturity. Rather than being a set racial or national identity Equiano portrayed englishness as an achievable goal, even for a racially black man. The Narrative intentionally depicted Equiano’s transformation from African boy to Englishman a positive change. Through the portrayal of his life as a struggle to become an Englishman; and his telling of a willing adoption of anglican religion, cultural values, and economic sensibilities, Olaudah Equiano purposefully appealed to the paternalistic nature of the English in order to advocate for the abolition of slavery. The Narrative depicted the African people
as infantile and naïve. The childlike depiction of the Ibo included their vocabulary, “we were totally unacquainted with swearing and all those terms of abuse and reproach that find their way into… the language of more civilized people.” Equiano likened many of the Ibo traditions, such as circumcision and ritual washing, with the practices of the Jews. He even made the claim that the Ibo were in all ways like the Jews before they reached the Land of Promise. Equiano himself stated that he made these claims in an attempt to, “remove the prejudice that some conceive against my countrymen on account of their colour.” This, Equiano argued, was justification for English education not the enslavement of the Africans. Equiano called for the pride of the British to be melted into sympathy for the uneducated Africans While the historicity of Olaudah’s assertion that he was born in Africa is a topic of academic debate the inclusion in the narrative serves dual purpose. Firstly, this established Equiano’s authority on African culture and qualified his claims. More importantly, this claim of an African birth was powerful symbolism. Equiano viewed African culture as inferior to the English, “I looked upon them .. as men superior to us; and … had a strong desire to resemble them.” Through the Narrative as Equiano physically ages he also becomes increasingly English and decreasingly African. He professed a strong desire to learn to read an write and dedicated much effort to this pursuit. In England he was also willingly baptized a Christian, as opposed to undergoing the scaring as a mark of maturity in his Ibo village.