Preliminary Narrative Summary

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The human body is a remarkable vessel capable of storing emotions and sensations unique to the individual. Equiano's Interesting Narrative showcases the struggles and emotions his body underwent as an enslaved individual, highlighting how bodies are valued for the utility they can provide and their ability to labor. Because of this, it is evident that the role bodies play in Equiano's interesting narrative can be compared to a currency. Their bodies are given a value based on their usefulness. However, through Equiano's detailed account of his life as an enslaved African, it is clear to understand that the role of the body extends further than that of just currency and is seen as a sort of religious temple. Through the body, historians can …show more content…
In Preliminary Discourse, d'Alembert explains how the human body has become an essential form of learning and, through the emotions and sensations felt by the body, has given birth to other forms of learning. d'Alembert emphasizes the importance of the human body by explaining its significance to today's knowledge about what is good and evil, just and unjust. This unique ability of the body to keep such sensations and feelings is also a crucial aspect of Equiano's Interesting Narrative, where he explains in detail the extreme emotions he underwent while serving as an enslaved person. In the Preliminary Discourse, d'Alembert firmly claims that pain is a strong sentiment, more potent than even pleasure, and it is evident through Equiano's Interesting Narrative that this statement has much truth behind it as most of his narrative is centered around the sorrows and despairs he faced as a slave. Equiano's Interesting Narrative dives deep into the importance of the human body for labor. Early in his narrative, he establishes that one of the leading roles bodies serve for men is manual labor, and the value of a man's body is based on its