The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano

Online Quote:
“He was a victim and a witness of the hardships and chose to share his rough journey during those tragic moments in his life”

- Associated Content

Book Quote:
“While I was thus employed by my master, I was often a witness to cruelties of every kind, which were exercised on my unhappy fellow slaves” (Equiano 696).

Summary:
Born in Africa, he and his sister are kidnapped and re separated forever. He tossed to different masters then goes on a ship bound for Barbadoes. Throughout this story he describes the conditions of slaves that are suffering more than he; keeps thanking God for his blessing of a kinder master. He puts his trust in what God believes should happen to him. There were plenty of them that made offers to buy him but Mr. King, his master at the time, wouldn’t. His last master does treat him right and gives him a chance to earn his freedom by earning the money he paid to buy him. Gustavus earns the money in trade.

Opinion:
I am stuck with two opinions of this story. For one I believe he shows himself stronger than the other slaves because he stuck out from the other slaves, not easily broken as others were, committing suicide because they weren’t strong enough. Another way to see this story is he doesn’t show himself so awfully treated as other slaves were because he doesn’t want to put himself in the spotlight as they should be. I know he was once extremely beaten but didn’t suffer constantly through life as the other slaves did most likely; he was the lucky masters that were as cruel as others were. In the end was placed in the right hands that would be humane and reasonable to let Gustavus Vassa earn his freedom by earning the money that was paid for him. Telling other slave owners “why can’t we all be reasonable?” If they were better treated maybe they wouldn’t be so relentless to work for you after all as Gustavus wasn’t for Mr. King. He did wish for his freedom as any slave would but didn’t try anything as others did because of their ill treatment. It is in this story we also see Christianity used as a tool to keep slaves from rebelling slavery. The consequences were “God would not love me” (692). Gustavus was faithful to god will and might have believed what his master said to be true.