equiano

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Published in 1789, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano” tells the captivating life story of none other than Olaudah Equiano himself. Not only did this story contribute to British’s abolitionist movement but it also depicts the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. The narrative, written by Equiano, told about his experience as a slave. For the majority of Equiano’s life he went by the name of Gustavus Vassa, which one of his masters Henry Pascal gave to him. Equiano goes through his memories as a child, in Eboe, better known today as Nigeria. Equiano was born in 1745 in a region named Essaka. At a young age the British kidnapped, sold, and separated both his sister and himself. Eventually, a slave trade bought Equiano. Equiano describes his journey from the Middle Passage to the West Indies on to Virginia. In Virginia, Henry Pascal, the Captain of a British trading vessel bought Equiano. Before King, a slave owner in Montserrat, bought him, Equiano spent many years at sea. In Montserrat, Equiano continually traveled the sea on trade routes. Along the way of the trade routes Equiano traded his own goods. Through doing this he earned enough money to buy his freedom back. King only made Equiano pay him 40 pounds for his freedom, which was the same amount he had bought Equiano for. Equiano then was able to live the life of a free man and later returned to England. Through Equiano’s life he experienced many different events that changed his views of race.
In the beginning of Equiano’s life he didn’t know of different races and the problem of racism. This is what many would call the pre-encounter stage of racism, the stage before race becomes noticed or relevant. Equiano’s father was one of the most important men in the E...

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... culture was from his. After that Equiano went through the immersion stage where he realized that no matter what he did he was still going to be treated badly just because of his race. Later Equiano went through the emersion stage where he realized not all people are the same and some of the white people such as Robert King and Richard Baker are nice people. Lastly, Equiano went through the internationalization stage when he realized that people are people and race has nothing to do with it. Equiano went through this stage when King allowed him to make his own money and buy his freedom. The fact that King wanted Equiano to stay with him as a business partner also helped Equiano to go through the internationalization stage or realization. After everything Equiano went through and all the ways his view of race changed he never gave up on his freedom or on his faith.

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