Was Olaudah Equiano an African or a European at the End of his Life - Term Paper Example

 Was Olaudah Equiano an African or a European at the End of his Life? INTRODUCTION Olaudah Equiano had very mixed self-concept in his life, some of which was instilled by those who kept him in captivity and others that were borne from a lifetime of unique experiences. In his youth, Equiano was unfamiliar with white men and their cultural values. Up until this time, his own sense of self was developed by a connected and large family structure based on the cultural traditions in Africa at the time. However, after his kidnapping occurred and he was taken to the colony of Virginia, Equiano began to develop his own sense of self by measuring the atrocities of white men and the suffering endured by slaves in lesser positions. At the end of his life, Olaudah had adopted many common European traits that were applauded by his contemporaries, especially those involved in the rapidly spreading abolitionist movement. However, he still maintained many African cultural and sociological traits at the end of his life, thus it should be said that he was an amalgamation of both European and African self-concept. SELF-CONCEPT DURING SLAVERY Olaudah Equiano was fortunate to have attained a master that had respectful relations for slaves, which was likely in part to his affiliation in a structured, team-based hierarchy: The Royal Navy. Michael Pascal, his long-time master, gave Equiano many different responsibilities on-board ship that included routine interactions with non-slave military personnel and also familiarized him with concepts of trade and negotiations. It was during this period where Olaudah began to develop a positive self-concept, viewing his life from the European lens in terms of gaining his freedom, gaining the provision of quality education, and attempting to make a life for himself economically, spiritually and socially. When first exposed to Pascal, who had changed his name to Gustavus Vassa, Equiano was very resistant and received what he referred to as gaining many a cuff. This was due to the fact that Equiano carried many cultural attributes in African society and he did not appreciate having his name changed for the sake of control. During these early years of captivity, situations and master influence essentially shattered these African values out of necessity. It was during these years where Olaudah eventually began to view himself with a European focus, giving careful and ongoing consideration about how to achieve independence and self-sustainment in a world that still carried significant prejudices against black individuals. There was one period when as a slave in Virginia, Olaudah Equiano was witness to horrors of captivity with other African citizens such as the use of the iron muzzle which left servants barely able to speak or eat. His experiences created delusions about personified objects being essentially whistleblowers for his master, there to inform his master when he had done wrong. The fears and anxiety created in this new slave environment actually made Equiano pursue trying to wash the color off of his face, the first sign that his cultural linkage to African values was beginning to erode. Equiano was fortunate to have been sent away to Britain to attain a quality education by Pascal’s relative. His experiences in Britain further familiarized him with a society that was rapidly shedding slave practices and gave him further foundational knowledge about trade and travel. By the time Equiano was fully educated and knowledgeable about European culture, he no longer considered himself an African slave but essentially an equal to the European men. This was obvious when he demanded his fair share of prize money offered on-board by Pascal after the Seven Years War. Though he was refused release, which had been promised by Pascal, and further refused the prize award, Olaudah was beginning to see himself as a person with significant value in equal proportion to Europeans. This was the stage where most elements of African heritage had disappeared in favor of furthering education and building a comfortable lifestyle for himself. Equiano was eventually sold to another master, a Quaker named Robert King. Fortunately, Olaudah was now a highly prized slave with educational credentials and experience, something not commonly found in this time period. Therefore, rather than being sent to work the fields in the plantation, he was assigned what would be similarly classified as a managerial job role in quality assurance. During this period, Equiano witnessed further horrors against Africans, driving him to exploit his job in order to finally purchase his freedom in the amount of £40. His back pay from his naval experience was also delivered after his freedom had been purchased, giving him new opportunities to explore his cultural dimensions and become part of European or American civilized culture. SELF-CONCEPT AFTER FREEDOM IS ACHIEVED After exploring the world, with trips to the Mediterranean and the North Pole, Olaudah finally began to indulge in the finer points of European culture. This occurred when a friend of Equiano was about to be deported illegally to the Caribbean. These efforts led Equiano to Granville Sharp, one of Britain’s most famous abolitionists with considerable influence in society at the time. His acquaintance with Sharp started his journey on becoming an advocate for African slaves and as a supporter/activist in the abolitionist movement in Britain. At the same time, Christianity was spreading in Europe and his public acknowledgement of having been baptized similarly to other Europeans gained him respect as they were beginning to see a cultured and knowledgeable European rather than a misguided former slave. Influential people in the abolitionist movement, including Selina Hastings, found him to be a remarkable speaker and he was growing quite popular in abolitionist society. They encouraged him to write about his life and helped him to organize various lectures about his sufferings and his attitude about slavery as a former slave turned nobleman. Equiano earned a sizeable fortune from publishing his experiences, resources which he used to eventually start a family and become more actively involved in securing rights for Africans. His nobility and self-concept more in-line with European beliefs was likely a product of amassing a sizeable fortune and being associated with some of Britain’s most influential people. The nature of his social condition changed in these periods where the majority of social company consisted of European noblepersons. However, despite this wealth and influence, Equiano seemed to turn back to his African roots more substantially than other abolitionists of the time. Olaudah had witnessed unbelievable atrocities at the hands of white men which gave him a unique perspective on human rights. He never completely forgot the emotional turmoil and physical scars of captivity, which made him never lose touch with African lifestyle and culture. This was true even though he was making a name for himself domestically and internationally with his memoirs. His contemporaries, as identified, saw Olaudah as stable, intelligent, influential and interesting which was quite uncommon in this period in Britain. Even back in the days of his servitude, his master recognized certain talents in Equiano that could be developed and improved over other slaves in his care. After adopting a quality education and gaining worldwide travel and business experience, his contemporaries viewed Equiano as a leader for the abolitionist cause and a person worthy of maintaining close social relationships with. HOW MIGHT WE SEE HIM TODAY? Equiano has many modern critics that like to suggest elements of his known lifespan are inaccurate or not wholly complete. There are some that equate The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano as nothing more than political propaganda, with powerful abolitionists essentially using Equiano as a tool to gain more support. Equiano spells out a number of legal, economic and religious rationales for why slavery should be abolished, thus politicizing the book in the process. There are many who would likely carry these beliefs today, especially when considering the lives of other famous abolitionists who were not as privileged as Equiano. Today’s society is very progressive and one of the most universal concepts in business and the social environment is equality and freedom for all individuals. This has become an engrained social consciousness that acts as the foundation for most social or professional relationships across the globe. Today Olaudah would likely be considered in the same fashion as his contemporaries, who viewed him as a competent leader with a great deal of personal fortitude to have escaped the bonds of slavery. Broader society, unlike strong critics of Equiano, would likely see him as both a liberator and an aggressor toward abolitionism. They would compare him to their own modern lifestyle and see considerable commonalities to Equiano’s life and their own in modern civilization in terms of drive, ambition, and finding quality in a difficult lifestyle environment. Overall, he would be seen by most as a progressive. WHICH IS MOST IMPORTANT – EUROPEAN OR AFRICAN BELIEFS? In Equiano’s case, the European values that were strongly a part of his personality and lifestyle focus are the most important factors related to his self-concept. As he began to shed anxiety and fear that is borne of slavery, his life experiences and exposure to influential people radically changed his self-image. Without having adopted European beliefs that superseded African descent, he would not have been the influential figure that he was in abolitionist Britain. Further, as identified, this time period was one where Christianity was increasing in popularity, where only deep fellowship with Christ could save men and women (Allison, 5). Had Olaudah not chosen to convert to Christianity, he would likely have been rejected by many of the same influential people who had pressured him to write his book and supported his public speaking. His European transition is one of the most fundamental personality aspects that drove success in achieving abolition. Had he clung to his African roots, Equiano would not have been given as many opportunities as he was fortunate to have received. CONCLUSION Even though Equiano adopted mostly European value and lifestyle systems, there were some elements of African culture present that guided his decision-making related to abolition and in generic lifestyle choices. The treachery Olaudah experienced as a slave remained a constant reminder of the plight of others, even after having amassed a considerable fortune from the sale of his publication. He overall viewed himself as an intelligent and valuable European citizen with all of the rights and privileges due to a person with his status and social network. However, if he had completely shed all of his African background, his life would have likely turned toward self-indulgence and using his wealth for less noble purposes. At the end of his life, he was mostly European with a touch of African self-awareness. Works Cited Allison, Robert J & Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano. Read More