Introduction
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Brycchan Carey is the first slave autobiography that tells the story of Olaudah Equiano. Born in a village in Africa, Equiano was kidnapped when he was eleven. Equiano underwent several travels as a slave as he was transported to the coast of Africa and later to Virginia and Barbados. He was bought and owned by a former officer of the navy and a merchant known as Michael Henry Pascal, who lived in England. The autobiography provides first-person accounts of life as a slave and the subsequent journey to purchasing freedom. Equiano considers himself a pious Christian in his autobiographical narrative. The narrative describes a religious conversion that Equiano underwent himself, highlighting the importance of freedom. Equiano uses religion to portray significant themes and atrocities that slaves faced in the Enlightenment era (Carey 2018). It is critical to explore how Equiano utilizes religion to describe himself as the story’s speaker and formulate a polemic of slavery.
Religion’s Role in The Narrative
Equiano’s text adopts a brief speech of the author’s spiritual journey. Equiano hopes to testify and explain the actions of God and His providence in his life. When he learns about Christianity in England from Miss Guerins, Equiano is ambivalent and intrigued. Equiano says that “they often used to teach me to read, and took great pains to instruct me in the principles of religion and the knowledge of God” (Carey 2018, 81). Religion is manifested in the book when Equiano is baptized and later grapples with spiritual questions that are more profound. After baptism, Equiano travels to England and relates the Christian teachings that he has learned to his life experience. For instance, after Pascal’s betrayal, which results in him being owned by the inhumane James Doran, Equiano starts to think such a result may be God’s punishment due to his sins (Carey 2018). As a result, Equiano accepts and fully embraces his Christianity identity.
Furthermore, religion is used to explain God’s providence in Equiano’s life as he struggles in cruel captivity. The belief that God will provide and allow everything to happen according to His plans helps Equiano persevere against hardships experienced as a slave. In addition, the faith and trust in God’s plan make Equiano more passive in creating change. For instance, Equiano says, “if it were God’s will I ever should be freed, it would be so, and, on the contrary, if it was not his will, it would not happen” (Carey 2018, 116). After the reflection, Equiano acknowledges that his life must go according to the plan of God. The growing belief and trust in God mean that Equiano should accept everything that happens to him because of God’s providence.
Religion shows Equiano’s spirituality and the hard work required to understand one’s spiritual walk. The struggles of Equiano as he attempts to comprehend spirituality and save his soul indicate that religion needs hard work and perseverance. Equiano could only reconcile the conflict with his Christianity duplicity by concentrating on his spiritual journey. Equiano was thankful and happy that God had directed him to London, where he could focus on his salvation and secure his place in heaven. Through religion, Equiano shows his sincerity and redemptive qualities that an ardent Christian should have. Equiano acknowledges that he has to live and experience the life of a true convert to speak to his narrative’s audience. Therefore, his hard work is intended to reflect a heartfelt, helpful, and well-contemplated conversation with his readers. The soulful quest of Equiano made him experience depression in his sincere and honest search for salvation (Carey 2018). In his narrative, Equiano’s search for salvation highlights the importance of sincerity in religion.
Effect Of Religion on Equiano’s Framing and Language Use
Religion had a significant impact on how Equiano frames his narrative and the language used in the autobiographical account. Equiano was aware that to secure justice for those in bondage, he could only appeal to those who maintained the transatlantic slavery system. As a result, Equiano first knew such people and how they lived for approximately two decades. Equiano was deliberate, cautious, and thoughtful while planning the writing of his narrative. The central theme of Equiano’s narrative is to provide a polemic of slavery. Equiano uses a guise of a different culture in self-representation. He genuinely turned down the popular presentation of slavery and described the experience of blacks from the inside (Carey 2018). In addition, Equiano exposed the slavery experience of blacks, which the white people had turned into an acceptable version.
The subversive tactics of Equiano’s narrative are complex, making it appear that the concerns were primarily secular and political. However, Equiano’s full religious beliefs are the foundation of his slavery polemic. Freedom, justice, independence, and equality are the critical elements that Equiano craved. Olaudah Equiano interpreted God in relation to his values and utilized God to communicate his critic against slavery. Equiano’s conception of God is used to stimulate opposition to slavery. The religious argument that Equiano uses is that slavery is not right and should be abolished. The author uses a disruptive attack on slavery under the guise of his spiritual journey. Equiano gains the trust of readers by expressing his faith (Carey 2018). The narrator’s voice is strengthened by qualities of truth and trust shown by the author’s method of telling his story.
Equiano’s narrative targets readers who are Christians and strengthens the argument against slavery. Religion affects how Equiano frames the story and uses language as biblical texts reinforce Equiano’s views. Equiano appeals to Christians to consider their acceptance of slavery’s brutalities. The author uses religious texts to reinforce the argument that faithful followers of God cannot passively accept the brutal slave trade and slavery. Equiano utilizes a rhetorical gesture to confront the passive acceptance of slavery by Christians who claimed to be pious and devout. Furthermore, the author asks nominal Christians whether they learn to mistreat others from their God. He says, “O, ye nominal Christians! might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God” (Carey 2018, 67). He could not understand how people could call themselves Christians and support slavery. Equiano complained about the everlasting separation of families from Africa at the mercy of avaricious and cruel slave traders (Carey 2018). He questioned the sincerity of readers who claimed to be Christians who feared God.
It was unimaginable to Equiano that Christians could participate in or support elements of slavery. Equiano says, “do unto all men as you would men should do unto you?” (Carey 2018, 67). As a result, Equiano uses religious text to challenge nominal Christians to recognize the inanity of slavery. Equiano went through the conversion process; therefore, he developed an uncorrupted experience of reality attainable by nominal Christians. Equiano’s narrative made Christians acknowledge the truth, inciting them to be truthful to their belief in God and seek the abandonment of slavery.
Significance Of Religion in Equiano’s Narrative to Historians
Generally, historians are concerned about the ramifications of historical events, and they can shape today’s society. Equiano’s narrative uses religion to spread its message of criticizing slavery. First, historians need to be extremely careful when dealing with the interpretation of religion to justify their ideas. For instance, the whites could have used religion during the transatlantic trade to justify the enslavement of Africans. People ignored everyone who tried to justify the abolition of the slave trade. In the eyes of nominal Christians, slavery was acceptable (Carey 2018). Therefore, historians can learn from the incident to be brave and condemn such actions through religion. For example, historians know that the bible advocates for people to treat others the same way they would like to be treated. Thus, historians must interpret the meaning of religious texts correctly to avoid the wrong understanding of human life.
Conclusion
It is critical to review Equiano’s narrative to explore how the author describes himself and indirectly condemns slavery. Equiano’s narrative was planned and published while considering the reader’s mind. He successfully appeals to readers by providing his account and experiences as a slave. In addition, Equiano shows his sincerity through religion as he depicts the undesirable journey of seeking salvation. The author uses deliberate religious texts to strengthen the message of his narrative. Furthermore, readers are criticized and urged to abandon religious hypocrisy. Historians can learn that religion can be used to understand human life; thus, they should interpret religion and events correctly to avoid misconceptions.
Reference
Carey, Brycchan, ed. 2018. Equiano, Olaudah: The Interesting Narrative. New York: Oxford University Press.