The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, the African

Equiano describes his Igbo culture in the first chapter of the book. What rhetorical devices does Equiano use to portray Africa to his audience, and what are their effects?

Equiano also includes a detailed account of his kidnapping, introduction to the transatlantic slave trade, the Middle Passage, and sale in the hands of African collaborators and Europeans. How does he represent these Europeans in terms of their morals and culture? How does his representation of Europeans compare with his representation of Africans?

Equiano is baptized on his arrival in England and then fully converts to Christianity near the end of the narrative. What are his motivations for conversion? How do concepts and ideas from Christian belief, including the idea of providence, shape how he tells his story?

Review Equiano’s life as a sailor in the middle chapters of the book. How does life on board ships compare to life on the shore? What role does life at sea on the Atlantic play in his perception of Europeans and his ability to gain control over his own body and movement?

Equiano’s primary purposes in writing the narrative are to share experiences of personal abuse and provide testimony to the abuses of other enslaved people in the West Indies, material we expect to see in autobiographical forms and the slave narrative in particular. How does he select what to include and what to exclude? Are there any points when these two purposes clash? How does he resolve these clashes?

Locate the apostrophes Equiano includes in the book. How does Equiano use apostrophes for persuasive purposes? Does he use them effectively to enhance his argument against slavery?

Equiano includes several famous historical events, including battles in the Seven Years’ War, an expedition to the North Pole, and travels to explore the coast of Central America. Why do you think Equiano chooses to include these events? How does his participation in them likely shape the perception of the role of Afro-British people in European history?

Equiano signs his narrative with both an African name and an English one, and he explains at one point in the narrative that he becomes “almost an Englishman” (94). What are the steps in the process from being Igbo (Ebo) to becoming an Englishman? Using evidence from the text, explain why he sees himself as “almost an Englishman” instead of thoroughly English. Does his sense of Englishness increase in later chapters? Provide evidence to support your answer to this question.