The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African

by Gustavas Vassa

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The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African Questions and Answers

In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, what does the author mean when he says "happily perhaps for myself I was soon reduced so low here that they thought it neccessary to keep me almost always on deck?" 

What is Olaudah Equiano’s purpose and point of view?

In the final paragraph of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, the African, why does Olaudah Equiano tell the story of the two brothers? How is this story an example of the use of rhetoric? How does the story relate to the rhetorical question at the end of the paragraph? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.

What is a summary of Olaudah Equiano? 

How does Olaudah Equiano's "The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano" use language to demonstrate the author's purpose?

How did Olaudah Equiano respond to the conditions he experienced in the Middle Passage? 

Answer the following questions regarding The Interesting Narrative of Life of Olaudah Equiano: Why is Equiano allowed to be kept on deck rather than in the hold? What new "refinement in cruelty" does Equiano accuse his captors of practicing? Why do you think the captive Africans were treated so brutally?  Consider (a) how the crew probably viewed them, (b) how the number of crew compared to the number of Africans, and (c) how the Africans reacted to their situation. Who do you think are the "nominal Christians" that Equiano refers to in the last paragraph? Do you agree with this epithet (label)?

Describe the conditions in the hold of the ship.

What "American" experiences or values does Oludah Equiano seem to epitomize/embrace in his "Narrative of Life," and how does he portray Western culture? What is he most afraid of at the beginning and the end?

How does Olaudah Equiano appeal to a white European Christian readers in his autobiography?

Examine how Equiano responded to the challenges he faced in the Middle Passage.

Why did Equiano say he would have preferred death to continued existence on the slave ship? How did he find himself is such a terrible predicament? Did he seem to hold any grudge against his original captors?

What reaction do you think The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African received after it was published in 1789?

Compare and contrast The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano and Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs and Phillis Wheatley's poems. In this analysis, you will need to discuss one or more of the following: context, themes, word choice, tone, use of literary devices, and/or other elements of style.

In The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, how did Equiano understand identity, both his own identities and the identities of others he encountered?

In the book, "The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano, the African," what is the significance of "written by himself?"

Explain how The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African does or does not follow the characteristics of traditional slave narratives. Please give specific examples.

How is the crew being "improvident" in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano?

Write an essay which analyzes Equiano’s life before he was taken from Africa. How does his life in Africa and culture compare to eighteenth-century European culture? What is his perspective of his captors? Is it surprising that Equiano chooses to assimilate to the culture of his enslavers?

What is the story of Olaudah Equiano?

How is it possible to describe The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African as a captivity narrative, spiritual autobiography, travel memoir, adventure story, and as an abolitionist tract?

In what ways was literature an effective way to communicate social and political ideas in The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano?

Consider this section of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (53–59). Please provide the historical context (an understanding of what is going on in this time period) and provide a summary, including the author(s) or any other important information (e.g., what information do we know about the author, when and where did the author write the document, and how might the document be biased when considering these facts). How does this document fit into its historical context?

Compare the treatment received by slaves and women as depicted in "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman" and Oloudah Equiano. 

  What is the importance placed upon self-perception and self-representation in the first 11 paragraphs of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano?