Olaudah Equiano

Reading Olaudah Equiano's Narrative of the Life gave me once again a whole new appreciation for the past of African Americans. It is so hard for me to really imagine a time and place where this was happening. I cringe at the thought that this treatment continues for all different races around the world today. The notion of mistreating people based on skin color is something I do not necessarily like to think about. I always feel really bad for the people and wish that there was a way I could time-travel and do something about it. Because that is not humanly possible (yet) the next best thing is to educate all people and to do our very best to avoid a repeat in history.

I was a little intimidated by the length of Equiano's story, but I was put at ease as soon as I began. It was a quick read and easy to focus on. I will admit, there are readings where I really have to work hard to stay focused and sometimes it is a lost cause. In this case, I enjoyed the reading so much that it flowed naturally.

The discussion in class really opened my eyes to some of the main ideas found in the text. One thing I did not pick up on initially was the drastic change in treatment after getting on the boat. I noticed that Equiano was having a significantly more difficult time, but when exactly that change occurred, I missed. His humanity was greatly decreased in the eyes of his captors. Both the brutality and severity greatly increased as well.

I am always impressed with someone who wants to learn to read and write and does so at their own hand. Equiano is no different. He had a goal, set his mind to it, and achieved it. If he was here today, I would give him a standing ovation. Equiano is very admirable as a person. Despite all that he went through, he proved himself to be smart, compassionate, determined, and faithful. In many more ways than one, Equiano is what people should strive to be like.