Verisimilitude of Equiano’s Narrative and Understanding of Slavery

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Slavery is an unpleasant chapter in the history book of our world. In the retrospective, it teaches that every man and every woman regardless of their skin tone is born equal and is worthy of understanding and respect. The autobiography written by Equiano is one of those books that provide explicit evidence and draw strong conclusions on the topic. However, some researchers doubt the originality of the narrative arguing it presents made-up or stolen facts. Despite the controversy around the narrative, it still lets the readers dive deep into the everyday hardships of a slave’s life and helps people understand the nature of slavery.

The book was subject to criticism that questioned the original birthplace of the author and thus tried to undermine the validity of the whole story. Carretta argued that he found evidence of Equiano being born not in Africa but in South Carolina, which transforms his autobiography into fiction (Equiano, the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man 1). Paul Lovejoy challenged those arguments saying that baptismal records and a muster roll cannot be the evidence of Equiano’s fraud but instead reflect the wishes of those who made these documents (1). The main argument in the answer to Lovejoy was that the records could clarify the author’s true age, which is the key to the dismissal of the idea that Equiano is a native African (Response to Paul Lovejoy’s ‘Autobiography and Memory 116).

Both Lovejoy and Carretta have solid logic. The resolution of the conflict can presumably be achieved through the discovery of new facts and evidence, but regardless of the result, the main point of the literary piece under discussion stays the same. Even if Caretta is right in his judgment and the book cannot be deemed an autobiography of an African slave, it is still a life story of a slave. For instance, he argues that Equiano borrowed his identity from his ‘fellow’ Africans, whose stories he allegedly used to create his own (Equiano, the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man 7).

Regardless of the truth, it still does not change the fact that native tribespeople were conquered and taken away from their homes, relatives, and loved ones. In addition, it is a common practice among the authors to consult others to refresh the memory of the events or to seek consultation on the particular details. Despite the affiliation of the depicted events to one person or another, they still give the reader an understanding of how the life of Africans changed with the onslaught of slavery.

Equiano observes that English people treated indigenous tribes as inferior human beings due to their lack of understanding of English culture and language (741). That notion gives them the idea of their superiority and the ability to buy and sell living beings like property. Disproving this basis of slavery was one of the primary purposes of the book. The fact that the author may or may not have been born in Africa does not change it. The fact that he was bought and sold like a piece of furniture gives him the right to speak about slavery and fight it by any means.

Carretta also finds it suspicious that the book was published right on time, as the native African stories were needed to support the abolitionist movement (Response to Paul Lovejoy’s ‘Autobiography and Memory 116). The movement may be considered a party at war and in any war all means are fair. Even if the autobiography was a fruit of collaborative effort used to strengthen the argument of the slavery opponents, it still served the greater good. The autobiographic format of the book was presumably used to create a deeper experience when the readers can associate themselves with the author and feel his sufferings.

Despite the doubts on the originality of some facts, the book’s primary purpose seems to revolve more around the conclusions that the author makes when reflecting on the described events. Equiano argues that not all people are vile and mean, but the feeling of power that the possession of a slave gives them corrodes their souls. He also states that all individuals are born equal in the ability to understand each other (Equiano 740). These ideas seem to make the book unique. The events of Equiano’s life seem to be a horrifying entourage that leads the reader to the same conclusions as the narrator made. Even if some experiences are not his own and he made them look natural, it does not make a difference if the book serves its purpose. Above that, the author can be credited for the ability to draw wisdom from experience showing the readers not only the images of cruelty and injustice but letting them see the reason behind it and understand the true nature of slavery.

Almost every piece of poetry or prose is written for a reason. Every writer has a goal, a thought, or several thoughts he wants to convey to the world. For example, George Orwell and Aldous Huxley with their dystopias wanted people to note the trends and draw parallels with the contemporary society, Oscar Wilde in his Picture of Dorian Gray outlined the problems of double life and esthetics. Similarly, Equiano wanted to focus attention on the issue of slavery. The fact that he revealed his own experience, no matter the place he was born, makes his arguments even stronger.

Slave trade affected the world order quite deeply. A substantial part of the global economy was built around it. Countries and politicians waged wars to defend their slave business or to occupy that niche. These wars divided the world into the oppressors and the oppressed, the owners and the owned. This mindset had to be altered, and abolitionists fought for it. They needed the means of distribution of their ideas, heralds of humanity. Equiano became one of these voices, that moved the hearts and minds of people by the story of his life and the lives of his fellow slaves. The hypothesis that the author is not African has little relevance to the problem of understanding slavery. The reason for this is, as it was mentioned above, the global status of the issue. Slavery affected every race and gender, and it had to be abolished by every means necessary.

All things considered, the question of Equiano’s origin is secondary to the impact his book had on the recognition and understanding of the issue of slavery and the slave trade. Regardless of his place of birth, he was a slave and went through all the hardships he depicted in his book. The passages about his home he allegedly wrote using the experience of other African slaves do not make them untrue. Moreover, he made retrospective conclusions on the dire state of the slave situation, which, illustrated by his life path, allow to look at the matter from the standpoint of humanity.

Works Cited

Carretta, Vincent. Equiano, the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man. University of Georgia Press, 2005.

—. “Response to Paul Lovejoy’s ‘Autobiography and Memory: Gustavus Vassa, alias Olaudah Equiano, the African.’” Slavery & Abolition, vol. 28, no. 1, 2007, pp. 116.

Equiano, Olaudah. “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself.” Norton Anthology of American Literature, edited by Nina Baym and Robert Levine, W.W. Norton & Company, 2012, pp. 731-769.

Lovejoy, Paul E. “Autobiography and Memory: Gustavus Vassa, alias Olaudah Equiano, the African.” Slavery & Abolition, vol. 27 no. 3, 2006, p. 318.

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Verisimilitude of Equiano’s Narrative and Understanding of Slavery

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