The autobiographical tale of Equiano Travels by Olaudah Equiano is a powerful look at one of the most prolific and interesting men of color. The narrative allows readers to get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences. In the book, Equiano recounts his happy childhood in Eboe his and sister's kidnapping when he was eleven. He later recounts his early time as a slave in Africa being forced to endure a torturous journey across Africa. Than being separated from his sister, and never seeing her or his family again being whisked farther away from them and into the slave trade by boat where he remained enslaved for several more years.
Her narrative focuses on the white women experience of captivity, and it aims to highlight the struggles and the humiliation the English captivate went through. However, most of the critics believe that Rowlandson is prejudice, as she views herself and her culture as more superior and more pure. Throughout the whole narrative she intentionally describes the Indian as barbarous creatures, murderous wretches, and wolves. It is true that she was imprisoned by the Indian, but she herself admit that she did not exposed any physical or sexual violence, unlike Jacobs who suffers from all kinds of physical and sexual oppression. Moreover, Rowlandson used an overly emotional language to impress her audience and to gain their
Mary Rowlandson was one of the first Colonial age women to create a captivity narrative about the Indians (Native Americans) and the torments endured while being a captive. With a more in-depth look at captivity natives one can see as stated by http://public.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/captive.htm that, “In [a captivity narrative] a single individual, usually a woman, stands passively under the strokes of evil, awaiting rescue by the grace of God.” The main purpose, idea, no almost lesson that can be derived from the story however is that if one is a devoted God loving individual and one endures the punishment than one will become closer to God and have a better understanding of what is important in life on earth. Rowlandson broke the mold of the tradition way to teach the lessons of God by producing a story of extraordinary and gruesome events. At her time this was a brilliant stretch to capture the audience of readers that was becoming use to the idea of almost a preaching style of writing that showed the mercy and might of God. Rowlandson brought them a new kind of tale, one of adventure, faith, terror and will to survive.
The author, Olaudah Equiano, writes about his distinctive experience by expressing himself exposing his observative, vibrant, and emotional self. Abolitionists everywhere should read and share Equiano's narrative because it reveals the horrible realities of the slave trade and shatters stereotypes by presenting a slave who is intelligent and emotional. The narrative exposes the cruelty and ignorance of the nominal Christians who brutally treated the innocent slaves and managed the slave ship. A cargo filled with African slaves awaited for the young man as he embarked a journey of misery: “ When I looked around the ship...a multitude of black people of every description chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow(Equiano 58).” They escorted the young boy to
“A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mary Rowlandson”: The Influence of Intercultural Contact on Puritan Beliefs “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson” by Mary Rowlandson gives a first person perspective into the circumstances of captivity and cultural interaction and an insight to Rowlandson 's attitude towards the Indians, both before and after she was held captive. Rowlandson displays a change in her perception of "civilized" and "savage", in spite of the fact that her overall world view does not alter. It should be covered below that in the following Essay, since the author and the narrator are the same person, will not be individually distinguished. For one thing, Mary Rowlandson provides all the conventions typical of a Puritan perspective. She witnessed her community become destroyed by Indians, people whom she refers to as "barbarous creatures,"(238) "murderous wretches" (236) "heathen,"(236) "ravenous beasts," (238) and "hell-hounds."
While on a plantation, Olaudah Equiano was sent inside the estate to fan his ill master and when he walked in he saw a black woman which had on an iron muzzle that “locked her mouth so fast that she could scarcely speak; and could not eat or drink” (Equiano 21). Further along in Equiano’s narrative he wrote about another instance of physical abuse in chapter five, he said he saw a black man who was “beaten til some of his bones were broken” (Equiano 46) just for letting a pot boil over. Today treatment like this would be deemed completely illegal, unethical, and unacceptable and yet this is only a handful of examples from his text that prove this to be an anti-slavery
Although, interestingly enough, when Equiano wrote about the spectacle, he didn’t mention himself taking any part in it. Using the words like "my countrymen" and "they", Olaudah excluded himself entirely from any sort of outward dissent towards his captors--however, that does not mean he didn’t acquire an intense resentment too. It is quite possible to infer that his subtle yet uncompromising persistence to survive, overrode his desire for retribution. Olaudah Equiano must have known that the actions his companions were recklessly executing were
Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson The Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson is a text that describes the experiences of Mary Rowlandson during her captivity by the Native Americans in the King Phillips war. The details about the capture which took place in 1676 are recorded in her diary accounts which were written a few years after she was released. The captivity lasted about eleven weeks and is accounted in the diaries. Rowlandson specifically believes that her experiences were related to the Bible and that the capture was a trial from God which she had to endure in order to survive and remain a true Christian woman who is suitable for the then puritan society (Harris 12). She judges the Native Americans from the religious perspectives which create an obvious bias against their culture.
Part I: 1. A) Indians’ daily lives and values were similar to those of the colonists. Evidence: Rowlandson asks the Indians “whether they were earnest with God for deliverance, they told me they did as they were able…” (The Third Reserve). When Rowlandson and the Indians come across a deserted English crop field, she saw the Indians were at one with nature as the “Indians quickly spread themselves over the deserted English fields, gleaming over what they could find” (The Seventh Remove). Rowlandson son died and the Indians had buried him “Where I saw the ground was newly digged, and there they told me they had buried it” (The Third Remove).
While reading The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, many questions arose in my head. I wanted to further my knowledge on multiple topics. The topic that stuck out to me the most was how the treatment of slaves differed throughout the book depending on their location. I analyzed the book into further detail on this topic. From Africa to England, Equiano experienced and observed many different treatment forms.