Olaudah Equiano Analysis

Words: 1030
Pages: 5

Caroline Myers
History and Storytelling
Equiano, Olaudah. ""Is It Not Enough That We Are Torn From Our Country and Friends?": Olaudah Equiano Describes the Horrors of the Middle Passage, 1780s." Many Pasts. History Matters, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2015. . One In Twelve Million On what appeared to be an otherwise normal day in Africa, 11 year-old Olaudah Equiano’s life was changed forever. Whether eagerly led or taken by brute force, Equiano approached the coastal shoreline with absolutely no idea of the horrors that were to come. Upon reaching the shore, Equiano laid eyes on what he knew to be a slave ship. This was all he knew, and within minutes, he was roughly tossed aboard. To Equiano, the strangers surrounding him were both intoxicating and terrifying. Between their strange language, countenance, and mannerisms, these men seemed powerful and even magical- Equiano was simultaneously awestruck and fearful.
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Though many times, both he and his countrymen went hungry for weeks, whenever the white men had finished gorging themselves on whatever fish they had caught, they mercilessly threw the excess fish back into the water. While the Africans pleaded with their captors for even a bite of food, they were taunted and teased. If an African man dared to steal a fish, his actions would result in ruthless beatings. When the ship finally touched down in Barbados, the Africans were subject to whole new levels of fear and dread. Surrounded by strange people and even stranger lands, Equiano and the few people he had come to know were soon separated. Upon landing, older slaves boarded the boat to calm the African passengers, and Equiano was comforted by their appearance. Though they dispelled the rumors that Equiano and his countrymen were to be eaten, the Africans were still fearful, as their voyage of horror was not over