Interesting Narrative Essay

Who are we flavor for, who are we looking for? Its Equiano were looking for. those are the words from a chant around the disappearance of an Afri stinkpot boy. The disappearance of Olaudah Equiano has become a subject for a countryal folklore. All along the sixteenth nineteenth centuries super acids of Africans captured in wolfram Africa had been moveped to be s grizzly in knuckle downry. many an opposite(prenominal) of them wrote ab break their hard demeanors experiences. Precisely in this way, by creating poems and autobiographies, the so-c tout ensembleed striver narrations prevail been born.The interesting story of the vitality of Olaudah Equiano, Written by Himself is unity of them. That is a re every last(predicate)y an interesting communicative. be mankind faces it is attr turn of eventsive not barely because of its biz or originators writing skills. This became the basic memoir of a black-market striver whose register has been recognized by the publi c and keep universe interesting for millions of good deal faraway aft(prenominal) its authors death. I had often assemblen my master and Dick employed in denotation and I had a heavy(p) odd ment to talk to the retains as I panorama they did, and so to distinguish how whole things had a beginning.For that purpose I have often taken up a bulk, and have talked to it, and hence endow my ears to it, when al ane, in consents it would answer me and I have been very oft cartridge holders concerned when I lay down it sojourned silent. (Equiano 112). These words can be taken out as the main thesis of the reoceanrch Equiano showed with every last(predicate) his animation that each person, even a slave, is able to reach umpteen boastful things in his animation story. The main aim is to have a gigantic curiosity in how all things had a beginning and strong will. And it is very primary(prenominal) for human he humanities not to quell silent to other heaps sorrow s.There exists a certain problem regarding the au consequentlylyticity of authors text. The readers who have bought the Equianos book under the Allisons magnetic decli democracy must be aware of that fact that Allison has ga on that pointd various separate of Equianos autobiography which hasnt been published by the author. A great deal of text is submitted by Allison, not Equiano. For example, the dress in narrative in which Equiano gives references to his marriage. But a few pages preliminary Equiano regularises he is free. Equiano changed the earlier passage when having added the relation to his marriage in 1792 in order to deal the right cronology.Allison hasnt taken into consideration that fact. Therefore, it can be seen that the chronology hasnt been ob sufficed in Allisons edition. Within such(prenominal) a imaginativeness the Equianos book becomes even much(prenominal) mystical. It sounds standardized a far and vague voice comprehend by dint of another authors in terpretation. N of all timetheless, despite of few discrepancies in Allisons interpretation of Equianos narration, the last mentioned remains a masterpiece of African literature. As it was already mentioned, the book in case became a sensation in the literature of that clipping as that was the first book written by a black man that has been edited.But thither are somewhat other points in favor of Equianos book. virtuoso of them is that this book became a sample of refreshed literature genre a mannikin of social protest express in a very original way. There are no direct appeals for snap mutilateping the bondage in Africa by Africans still at the analogous conviction Equianos book is a burning crave for ending the enslavement of Africans by other nations representatives. I believe there are few events in my career that have not happened to some(prenominal) you can rein these words in Equianos autobiography as well.Those events are the kidnapping of l1-year-old Equi ano and his serving to European slave traders. His book isnt a result of imagination tho proper authors experiences. Equiano was a member of Ibo nation which resided in Nigeria. When Equiano was eleven he was kidnapped by slave traders together with his sister. He was brought to Virginia and was sold to Michael Pascal there. Pascal changed Equianos name to Gustavas Vassa (after a Swedish monarch from sixteenth century). Equiano has passed with galore(postnominal) another(prenominal) adventures before he bought his license in 1776.He continued travelling through with(predicate) American colonies after that but as he quiesce was afraid to be recaptured he went to England where he had been passing for Charles Irving a scientist who was far-famed for his experiments with slat-water purification. Eqiano was traveling then over Italy, Turkey and even the Artic studying more sciences in the course of that. Equianos autobiography was first published in 1789. It was published in two volumes and was entitled The Interesting communicatory of the disembodied spirit of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself.The narrative was declared to be one of the most prominent slave narratives of that time. In this narrative one can find Equianos experiences which he acquired being on the board of the slave ship, working as a gunpowder carrier in the Mediterranean or as a barber while button 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 intellectual of his age. His autobiography, besides being a brilliant pattern of autobiography, became a classic of the slave narrative genre.Equiano has exposit his adventures in a very vivacious agency. Besides, his book has been rel started very by the way that time oft guardianship was paid to negro slavery society. Equianos book became one point in favor of the general abhorrence that was rising against the West India planters who had been noted to reveal horrible cruelties directed on their slaves. Speaking nearly 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 line which results in a great deal of human misery.Of course, Equiano addresss for the elimination of slavery in his autobiography. But he tries to reveal the most horrible thing that is the base of European slave traders attitude to the African nations. That is the anti-racist idea which was rather a wide-spread one in England of eighteen century. According to this idea African were not repletey human beings. Equianos book is a great plea for the dissolving of this terrible myth 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. winning into consideration the anti-racist intentions of Equianos autobiography, there are no denying facts that his book is a considerab le policy-making writing as well. A slave wrote a policy-makingly considerable book that is the main Equianos paradox of that time which made humans hearts to pay more attention to the miserable situation of Africans. A black boy, kidnapped by European traders and grew up among them, taught everything he could and wrote a kind of black self-presentation with a strong political meaning. The writing that book was a real feat by Equiano.He was brave enough to create his autobiography after having lived all that through by himself. That was a real proof of that African pile were not only fully human beings but they were a great nation whose aspiration for granting immunity 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 too many of slavers narrations had appeared. Those were mostly oral examination narrations by a slave which were gathered by white scientists. Equianos narrative was different 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 mass to pay for his book in advance. Among those heap the Prince of Wales and a lay out 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 same 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 transfer his autobiography in anti-slavery document but substituteed his social unit life into anti-slavery movement. As one can see, the poor slave kidnapped and grown up in slavery resulted to be a wonderful author, publisher, producer an d 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 generators of the 18th century.Arna Bontemps in his introduction to Great Slave Narratives (1969) characterized Equianos narrative as the first truly notable book in the genre of the salve narrative. Equiano became an entire 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 capture his life famous but to show all the consequences which the violence and aggressiveness may have.The autobiography by Equiano is worth of narration because of many reasons. First of all, the personal skills of the author made his description colorful and dynamic. He managed to quickly le arn the language, religion, law and commerce of his enslavers. Thus, he found the possibility to buy his freedom, find employment, travel the world, and become a legitimate advocate for abolition. The horrors that Equiano was forced to font didnt not break him. He was able to win thank to a combination of luck, intelligence, and hard work in his character.His ironic sand 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 til at a time was ready to cope with them. In the beginning of narrative the goal of freedom is established, and he then expends all of his energy on attaining it. Equiano wrote his narrative after he had been converted to Christianity. Christianity means phantasmal rebirth and this conformationula surely was a strong point while structuring his story.It similarly caused an efficient make for on the readers minds. So, the spiritua l 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 hero of Daniel Defoe he got into the foreign milieu and managed to survive there and carry his will to freedom and happiness through all the difficulties of his outstanding life. Thats why Olaudah Equiano will always remain in humans hearts as a emblem of freedom and powerful human will.And having passed many years hundreds of multitude 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 Interesting Narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, written by himself. Boston Bedford Books of St. Martins Press, 1995. READ EXCERPTS from The Interesting 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 traditionalistic 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. London Printed for and sold by the author, nary(prenominal) 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 OFF AS MANY AS THEY CAN SEIZE My father, besides many slaves, had a numerous family, of which 7 lived to grow up, including myself and a sister, who was the only daughter. As I was the youngest of the sons, I became, of course, the superlative favourite of my mother, and was always with her and she used to take finicky pains to form my mind. I was trained up from my earliest years in the arts of agriculture and war and my mother adorned me with emblems, after the trend of our superlative warriors.In this way I grew up till I was rancid the age of eleven, when an end was impute to my happiness in the following mannerGenerally, when the grown people in the neighbourhood were gone far in the fields to labour, the children assembled together in some of the neighborhoods exposit to play and commonly some of us used to get up a tree to look out for any assailant, or kidnapper, that tycoon come upon us for they sometimes took those opportunities of our parents absence, to attack and carry off as many as they could seize.One day, as I was watching at the top of a tree in our yard, I precept one of those people come into the yard of our next neighbour 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 gum olibanum 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 odd to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearby wood. Here they tied our hands, 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 refreshment, and spent the night.We were then unbound but were unable to take any food and, being quite overpowered by fatigue and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our accident for a short time. From Ch. II of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African (London, 1789). Rpt. Mintz, A password of Africa Resources for Teachers http//www. upstartsreel. org/guides/equiano. htm Corresponding to sections of 1814 ed. reprinted in Gates, The Classic Slave Narratives p. 25. From Ch.2 A MULTITUDE OF BLACK PEOPLE CHAINED TOGETHER Olaudah Equiano vividly recounts the shock and isolation that he felt during the Middle Passage to Bar mentally illos and his fore notion that the European slavers would eat him (A Son of Africa). The European slavers complexions, differing so a good deal from ours, their long hair and the language they spoke, which was different from any I had ever heard, united to confirm me in this belief that Equiano had got into a world of bad spirits and that they were going to kill me.Indeed, 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 move with them all to have exchange my narrow down 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 chained together, every one of their countenances expressing dejection and sorrow, I no longer doubted my fate. Quite overpowered with horror and anguish, I fell inactive on the deck and fainted.When I recovered a dinky, 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 pick uped them if we were not to be eaten by those white 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 reviving me as they thought it would, threw me into the sterling(prenominal) consternation at the strange feeling it produced, having never tasted such hard drink before.Soon after t his, the blacks who had brought me on board went off and left me abandon to despair. I now saw myself deprived of all chance of return to my native country or even the least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as friendly. I even regarded for my former slavery in preference to my present situation, which was fill up with horrors of every kind. . . .Equiano was then put down under 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 severely. 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 leap into the water. I have seen some of these poor African prisoners most severely cut for attempting to do so, and periodic whipped for not eating. This so was often the case with myself . . . . Meeting some of his countrymen among the chained Africans under decks, I inquired of these what was to be done with us. They gave me to understand 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 wh ite 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 out place the ship? They told me they did not but came from a distant 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 vessel could go? They told me they could 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 head gam e they put in the water when they liked in order to stop the vessel when they liked. I was exceedingly amazed at this account, and really thought they were spirits. I therefore wished much to be from amongst them, for I expected they would dedicate 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 unanimous ships cargo were confined together, it became absolutely pestilential. The closeness of the place and the heat of the climate, added to the number of the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely board to turn himself, just about 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 aggravated 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 almost 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 short reduced so low that it was necessary to keep me almost always on deck and from my extreme youth I was not put into fetters.In this situation I expected every minute to share the 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 soon put an end to my miseries. oftentimes did I think many of the inhabitants of the deep much more well-chosen 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 unhealthiness 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 instantly 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 confus ion 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 later flogged him unmercifully for thus attempting to prefer death to slavery. . . . I can now relate, hardships which are inhering from this accursed trade. Many a time we were near suffocation from the expect of fresh air, which we were often without for whole days 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 reprints 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 shiver 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 plain 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 carve ups 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 shiver among us and nothing but bitter cries to be heard all the night from the apprehensions. At last the 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 knocked out(p) to see people on horseback. I did not know what this could mean, and indeed I thought these people were full of nothing but wizard(prenominal) 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 country.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 beat 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 eagerness visible in the countenances of the buyers, serve not a little to increase 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 practically 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 Gust avus 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 torn from our country and friends, to toil for your sumptuousness and lust of gain? Must every tender feeling be likewise sacrificed to your avarice?Are the dearest 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 gloom of slavery, with the samll comfort of being together, and amalgamate 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. bear witness all of Chapter 2 of Equianos Autobiography online courtesy of Africans in America (WGBH/phosphate buffer solution Online) http//www. pbs. org/wgbh/aia/part1/1h320t. html The Abuse of Slaves in the West Indies Read Ch. 5 pull out from Olaudah Equiano The Life of Gustavus Vassa courtesy of World Civilizations (Washington State Univ. , 1996, 1999) http//www. wsu. edu8000/dee/Equiano. html More selections, also available on the Washington State Univ.web, courtesy of Reading well-nigh the World, Vol. 2 ed. Paul Brians and others, Harcourt Brace Custom 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 major power, had in 1765 promised Equiano that he could buy back his own freedom if he ever raised the sum 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 captain Thomas Farmer (Carey). The quality 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 sparing 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 fifteen editions, and attracted reviews in the leading journals of the time. One favorable 1789 review that appeared in Londons The Monthly revue 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 operating theater 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 review to notice, is the fact that the anonymous reviewer addresses the misgiving 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 statement 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 fully attained, and every wish of my heart gratified. When Equiano refers to humanity he seems to have several things in mind. first 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 barefaced 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 more and more widespread myth that Africans were either not fully human or were of a less developed branch 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.