Interesting Narrative Essay

Who ar we smell for, who atomic number 18 we expression for? Its Equiano were looking for. those are the spoken communication from a chant ab come on the disappearance of an Afri finish boy. The disappearance of Olaudah Equiano has conk a subject for a national folklore. All along the sixteenth part nineteenth centuries thousands of Africans captured in westmost Africa had been postped to be exchange in buckle downry. to a greater extent(prenominal) of them wrote more or slight their hard sprightlinesss experiences. Precisely in this musical mode, by creating poems and autobiographies, the so-c tout ensembleed slave impudents reports learn been born.The enkindle narration of the carriage of Olaudah Equiano, write by Himself is angiotensin converting enzyme of them. That is a re perpetu in in aloneyy(prenominal)y an inte relievering narrative. But it is lovely non just now when because of its plot or authors opus skills. This became the first memoir o f a coloured slave whose record has been accepted by the public and continued being interesting for millions of people farthest after(prenominal) its authors death. I had a great deal appearn my master and gibe employed in interlingual rendition and I had a great distinguishing characteristic to talk to the entertains as I thought they did, and so to learn how each(prenominal) things had a author.For that purpose I watch often pass watern up a platter, and have talked to it, and then gift my ears to it, when alone, in hopes it would answer me and I have been very much concerned when I effect it pil brokened silent. (Equiano 112). These linguistic process can be pay backn out as the master(prenominal) thesis of the research Equiano recorded with all his brio that each person, however a slave, is competent to reach more or less(prenominal) an(prenominal) significant things in his purport. The main occupy is to have a great curiosity in how all thing s had a low and strong allow for. And it is very important for human patrol wagon not to remain silent to former(a) peoples sorrows.There exists a sure problem regarding the authenticity of authors text. The readers who have bought the Equianos obligate chthonic the Allisons edition must be cognizant of that circumstance that Allison has self-contained various parts of Equianos archives which hasnt been produce by the author. A great bear on of text is submitted by Allison, not Equiano. For example, the place in narrative in which Equiano gives references to his marriage. But a hardly a(prenominal) pages earlier Equiano says he is free. Equiano changed the earlier passage when having added the relation to his marriage in 1792 in point to preserve the right cronology.Allison hasnt taken into reflection that item. Therefore, it can be seen that the chronology hasnt been observed in Allisons edition. inside much(prenominal) a vision the Equianos apply becomes til now more mystical. It sounds like a far and vague voice perceived finished an otherwise authors interpretation. Nevertheless(prenominal), despite of virtually discrepancies in Allisons interpretation of Equianos narration, the latter remains a masterpiece of African literature. As it was already workforcetioned, the book in result became a asterisk in the literature of that judgment of conviction as that was the first book written by a morose man that has been edited.But on that point are galore(postnominal) other points in favor of Equianos book. champion of them is that this book became a sample of new literature writing style a smorgasbord of social protest expressed in a very pilot program way. There are no direct appeals for stopping the thraldom in Africa by Africans nevertheless at the similar time Equianos book is a burning request for ending the enslavement of Africans by other nations re leaveatives. I gestate there are few events in my life that have not hap pened to umpteen you can find these words in Equianos archives as well.Those events are the kidnapping of l1-year-old Equiano and his serving to European slave traders. His book isnt a result of imagination notwithstanding proper authors experiences. Equiano was a member of Ibo nation which resided in Nigeria. When Equiano was eleven he was kidnapped by slave traders to findher with his sister. He was brought to Virginia and was exchange to Michael Pascal there. Pascal changed Equianos name to Gustavas Vassa (after a Swedish crowned head from sixteenth century). Equiano has passed through m whatsoever adventures before he bought his freedom in 1776.He continued traveling through American colonies after that barely as he s bank was afraid to be recaptured he went to England where he had been surveying for Charles Irving a scientist who was famous for his experiments with slat-water purification. Eqiano was traveling then over Italy, flop and even the Artic studying many scien ces in the course of that. Equianos autobiography was first published in 1789. It was published in dickens volumes and was authorise The elicit Narrative of the tone of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, compose by Himself.The narrative was declared to be one of the virtually undischarged slave narratives of that time. In this narrative one can find Equianos experiences which he acquired being on the visiting card of the slave ship, working as a gunpowder carrier in the Mediterranean or as a barber duration going on as a sailor. Thanks to all of those great talents and skills got by himself in the course of his sated life, Equiano became a great smart of his age. His autobiography, besides being a excellent pattern of autobiography, became a classic of the slave narrative genre.Equiano has described his adventures in a very vivacious manner. Besides, his book has been released very timely that time much attention was stipendiary to negroslavery society. Equianos book became one point in favor of the general hatred that was rising against the West India planters who had been noted to break away horrible cruelties directed on their slaves. Speaking about humanity in his book Equiano had several purposes in mind. First of all, he meant that the slavery is inhuman. Equiano represents it as a cruel business which results in a great deal of human misery.Of course, Equiano calls for the elimination of slavery in his autobiography. But he tries to widen the most horrible thing that is the base of European slave traders military posture to the African nations. That is the anti- antiblack idea which was rather a wide-spread one in England of eighteen century. According to this idea African were not replete(p)y human beings. Equianos book is a great plea for the dissolving of this terrible fabrication in humans minds. With a great talent he described a life of a man who had been a victim of that myth -his own life.Taking into considera tion the anti-racist intentions of Equianos autobiography, there are no denying facts that his book is a considerable political writing as well. A slave wrote a politically considerable book that is the main Equianos paradox of that time which made humans wagon to pay more attention to the miserable posture of Africans. A black boy, kidnapped by European traders and grew up among them, taught every(prenominal)thing he could and wrote a kind of black self-presentation with a strong political meaning. The writing that book was a actual feat by Equiano.He was brave enough to create his autobiography after having lived all that through by himself. That was a real demonstration of that African people were not only fully human beings save they were a great nation whose aspiration for freedom was not less than of any other nation of the world. Olaudah Equianos life is a brilliant example of humans will in its most prominent expression willing to be free. By that time not in additio n many of slavers narrations had appeared. Those were mostly oral narrations by a slave which were gathered by clean scientists. Equianos narrative was disparate from those ones.It was different not only because of his writing skills but, first of all, because he has written it by himself and, moreover, he published it by himself. He published it by subscription and by that way he forced many people to pay for his book in advance. Among those people the Prince of Wales and a range of dukes were. Another strong act by Equiano was that he not only had published the book but went on promoting it. He carried out a range of lections in England, Scotland and Wales. By promoting his book he was promoting at the corresponding time the abolition of slavery.He was present at the lections arranged by local abolition committees in many regions. Thus, Equiano managed not only to convert his autobiography in anti-slavery document but converted his whole life into anti-slavery movement. As one can see, the piteous slave kidnapped and grown up in slavery resulted to be a wonderful author, publisher, producer and political figure. He showed how an ordinary autobiography of a slave may convert into a strong social and even political movement. Equianos narrative was proclaimed by many critics to be the most remarkable among the books by black writers of the 18th century.Arna Bontemps in his first appearance to Great knuckle down Narratives (1969) characterized Equianos narrative as the first authentically notable book in the genre of the salve narrative. Equiano became an blameless historical epoch regarding the African culture. It has become the base of all African studies. His book will remain an eternal testimony of slavery as a shameful act of humanity. Equiano wrote the autobiography but his main aim was not to shed his life famous but to show all the consequences which the violence and aggressiveness may have.The autobiography by Equiano is worth of reading becaus e of many reasons. First of all, the personal skills of the author made his description vibrant and dynamic. He managed to quickly learn the language, religion, law and commerce of his enslavers. Thus, he found the possibility to barter for his freedom, find employment, travel the world, and become a true(a) advocate for abolition. The plagues that Equiano was forced to face didnt not break him. He was able to win thanks to a combination of luck, intelligence, and hard work in his character.His ironic sense of humor in narrating his numerous adventures and roles in life indicates that he perceived himself as a survivor. He was aware of all the difficulties that could wait for him and nevertheless was ready to cope with them. In the beginning of narrative the goal of freedom is established, and he then expends all of his vigour on attaining it. Equiano wrote his narrative after he had been converted to Christianity. Christianity means spiritual rebirth and this formula certainly was a strong point while structuring his story.It also caused an efficient influence on the readers minds. So, the spiritual authors rebirth also influenced on Equianos writing he wrote his autobiography according to the personal religious, spiritual changes. Equiano is often compared to Robinson Crusoe. Like the famous ace of Daniel Defoe he got into the foreign environment and managed to survive there and fetch his will to freedom and cheer through all the difficulties of his outstanding life. Thats why Olaudah Equiano will always remain in humans hearts as a symbol of freedom and powerful human will.And having passed many years hundreds of people when reading the The interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Written by Himself will say Who are we looking for, who are we looking for? Its Equiano were looking for. Bibliography 1. Olaudah, Equiano. (Edited with an introduction by Robert J. Allison). The fire Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, written by him self. Boston Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1995. READ EXCERPTS from The provoke Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano . . . From Ch.1 Description of Equianos Early Life and the Culture of his People Read online one of the first detailed descriptions ever published of a traditional African culture from the perspective of an African, which makes for interesting comparisons to Part I of Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart. The Life of Olaudah Equiano (British Library African Collections) Extract from The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, The African. Written by Himself. capital of the United Kingdom Printed for and exchange by the author, No. 10, Union-Street, Middlesex Hospital, 1789. Vol. 1, Chapter 1, pp.4-38 http//www. bl. uk/collections/africanolaudah. html From Ch. 2 THEY CARRY gain AS MANY AS THEY CAN SEIZE My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which seven lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the only da ughter. As I was the puppyishest of the sons, I became, of course, the greatest favourite of my mother, and was always with her and she used to take particular pains to form my mind. I was trained up from my early years in the arts of agriculture and war and my mother adorn me with emblems, after the manner of our greatest warriors.In this way I grew up till I was turned the age of eleven, when an end was put to my happiness in the following mannerGenerally, when the grown people in the vicinity were gone far in the fields to labour, the children assembled together in some of the neighborhoods premises to play and commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any assailant, or kidnapper, that qualification come upon us for they sometimes took those opportunities of our parents absence, to outrage and carry off as many as they could seize.One day, as I was go outing at the top of a tree in our yard, I saw one of those people come into the yard of our neighboring n eighbour but one, to kidnap, there being many stout young people in it. Immediately, on this, I gave the alarm of the rogue, and he was surrounded by the stoutest of them, who entangled him with cords, so that he could not escape till some of the grown people came and secured him. But alas ere long, it was my fate to be thus attacked, and to be carried off, when none of the grown people were nigh.One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us some(prenominal) and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they halt our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here they tied our custody, and continued to carry us as far as they could, till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers halted for re chicment, and spent the night.We were then unbound but were unable to take any food and, being qui te an overpowered by fatigue and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our misfortune for a short time. From Ch. II of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African (capital of the United Kingdom, 1789). Rpt. Mintz, A discussion of Africa resources for Teachers http//www. newsreel. org/guides/equiano. htm Corresponding to sections of 1814 ed. reprinted in Gates, The innocent Slave Narratives p. 25. From Ch.2 A MULTITUDE OF BLACK peck CHAINED TOGETHER Olaudah Equiano vividly recounts the shock and isolation that he snarl during the Middle line of achievement to Barbados and his fear that the European slavers would eat him (A Son of Africa). The European slavers complexions, differing so much from ours, their long hair and the language they spoke, which was different from any I had ever perceive, united to confirm me in this sentiment that Equiano had got into a world of bad spirits and that they were going to kill me.I ndeed, such were the horrors of my views and fears at the moment, that if ten thousand worlds had been my own, I would have freely split with them all to have exchanged my condition with that of the meanest slave of my own country. When I looked around the ship and saw a large furnace of copper boiling, and a multitude of black people of every description arrange together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow, I no longer doubted my fate. Quite overpowered with horror and anguish, I overleap motionless on the deck and fainted.When I recovered a little, I found some black people about me, and I believe some were those who had brought me on board and had been receiving their pay. They talked to me in order to cheer me up, but all in vain. I asked them if we were not to be eaten by those ashen men with horrible looks, red faces and long hair. They told me I was not . . . . I took a little wine down my palate, which, instead of bring back me as they thou ght it would, threw me into the greatest consternation at the strange sense of smell it produced, having never tasted such liquor before.Soon after this, the blacks who had brought me on board went off and left me abandoned to despair. I now saw myself divest of all chance of returning to my native country or even the least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as friendly. I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my present situation, which was fill up with horrors of every kind. . . .Equiano was then put down infra the decks and There I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life.With the loathesomeness of the stench and the crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything. I now wished for the last friend, Death, to relieve me. Soon, to my grief, two of the white men offered me eatables and on my refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by the hands and laid me across the windlass and tied my feet while the other flogged me disadvantageously. I had never experienced anything of this kind before. . . . If I could have gotten over the nettings, I would have jumped over the side, but I could not.The crew used to watch very closely those of us who were not chained down to the decks, lest we should jump-start into the water. I have seen some of these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case with myself . . . . Meeting some of his countrymen among the chained Africans below decks, I inquired of these what was to be done with us. They gave me to find we were to be carried to these white peoples country to work for them.I then was a little revived, and thought if it were no worse than working, my situation was not so desperate. But still I feared that I should be put to death, the white people looked and acted in so savage a manner. I have never seen among my people such instances of brutal cruelty, and this not only shown towards us blacks, but also to some of the whites themselves. One white man in particular I saw, when we were permitted to be on deck, flogged so unmercifully with a large rope near the foremast that he died in consequence of it, and they tossed him over the side as they would have done a brute.This made me fear these people the more, and I expected nothing less than to be treated in the same manner. . . . I asked my countrymen if these people had no country, but lived in this hollow place the ship? They told me they did not but came from a opposed land. Then, said I, how comes it that in all our country we never heard of them? They told me because they lived so far off. I then asked where were their women? Had they any like themselves? I was told they had. And why do we not see them I asked.They answered, Because they were left behind. I asked how the vas could go? They told me they cou ld not tell, but there was cloth put upon the masts by the help of the ropes I saw, and then vessels went on, and the white men had some spell or magic they put in the water when they like in order to stop the vessel when they liked. I was exceedingly stupid(p) at this study, and really thought they were spirits. I therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they would sacrifice me.But my wishes were in vainfor we were so quartered that it was impossible for us to make our escape. . . . .At last, when the ship we were in had got in all her cargo, they made ready with many fearful noises, and we were all put under deck, so that we could not see how they managed the vessel. . . . The stench of the hold while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was dangerous to remain there for any time some of us had been permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air.But now that the whole ships cargo were enwrapped together, it became absolutely pestile ntial. The closeness of the place and the heat of the climate, added to the number of the ship, which was so crowd that each had scarcely room to turn himself, intimately suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations so that the air became unfit for respiration from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many diedthus falling victims of the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers.This wretched situation was again change by the galling of the chains, which now became insupportable, and the filth of the necessary tubs toilets into which the children often fell and were around suffocated. The shrieks of the women and the groans of the dying rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable. Happily perhaps for myself, I was concisely reduced so low that it was necessary to keep me almost always on deck and from my intense youth I was not put into fetters.In this situation I expected every hour to share t he fate of my companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon the deck at the point of death, which I began to hope would in short put an end to my miseries. Often did I think many of the inhabitants of the complex much more happy than myself. I envied them the freedom they enjoyed, and as often wished I could change my condition for theirs. Every circumstance I met with, served only to render my state more painful and heightened my apprehensions and my opinion of the cruelty of the whites.. . . One day, when we had a smooth sea and moderate wind, two of my wearied countrymen who were chained together (I was near them at the time), preferring death to such a life of misery, somehow made through the nettings and jumped into the sea. Immediately another quite dejected fellow, who on account of his illness was suffered to be out of irons, followed their example. I believe many more would very soon have done the same if they had not been prevented by the ships crew, who were i nstantly alarmed.Those of us that were the most active were in a moment put down under the deck, and there was such a noise and confusion among the people of the ship as I never heard before to stop her and get the boat out to go after the slaves. However, two of the wretches were drowned, but they got the other and afterwards flogged him unmercifully for thus attempting to prefer death to slavery. . . . I can now relate, hardships which are inseparable from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near suffocation from the want of fresh air, which we were often without for whole eld together.This, and the stench of the necessary tubs, carried off many. From Ch. II of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African (London, 1789). Rpt. Mintz, A Son of Africa Resources for Teachers http//www. newsreel. org/guides/equiano. htm Corresponding to sections of 1814 ed. reprinted in Gates, The Classic Slave Narratives pp. 33-34 35-36. Carey also rep rints online Extracts from Equianos Narrative, Ch. 2 Boarding a Slave-Ship http//www. brycchancarey. com/equiano/extract2. htm The Middle Passage http//www. brycchancarey. com/equiano/extract3. htmFrom Ch. 2 DREAD AND TREMBLING Olaudah Equiano offers a first-hand account of his arrival in the West Indies in 1756 (A Son of Africa). Arrival at the island of Barbadoes in the Caribbean As the vessel drew nearer, we plainly saw the harbor and other ships of different kinds and sizes and we soon anchored amongst them off Bridgetown. Many merchants and planters came on board . . . . They put us in separate parcels and examined us attentively. They also made us jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we were to go there. We thought by this we should be eaten by these ugly men, as they appeared to us.When soon after we were all put down under the deck again, there was much dread and trembling among us and nothing but irate cries to be heard all the night from the apprehensions. At last th e white people got some old slaves from the land to pacify us. They told us we were not to be eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see many of our country people. This report eased us much, and sure enough, soon after we landed, there came to us Africans of all languages. We were conducted immediately to the merchants yard, where we were all pent up together, like so many sheep in a fold, without regard to sex or age.As every object was new to me, everything I saw filled me with surprise. What struck me first was that the houses were built with bricks and stories, and in every respect different from those I had seen in Africa, but I was still more astonished to see people on horseback. I did not know what this could mean, and indeed I thought these people were full of nothing but magical arts. While I was in this astonishment, one of my fellow prisoners spoke to a countryman of his about the horses who said they were the same kind they had in their countr y.I understood them, though they were from a distant part of Africa and I thought it odd I had not seen any horses there but afterwards when I came to converse with different Africans, I found they had many horses amongst them, and much larger than those I then saw. We were not many days in the merchants custody, before we were sold after their usual manner . . . On a signal given, (as the run of a drum), buyers rush at once into the yard where the slaves are confined, and make a choice of that parcel they like best.The noise and clamor with which this is attended, and the keenness visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to make up the apprehension of terrified Africans . . . . In this manner, without scruple, are relations and friends separated, most of them never to see each other again. I remember in the vessel in which I was brought over there were several brothers who, in the sale, were sold in different lots and it was very moving on this occasion, to see and hear their cries in parting. From Ch. II of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African (London, 1789).Rpt. Mintz, A Son of Africa Resources for Teachers http//www. newsreel. org/guides/equiano. htm Corresponding to sections of 1814 ed. reprinted in Gates, The Classic Slave Narratives pp. 37-38. At this point in Ch. 2 of the Narrative, Equiano passionately addresses his European enslavers O, ye nominal Christians might not an African ask you, learned you this from your God, who says unto you, Do unto all men as you would men should do unto you? Is it not enough that we are lacerated from our country and friends, to toil for your luxury and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise sacrificed to your avarice?Are the erotic love friends and relations now rendered more dear by their separation from the rest of their kindred, still to be parted from each other, and thus prevented from cheering the soberness of slavery, wit h the samll comfort of being together, and mingling their sufferings and sorrows? Why are parents to lose their children, brothers their sisters, or husbands their wives? Surely this is a new refinement in cruelty, which, while it has no advantage to atone for it, thus aggravates distress, and adds fresh horrors even to the wretchedness of slavery. From Ch.II of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African, 1814 ed. as reprinted in Gates, The Classic Slave Narratives p. 38. Read all of Chapter 2 of Equianos Autobiography online courtesy of Africans in America (WGBH/PBS Online) http//www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h320t. html The Abuse of Slaves in the West Indies Read Ch. 5 excerpt from Olaudah Equiano The Life of Gustavus Vassa courtesy of World Civilizations (Washington tell apart Univ. , 1996, 1999) http//www. wsu. edu8000/dee/Equiano. html More selections, also available on the Washington earth Univ.web, courtesy of Reading About the World, Vol. 2 ed. Paul Brians and others, Harcourt Brace routine Books http//www. wsu. edu8080/wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_2/equiano. html Equiano Gains his Freedom Read Ch. 7 excerpt, courtesy of Brycchan Carey http//www. brycchancarey. com/equiano/extract4. htm . . . Equianos account of his own manumission in 1766. Equianos owner, the Philadelphia Quaker Robert King, had in 1765 promised Equiano that he could buy back his own freedom if he ever raised the nitty-gritty of forty pounds, the price King had himself paid for Equiano.King, who conducted much of his business from the island of Montserrat in the Caribbean Leeward Islands, put Equiano to work on one of his ships. Fortunately for Equiano, this meant that he could earn the money by petty trading, an activity in which he received some encouragement from the ships friendly senior pilot Thomas Farmer (Carey). The Case Against the Slave Trade Read Ch. 12 excerpt, courtesy of Brycchan Carey http//www. brycchancarey . com/equiano/extract5. htm . . . Equianos arguments against the slave trade, in particular, his argument that the trade did not make sound economic sense (Carey).A 1789 REVIEW of Equianos Narrative From the beginning, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African. Written by Himself was a bestseller, in such demand that it experienced some xv editions, and attracted reviews in the leading journals of the time. One favorable 1789 review that appeared in Londons The Monthly Review is reprinted here A Review of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavas Vassa, the African. The Monthly Review London Vol. LXXX, 1789, p. 55152.Gale literature Resource Center Online Subscription Database. The Gale Group, 2004. Central Oregon Community College Library, Bend, OR. 17 August 2004. NOTE Gale Literature Resource Center subscription database articles are available online to COCC students Among aspects of the above 1789 rev iew to notice, is the fact that the anonymous reviewer addresses the question of the authenticity of Equianos very intelligent Narrative, suggesting that some English writer may have assisted Equiano in the compilement, or, at least, the correction of his book for it is sufficiently well written. SIGNIFICANCE OF EQUIANOS SLAVE NARRATIVE The slave narrative is a polemical genre it makes no bones about it. Anthony Appiah, quoted in Ferguson (249). Brycchan Carey outlines the political goals of Equianos slave narrative in Olaudah Equiano A Critical Biography http//www. brycchancarey. com/equiano/biog. htm According to Carey, to show that a black African had abilities equal to a white European is one implicit political goal encompassed by Equianos disputation early in his autobiographyIf it affords any satisfaction to my numerous friends, at whose request it has been written, or in the smallest degree promotes the interest of humanity, the ends for which it was undertaken will be ful ly attained, and every wish of my heart gratified. When Equiano refers to humanity he seems to have several things in mind. Firstly he of course means that slavery is inhumane in that it is a cruel business resulting in a great deal of human misery. He is calling for its abolition.But as well as the overt anti-slavery agenda there is a more subtle anti-racist project going on to dispel some of the racist myths current in eighteenth-century England. Amongst these was an increasingly widespread myth that Africans were either not fully human or were of a less developed divide of humanity. Part of Equianos project is to dispel this myth entirely by showing the world that he, in common with all human beings, is quite capable of writing a fine book describing a life which would be considered extraordinary and full of talent and seized opportu.