While The Female American, Olaudah Equiano, and Robinson Crusoe are all extremely unique novels in and of them, the relationships each person forms with Christianity can be closely related to one another. Just like Robinson Crusoe, Unca Eliza Winkfield and Olaudah Equiano both form very reliant relationships with their God, which could be because of the path that Crusoe laid out before them. Although these three novels are very distinctive, it is without a doubt apparent that the structure of each of their relationships with Christianity are both in the same literary family as Robinson Crusoe.
Even though Robinson Crusoe chooses to leave home and embark on a journey to explore places that haven’t been inhabited by people of his kind yet, Unca Eliza Winkfield’s situation
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is forced upon her after she refuses to marry the captain’s son, which in turn is left on an island to fend for herself. In The Female American, Unca Eliza Winkfield finds a sense of comfort in her religion. Just like in Defoe’s novel, Robinson Crusoe seeks refuge in his religion and God when he finds himself in a stressful or difficult time. During these times Unca Eliza and Robinson Crusoe both turn to prayer or scripture to find protection or guidance from their Lord. Since Unca Eliza was raised in a Christian mindset, it is no surprise that when she was abandoned on a remote island she converts the natives from a neighboring island to Christianity. When Unca Eliza finally comes to the decision to “endeavor to convert” (Winkfield 83) the natives she states that she “…thought the extraordinariness of the event, my speaking to them, would appear miraculous, fill them with awe, and prejudice their minds greatly in favor of what I should say to them” (Winkfield 84). Later in the novel she believes that “..a people, who had no other guide but their reason, no sooner heard Christianity plainly and firmly expounded to them, but they soon embraced it” (Winkfield 120). Showing that she found her attempt at converting the natives successful, just like Crusoe found his efforts to convert Friday successful as well. Unca Eliza’s thought to teach the natives living with and around her the views she has on Christianity closely relates to the idea that Crusoe has to do the same with Friday and other natives around him. For example, when Robinson Crusoe first decides to convert Friday to Christianity in hopes to not only better understand religion himself and engage Friday in deep religious conversations, he says that “…During the long Time that Friday has now been with Me, and that he began to speak to me, and understand me, I was not wanting to lay a Foundation of religious Knowledge in his Mind; particularly I ask'd him one Time who made him?” (Defoe 182). Just like Crusoe uses religion as a crutch to not only relate to the natives of the island in a spiritual way, Unca Eliza finds it to be a way to feel more safe and secure while living with people who aren’t like her while waiting to escape from the island. As well as the similarity of Crusoe and Unca Eliza converting the natives to Christianity, they both had very parallel habits of having a bible close by. Throughout The Female American, Unca Eliza carries her small bible with her, reading from it and praying when times get tough or stressful. Which mirrors Crusoe in the way that he turned to God and prayer when he was in need of a higher power. It can also be inferred that Crusoe had a bible close to him as well when he was in need after saying “…I found three very good Bibles which came to me in my Cargo from England, and which I had pack'd up among my things” (Defoe 56). It is apparent that the bible served as a spiritual compass when he was in need of it, just like Unca Eliza used her bible as a guide when she found herself in a tough time. In addition to Unca Eliza in The Female American, It is also apparent that Olaudah Equiano closely correlated to Crusoe’s relationship to Christianity. The idea of Equiano having a pretty deep reliance in his religion throughout his slavery and even after is apparent when he tells us “…I thought I could plainly trace the hand of God, without whose permission a sparrow cannot fall. I began to raise my fear from man to him alone, and to call daily on his holy name with fear and reverence: and I trust he heard my supplications, and graciously condescended to answer me according to his holy word…” (Equiano 88). Here, he shows the depth of his religious views and how he credits the Lord when his prayers are answered. Going along with this, Crusoe accepts his sinfulness by referring to his disobedience to his father and God in the beginning of the novel by referring to the fall of Adam in the garden of Eden as Crusoe’s own “Original Sin” (Defoe 142). Equiano, on the other hand, has a similar epiphany when he tells us that he “…was sensible of the invisible hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for salvation” (Equiano 191). This is when we come to the realization of the nature of Equiano’s faith and the acceptance of his own sin. After returning from his trip, he is drawn to finding a deeper meaning of his own Christianity. He notes that his conversion to Christianity happened when he was reading the book of Acts where he felt the "invisible hand of God" was present in everything he had done, good or bad. Throughout the accounts of Crusoe and Equiano’s lives, we come to the conclusion that their religion, more specifically Christianity, was one of the main reasons they were able to come out of their very different experiences with a stronger faith.
Both Crusoe and Equiano believed that their own spiritual journeys would bring them closer to God who would in turn set them free from their trials and hard times by strengthening their faith throughout their novel. When Crusoe first lands on the island, he takes a second to thank God for helping him through the hard times during his venture to the island; “…began to look up and thank God that my life was saved…” throughout his time on the island, he continues to speak highly of God when he is blessed or protected in the situations he is placed in. Whereas Equiano did also give the glory to God when it was needed. We see this when Equiano is able to pray to God in hard times and in fear and was able to submit by “…worshipping God, who made us and all things” (Equiano 42). You also get the sense that Equiano used God is a coping and comfort mechanism, just like Crusoe did during his journey; “…hand of the creator began to appear to my comfort” (Equiano
38). In conclusion, it is evident that even though these three novels are very distinctive and unique as far as the experiences in each happen, the structure of each of their relationships with Christianity are both in the same literary family as Robinson Crusoe. Just like Crusoe during his journey, Unca Eliza and Equiano used their religion as a safety blanket- for comfort and protection through the harder times in each of their unique situations. They also used it as a way to convert the native people they encountered along they way to better their relationship with not only God, but they people around them. The relationships each person forms with Christianity can be closely related to one another in The Female American, Olaudah Equiano, and Robinson Crusoe. The path that Crusoe laid out before Unca Eliza Winkfield and Olaudah Equiano shapes the way Christianity is viewed and practiced through each individual.
Both, “The Interesting Narrative Life of Olaudah Equiano” and “Amistad” are important stories about slavery in pre-civil war america because they both address the issues of slavery. These gentlemen in the story made a difference in the slave trade. In “The life of Olaudah Equiano”, Olaudah was sold on a slave ship that came to the Barbados. Olaudah worked for his freedom, and in the end became efficient in American language. He worked his way to the free life and in the end it worked out for him, although it leaves scars on his soul. In “Amistad”, Cinque is a slave that leads a revolt on a slave ship after escaping. When they get to america, Baldwin, a lawyer that is representing the slave and the former president Adams helps free the slaves.
The origin tale of the African American population in the American soil reveals a narrative of a diasporic faction that endeavored brutal sufferings to attain fundamental human rights. Captured and forcefully transported in unbearable conditions over the Atlantic Ocean to the New World, a staggering number of Africans were destined to barbaric slavery as a result of the increasing demand of labor in Brazil and the Caribbean. African slaves endured abominable conditions, merged various cultures to construct a blended society that pillared them through the physical and psychological hardships, and hungered for their freedom and recognition.
During the 1600’s people began to look for different types of work in the new world. As cash crops, such as tobacco, indigo, and rice, were growing in the South, there became a need for labor. This got the attention of convicts, debtors, and other people looking for new opportunities and money. Indentured servitude was vastly growing during the 17th and 18th centuries. Approximatively 10 million men, women, and children were moved to the new world. Women during this time found themselves being sold to men for these cash crops. A commonly used term during this time for these women was tobacco brides. Almost 7.7 million of the slaves captured and moved to the new world were African Americans. Slaves and indentured servants had it rough for
Although two different authors wrote these works of literature, A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson and From Africa to America, both stories possessed similar and different elements of writing. These tales were worthy of comparing because they had various things to review, contrast, and realize, such as the worship they had or didn’t have for God, their experiences, and their styles. Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano were remarkable writers whose works will always be a part of America’s history for the various styles and purposes they had to share with their readers.
Appreciation of being in America is a notable trait of what it means to be an American, as a true American enjoys being here. She also notes her discovery of religion by being brought here, and while the “melting pot” is America’s trademark, her recognition of Christianity (75% of Americans recognize themselves as Christians) sparks yet another characteristic of her being an example of an American. Christian or not, her being comfortable with her religion, as she expresses in other poems, is a prime example of Americanism as we encourage everyone to freely express
Keith Sandiford, author of Measuring the Moment, eloquently made the claim for Equiano's Interesting Narrative as a reliable documentary source. Sandiford writes, "Throughout the narrative, [Equiano] makes a conscious effort to delineate the principal incidents and experiences of his life as faithful memory would allow and to appraise his conduct with honest judgement and sober reflection" (119). To me this is how Equiano embarks on making his narrative credible:
Christianity played a large role in both of their lives. They both looked to God to help them through dark times. They also both believed that their good fortunes were because of the Lord. Mary Prince admits that “if the Lord had not put it into the hearts of the neighbours to be kind to me, I must, I really think, have lain and died.” Olaudah Equiano also thanks God for his good luck. He recognized that he was luckier than most slaves and thanks God for this. “I had all the opportunity I could wish for to see the dreadful usage of the poor men- usage that reconciled me to my situation, and made me bless God for the hands into which I had fallen” . Both Mary and Olaudah found hope in Christianity that helped them survive the often horrendous conditions they
During 1766, Olaudah Equiano learnt to read the bible and seen amazement at the exact laws and rules his country, Nigeria, have always abided by. After becoming baptized, Equiano identified himself with the Christian abolitionists in England and began to write his first autobiography about Ibo religion. Equiano elaborates on how Christianity correlates with the African descent and its culture. In his passage, he describes the similarities between the Jews and the Africans—from circumcision to offerings, from purifications to washings, from believing in one Creator to life after death.
The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equiano's own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equiano's long, remarkable journey. Through Equiano's own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from slavery. As one reads his tale, one learns just how dedicated he his to that of his Christian faith; from his constant narration of the scriptures to the way that Equiano feels a growing sense of empowerment from the biblical texts for the oppressed community. However, at the same time, one may question Equiano's own Christian piety. Did Equiano really seek to tell the tale of his soul's spiritual journey, did he really believe God would set him free or was he simply using religion as a ways of manipulating British and American readers to accept him as a credible narrator. Regardless of which of these facts is true, religion is quite possibly the defining feature of his life story.
Olaudah Equiano in his Interesting Narrative is taken from his African home and thrown into a Western world completely foreign to him. Equiano is a slave for a total of ten years and endeavors to take on certain traits and customs of Western thinking. He takes great pains to improve himself, learn religion, and adopt Western mercantilism. However, Equiano holds on to a great deal of his African heritage. Throughout the narrative, the author keeps his African innocence and purity of intent; two qualities he finds sorely lacking in the Europeans. This compromise leaves him in a volatile middle ground between his adapted West and his native Africa. Olaudah Equiano takes on Western ideals while keeping several of his African values; this makes him a man associated with two cultures but a member of neither.
Field, Emily Donaldson. "'Excepting Himself': Olaudah Equiano, Native Americans, And The Civilizing Mission." MELUS: The Journal Of The Society For The Study Of The Multi-Ethnic Literature Of The United States 34.4 (2009): 15-38. MLA International Bibliography. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
The Olaundah Equiano narrative is a view of servitude from a former captive himself. He begins his story in Africa from the land of Esska, his native homeland. He describes his tribe and all the many traditions they practiced as a way of living. Equiano was not originally born into servitude but a free male, son of a chief. Equiano’s life in Africa was common among the many members of his tribe. He was strongly attached to his mother and clenched to her as much as possible. His father obtained many slaves himself, but treated them like an equal part of the family. Equiano lived a common life in African society, until one day his destiny took an unexpected turn for the worst and life would never be the same.
"The Life of Olaudah Equiano” is a captivating story in which Equiano, the author, reflects on his life from becoming a slave to a freeman during the 19th century. Through his experiences and writing, Equiano paints a vivid picture of the atrocities and cruelties of European slavery. Ultimately through his narrative, Equiano intends to persuade his audience, the British government, to abolish the Atlantic slave trade as well as alert them of the harsh treatment of slaves. He successfully accomplishes his goal by subtly making arguments through the use of character, action, and setting.
Because of their Puritanical beliefs, it is no surprise that the major theme that runs throughout Mary Rowlandson and Jonathan Edwards’s writings is religion. This aspect of religion is apparent in not only the constant mentions about God himself, but also in the heavy use of biblical scriptures. In their respective writings, Rowlandson and Edwards utilize scripture, but for different purposes; one uses it to convey that good and bad events happen solely because of God’s will, and the other uses it, in one instance, to illustrate how it brought him closer to God, and, in another instance, to justify his harsh claims about God’s powerful wrath.
Throughout American Literature, women have been depicted in many different ways. The portrayal of women in American Literature is often influenced by an author's personal experience or a frequent societal stereotype of women and their position. Often times, male authors interpret society’s views of women in a completely different nature than a female author would. While F. Scott Fitzgerald may represent his main female character as a victim in the 1920’s, Zora Neale Hurston portrays hers as a strong, free-spirited, and independent woman only a decade later in the 1930’s.