The Interesting Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano

How do people succeed in life? Does it take pure ability and drive to rise to the top? Or is it just pure luck of being at the right place at the right time? Olaudah Equiano defiantly was not a lucky man at the start of his life, he was taken from the African coast from his village when he was a boy at the age of 11. He was then sold into slavery and stayed a slave for about 11 years, then through a chance of luck and opportunity and with his driven attitude and intelligence he bought his freedom at age 21. In 1789 Equiano published his widely-read autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, which follows his life and obstacles as he climbs his way out of slavery. This variety of economic condition and social status
Equiano was a very hard working person. Equiano tells us this when he writes “I had always exerted myself and did double work, in order to make our voyages as short as possible” (Equiano 240), illustrating that he is a hardworking man, even if he was doing work that he was not fond of. Never complaining, but always does the work given to him by his master, and his best to help and care for others in the process. Along with his day to day personality his faith gave hime the push to keep going when he would otherwise crumble. Equiano says, "I prized it much, with many thanks to God that I could read it for myself . . . Whenever I looked in the Bible I saw things new, and many texts were immediately applied to me with great comfort, for I knew that to me was the word of salivation sent" (Equiano 377). The comfort of having a God and something to admire and believe in is a powerful force. A force powerful enough to keep equiano going in hard times and a force to help relate with other christians later in his life to help his
He had become better at English but he still wanted to improve on his reading and writing skills. Since he was able to travel to London with his master, Equiano had the opportunity to improve himself. During this time, he was sold to Mr. King, and was sailing to the West Indies and later to the American Colonies. By 1763 Equiano was aware of his new luck, "Some time in the year 1763 kind Providence seemed to appear rather more favorable to me (Equiano 217)". Soon after Equiano meets and befriends an English sailor named Captain Thomas Farmer. Mr. Farmer had convinced Equiano's master for Equiano to sail with him as a sailor on his trip. As a sailor, Equiano sold fruits to markets and started to gain some money. By July 11th 1766, Equiano is able to buy his own freedom. "In the midst of these thoughts I therefore looked up with prayers anxiously to God for my liberty; and at the same time I used every honest means, and endeavored all that was possible on my part to obtain it” (Equiano