My reading of Equiano's narrative was first a little challenging. He did not start his autobiography talking about his life, rather he was talking about where he was from. In other words, his starting point was very zoomed out. Instead of using "I", he used "our" and "we". It reminded me a lot of the opening ten pages in Hayy Ibn Yaqzan. That story began very zoomed out like Equiano's. Eventually, in chapter 2, he directly addressed the reader saying, "I hope the reader will not think I have trespassed on his patience in introducing myself to him with some account of the manners and customs of my country" (Equiano 61). This cleared things up for me. After he mentioned this, I found the narrative to be a lot easier to follow. I actually enjoy the way he writes. It is cordial and smooth. Only at the very end did it become mundane. But that was more because of the subject matter of war. I've read a lot about war and wanted to hear more about his life. So far, it reinforces what I have learned about the brutal ship experiences. Other than that, most of the information is new. I've only learned about the American slave trade in the past, not Europe. So, I'm excited to see what else I'm going to learn and how America compared to Europe during this time.
I also have only learned about the American slave trade, my high school overly emphasizes US history and did not teach much else. I wonder how the European slave trade differed from the American one? And if the treatment of slaves was any different between the two? I anticipate Equiano's detailed narrative will answer both of these questions.
ReplyDeleteHi John! This perspective is also a fresh one for me to dive into. In my schooling experience, I've always been taught the slave trade history from the American perspective. It has been a rarity for me to explore the slave trade on more global contexts. I am similarly excited to add this perspective and information from the novel to my preexisting knowledge of slavery.
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