The conception of freedom - Book Report/Review Example

The Conception of Freedom Hannah Fosters "The Coquette" and Olaudah Equiano's " The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano" bothgive a insight to the constrictions of life in the 18th century. Freedom is an underlying issue with both authors that affected life not only during the 18th century but in modern times as well. They see freedom, or the lack thereof, in both similar and contrasting lights. Hannah Fosters "The Coquette" is a dramatic and tragic story of a woman who is torn between two men. The woman-Eliza Wharton-is based on a fictional account of the poet Elizabeth Whitman. The entire book is a series of letters between Eliza and her friends and family that chronicles her life of despair in the midst of courting two men at the same time. One is Major Sanford who is captivating but insincere-the other is Reverend Boyer who is characterless and attracted to Eliza's vibrant personality. She carries this out as long as possible while not being able to choose one or the other as a suitor. She is more attracted to Sanford but Boyer would make a better husband. In an instant she is abandoned by both men who marry other women and that is when the tragedy begins for her. By entering into an adulterous relationship with Sanford, she becomes pregnant then dies at childbirth. This is a surface level account of the book. However, there is so much more symbolism and relevancy to real life that I will discuss later on. Olaudah Equiano's "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano" is all about the his life as a slave in the 18th Century. In 1755, he was 11 years old and was kidnapped from his home on the African coast. This land is now called Nigeria. He was one of more than 11 million who was captured, enslaved, marched to the coast and sold to European slave traders, and survived the Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean. Although many slave narratives have arisen by many whom suffered this type of fate, this one was one of the most remarkable. Equiano's uncanny ability for literature, his diverse talents and work capabilities, and his intelligence, has made his narrative one of the greatest piece of works of all time. What makes "The Coquette" stand out is the display of Eliza as one of the first women in American fiction to emerge as a real person who is facing a true dilemma in her life. It begins with a death and rebirth. Her elderly husband passes away thus allowing her to be the independent, free-thinking woman she is by nature. The problem lies within the societal values that surround her and the notions of how a woman should live her life that constrain her and ultimately cause her death. Her confidants are her mother, Lucy Freeman, Julia Granby, and Mrs. Richman who encourage her to comply with the standards of culture from that day and age. Her decision between the two men may seem like an easy one but it is much more complicated than that. The way that political and societal culture was in the early American republic dictated the way life should be lived. This was especially true for women. The philosophical and political basis for this novel is how one is to negotiate their new found freedom within the gendered constraints of virtue and propriety. Olaudah Equiano's narrative deals with the inhumane business of slavery and slave trading. It is a personal account of the cruel business that results in misery for a lot of human beings. He is lobbying for the abolition of slavery but is also looking to eliminate the myths that are current of 18th century England. One of those was that Africans were not fully human or an undeveloped branch of humanity and that they did not deserve the basic human right and their European counterparts. Equiano did this and showed the world that he is capable of writing an extraordinary book describing one who took advantage of opportunity regardless of their racial background. But this narrative was different than all of those that came before it not only because he had written it himself, but because he published it himself. He was able to get those with money (such as the Prince of Wales and several dukes) to finance his venture which was nearly an impossible feat for most slaves then. After it was published he pursued it's success even further. He promoted his book by traveling over Great Britain, Ireland, and Wales advocating for the abolition of slavery. The themes that are covered in these two books are also prevalent in today's society. Those themes such as racism, sexism, and discrimination were rampant during the 18th century still exist. For example, Eliza's situation in "The Coquette" could be compared to an unplanned pregnancy today. The sexist ideologies places an the burden on the female even though the male certainly played his role. There is a double standard in placing all of the blame on the woman. In Equiano's narrative, he has experienced that same type of discrimination on a different basis-his skin color. Being African, he and many others were considered unintelligent, uneducated, and sub-standard human beings. They were seen as worthless and only good for labor purposes. This could be equated to all of the segregation that occurred during the first half of the 20th century. Blacks were still viewed as subservient to the whites. They did not have the same job opportunities, could not use the same bathrooms, water fountains, eat at the same food establishments, etcas white people. In Foster's book, she asks the reader throughout the novel how individual freedoms are to be understood within a newly centralized federal government. The political culture of early America was not in favor of the independent woman. Women had to be married in order to be validated. Although it was a free republic, many of the gender biases and constraints did not really lend itself to feeling as if one were truly free. If the truth be told in "The Coquette", Eliza really did not desire either of the two suitors- Sanford or Boyer. In their own ways, they cramped her style and she really would have preferred not to have to commit to either one. But society dictated to women that they should be in a relationship and married to one man. For such a free-thinking woman, this was an ongoing battle inside of her. Eliza did not really want to settle down but because of the voices in her ear-her friends and mother-telling her to do so she decided she would only it was too late. The two men pursuing her were tired of waiting and got married to other women. Equiano also had the issue of stifled freedom but in a much different way. His plight was a blatant mistreatment and removal of basic human rights. The lack of freedom he suffered in a physical sense, where Eliza is a mental sense, by being bound, mistreated, and forced into hard labor. "They tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, till night came on, when we reached a small house, where the robbers halted for refreshment, and spent the night. We were then unbound; but were unable to take any food; and being quite overpowered by fatigue and grief, our only relief was some sleep, which allayed our misfortune for a short time." (Equiano, Ch.2). Everything that Equiano was deprived of were tangible such as food, water, comfort, and basic necessities. The sentiment of internal misery is also a prevalent theme in both novels. Eliza's misery was the conflict she felt about her two men. She was supposed to be pious and virtuous but she was more drawn to the "libertine" rather than the clergyman. All of her friends rallied around to discourage the courtship of a man who was such a lecher. Her mother states "no class of society has domestic enjoyment more at command than clergymen" (Foster 40). Even Sanford himself questions why Eliza does not listen to her friends and mother. "If my past conduct has been repugnant to her notions of propriety, why does she not act consistently, and refuse at once to associate with a man who character she cannot esteem" (Foster 55). Even so, she becomes intimately involved with him to everyone's dismay. It is apparent that Eliza did not have much of a choice in her situation. She declares " What a pitythat the graces and virtues are not oftner united!" (Foster 22). Sanford had the charm and sophistication she yearned for and Reverend Boyer had all of the integrity, she was unable to find a suitor who possessed all of what she desired. These lack of options are what destroys Eliza internally. Due to the societal constraints placed upon her, she was not able to find a man that suited her needs or made her happy. Equiano is miserable by the environment he is placed in. "I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything. I now wished for my last friend, Death, to relieve me." (Equiano Ch. 2). He never saw any chance that he would be able to return to his homeland and ironically suffered constant flailings for not eating. He was forced below the decks thus making it impossible for him to ever have a chance at escape. Equiano along with many of his African cohorts were bound and herded around like sheep. They were treated poorly and never had any hope of survival. The central theme of freedom in " The Coquette" and "The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano stands out in both similar and different ways. Olaudah Equiano and Eliza Wharton are both held hostage by society. Granted, they are held hostage is two very different ways by society: Equiano was physically held back and Eliza was mentally held back They are both part of a minority group of blacks and women who were not allowed to move as freely through society as white men. Equiano's idea of freedom was the ability to go back to Africa. He was in a struggle for his life as he was maneuvered throughout the world on the Middle Passage. Eliza Wharton's struggle was a bit different. She came from a much higher class society in which many did not work for a living. She was a socialite but endured the pain of being different from other women around her. She desperately wanted to roam about, flirt, be coy, etchence the name coquette. That is exactly what she wanted in her life but it was uncouth for women to be coquettish. She was not free to be who she really was by societal pressures and Equiano was unable to be who he was by the nature of his race. Exterior factors hampered there efforts to live life to the fullest. Freedom by way of death is a cardinal theme in both books. Eliza, who has to conform to such unpleasant social roles and situations, is bound her culture and society to which she has no way of escape. It was not possible for women during that era to simply move to a more liberal part of the world, there was no such place. Sadly, death is the only way she can relieve herself of the pressure to live in such a way she cannot stand. Her death occurred during childbirth at a roadside inn. It was tragic that she expired in the manner she did but it was also a symbolic blessing in disguise. The nature of her having a child out of wedlock was unacceptable and she would have been persecuted had she lived. Her death occurred after she relinquished all connections with the society to which she understood she would never conform. It was a way out so that she may not have to live in misery the rest of her life. "I expected every hour to share the fate of my companions, some of whom were almost daily brought upon the deck at the point of death, which I began to hope would soon put an end to my miseries. I envied the freedom they enjoyed, and wished I could change my condition for theirs"(Equiano Ch. 2). He desperately wanted to get out of his dastardly situation and death was seemingly the only option for Equiano. The main difference between Eliza Wharton's fate and his was that there did not seem to be a better alternative. There was no hope that society would change their standards any time soon however, there was hope for Olaudah Equiano to get out from under the slavery. The difference in age also played a role in their ideas of freedom. Equiano was only 11 years old when he was captured and sold into slavery. He was afforded a few, not many, but a few consolations compared to his adult counterparts because he was so young. When we discover Eliza's age at the end, 37, it is easy to see why she felt hopeless. She was considered very old and well past her prime during the 18th century. These two stories have a lot of similarities in different capacities. In "The Coquette", Eliza dies at a young age which many would consider a tragedy. It is on the surface however, this has helped Eliza to be free once and for all. Of course, Equiano has a happy ending to his narrative-he lived to tell his story. They are both captivating tales of how an individual handles the fate to which they are dealt. Eliza and Equiano have endured imprisonment in two very different socioeconomic settings. However, the humanity that each person possesses and distinction of money does not make boundaries any less tolerable for one than does the other. Equiano epitomizes the black person whose quest for wholeness and meaning in a world that does not offer fulfillment . Eliza is in the same boat figuratively. The fact that she cannot find a man that suits her needs of physical attraction and sincerity shows how she cannot have her cake and eat it too. She had to choose one favorable characteristic over the other and that was unacceptable. Hannah Foster uses "The Coquette" to point out the injustices toward women in society and to help start a revolution. The gender biased value system that was inherent in early American culture bounded every woman from pursuing the life she desired to live. This book made people aware of the oppression they faced for many years. The way women were treated was the highlight of this book. In "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano" he gives remarkable detail to every aspect of the slave life he endured. It also calls attention to mistreatment of black people and how much they suffered. Both books carry a level of authenticity and truth about human nature and suffering. While there have been many changes to society's way of thinking about blacks and women, some conceptions are as prevalent today as they were over two hundred years ago. Works Cited Foster, Hannah W. The Coquette. New York: Oxford UP, 1986 Gates, Henry Louis, Jr. The Classic Slave Narratives. New York: Mentor-Penguin, 1987. Read More