Olaudah Equiano

On page six of the introduction to “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”, Robert J. Allison characterizes Equiano and his narrative in the following way: His book is a meditation on power and liberty by one who knew what each word meant… But the real power of the narrative lies in Equiano’s perspective. During his travels and adventures in this strange world, he is an average man, as he says “neither …

…He writes about his transformation from an ordinary African to an ordinary European. The reader therefore learns a great deal directly about the African experience in the slave trade and indirectly about the European view of the slave trade. Equiano appeals to Christianity as well as the economic incentives for abolishing the slave trade. By doing this, Equiano acknowledges the value of African life while at the same time marginalizing them as an economic asset.