Patrick Peters
Professor Barnes(and others)
History 300
January 29, 2012
A Case for the Birth of Olaudah Equiano in Africa
In recent years there has been an abundance of discussion about the birthplace of Olaudah Equiano(Equiano). There are good arguments on both sides of the debate. The documentary evidence of Professor Vincent Caretta as presented on the website edited by Brycchan Carey is excellent, but each side’s arguments are essentially the same with only a few words changed. The most compelling argument accuses him of plagiarizing the narrative of life in Africa and the middle passage.1 However as the same website points out he did reference those works so deception is unlikely, much more likely is he was using the other works to help fill in the memory of a young child.2
However one point is undisputed by both sides. By the time Equiano wrote his book he had become a devoutly religious man. Absent any indication that his religious conviction was not genuine, it is very unlikely he would deliberately lie at that time in his life.
My reading of the narrative paints a portrait of a man whose religion devotion deepened as he got older. The overall impression given was someone who was passively religious when younger. He would talk about religion when asked, go to church when he had the chace, ask God’s help when he was in a jam and in general live a good life. It seems that his encounter in the Arctic changed him. When he arrived back in London he resolved to “… work out my own salvation.”3 His encounter with the Rev. Mr. P--- also had a profound effect on him. The Reverend told him: “…one sin unatoned for was as sufficient to dam a soul as one leak was to sink a ship.”4 Equiano was advised to “…to read the scriptures, and hear the word preached, not to neglect fervent prayer to God, who has promised to hear the supplications of those who seek him….”5 This conversion of his faith led him to preach and try to bring closer to God a member of the Musquito Indians6, trying to convert a Spanish Catholic Priest7 and finally trying to become ordained a Priest in the Church of England so he could goto Africa to preach and convert the natives.8 These are the acts of a pious man who is trying not only to save himself but others and to promote his cause. His book was written to convince other of his beliefs. Lying to advance his cause would not be in his nature nor in the best interests of his cause, as also pointed out in the website9.
While the facts in this case promote good arguments on both sides, the undisputed fact is as he got older he became more devout showing that he was very unlikely to lie then and as such he was born in Africa.
Bibliography
1) Carey, Bryccan. Editor. Where was Olaudah Equiano Born: (And Why
Does it Matter). Bryccan Carey. http://www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/nativity.htm. 29 June 2010. Web. 29 January 2012.
2) Ibid
3) Allison, Robert J. editor. The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano
Written by Himself with Related Documents. 2nd Edition.Boston:
Bedford/St. Martins. 2007. Book. Pg. 166.
4) Ibid pg. 174.
5) Ibid pg. 175.
6) Ibid pgs. 177-178.
7) Ibid pg. 175.
8) Ibid pgs. 200-203.
9) Carey, Bryccan. Editor. Where was Olaudah Equiano Born: (And
Why Does it Matter). http://www.brycchancarey.com/equiano/nativity.htm. 29 June 2010. Web. 29 January 2012.
Patrick,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your post especially since you brought up the topic of Equiano's religious devotions which was not overly mentioned as a driving factor defending his African birth. A theme throughout his Interesting Narrative is his fervent belief in divine providence; that the hand of God lead him through his life and was the instrumental role in his success. Another area to discuss that would add to your argument is Equiano's credible and clear reporting of his experience on the Middle Passage. His surprise concerning many customs previously unknown to him bolster his claim of African birth. Horseback riding and swimming were among the "magic" he encountered in the white people. Also, Equiano was stunned by the horrific cruelty of white people compared to how African's treated their slaves. Both examples come from Equiano's Interesting Narrative pages 64-67.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Written by Himself with Related Documents, ed. with an Introduction by Robert J Allison (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007), 64-67.
Since the facts of Equiano’s birthplace are open to interpretation, I agree that the stronger argument is in favor of his honest character. His religious conviction and strength of faith grows throughout his Narrative. A counter-argument could be made that when he wrote his autobiography, he portrayed himself as a model ex-slave and Christian for the abolitionist cause, rising in favor with God and man, and thus smoothed over the inconvenience of being born in ‘Carolina’. Carey makes arguments supporting this, saying, he “could get away with saying anything he liked about his past” due to poor communications between far away places, and “he would write or say anything in his published work that he thought he could get away with.” (Carey, 3 & 6)
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