Religious Roles in The Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah...

Religious Roles in The Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equianos own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equianos long, remarkable journey. Through Equianos own experiences, the reader uncovers just how massive a role religion played in the part of his Narrative and in that of his own life. More specifically, we learn of how his religious conversion meant a type of freedom as momentous as his own independence from slavery. As one reads†¦show more content†¦This caused in him a feeling in which he had never felt before, and thus inspired him to new things to get himself more aquatinted with God: After this I went to church; and having never been at such a place before, I was again amazed at seeing and hearing the service. I asked all I could about it; and they gave me to understand it was worshipping God, who made us and all things. I was still at a great loss, and soon got into an endless field of inquiries, as well as I was able to speak and ask about things. (Equiano, 82) As the years past, Equiano had been through numerous hardships, however he still considered himself very fortunate to have a kind master (with equally kind family members.) One day as he was attending his masters sisters, a servant told him that he could not get into Heaven unless he was baptized: This made me very uneasy; for I had now some faint idea of a future state; accordingly I communicated my anxiety to the eldest Miss Guerin, with whom I was become a favourite, and pressed her to have me baptized; when to my great joy she told me I should. She had formerly asked my master to let me be baptized, but he had refused; however she now insisted on it; and on being under some obligation to her brother complied with her request; so I was baptized in St. Margarets chuch, Westminster in February 1759. (Equiano, 93) To Equiano, being baptized was the equivalent of his soul being set free. From that precise moment on,Show MoreRelatedThe Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Religious Roles in the Narrative1816 Words   |  8 PagesThe Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Religious Roles in the Narrative The narrative of Olaudah Equiano is truly a magnificent one. Not only does the reader get to see the world through Equianos own personal experiences, we get to read a major autobiography that combined the form of a slave narrative with that of a spiritual conversion autobiography. Religion may be viewed as at the heart of the matter in Equianos long, remarkable journey. Through Equianos own experiencesRead MoreA Narrative Of Captivity By Mary Rowlandson Essay962 Words   |  4 PagesA Narrative of Captivity by Mary Rowlandson and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano are captivity narratives in which the two narrators share their individual stories of being abruptly kidnapped and enslaved. 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Two captivity narratives that were widely read during the time are A Narrative of the Capture and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson by Mary Rowlandson and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah EquianoRead MoreHarriet Beecher Stowe s Uncle Tom s Cabin And Olaudah1728 Words   |  7 PagesMs. Johnson American Literature 2301-60 December 1, 2015 American Slave Literature Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Olaudah Equiano’s Narrative of his Life both endeavor to stir antislavery sentiment in predominantly white, proslavery readers. Each author uses a variety of literary tactics to persuade audiences that slavery is inhumane. 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Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano’s stories helped pave the way for stereotypes within both European and white culture; teaching Europeans to see Native Americans as cruel and allowing whites to see the evil in the American slave market. In both â€Å"A Narrative of the Captivity† and â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,† Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano share their individual stories of being kidnappedRead MoreOlaudah Equiano And Thomas Jefferson900 Words   |  4 Pages Plenty of early American authors used religious content or ideas for political purposes. These authors wanted to change the political world around them through publishing works with religious content. Two of these writers were Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Jefferson. Equiano and Jefferson crafted letters and stories that shaped then political climate during early American times that eventually helped to build a great nation. In the biography of Thomas Jefferson it states â€Å"that he wished to be rememberedRead MoreThe Great Challenge For Marginalized Writers Essay1681 Words   |  7 Pagesdominant cultural constructions of gender, race, and/or class in colonial America and the U.S. Perhaps these writers challenge our ideas about dominant gender roles or racist assumptions about people that were common at the time.   Choose three writers we have studied who occupy this definition of marginalized status and discuss  the narrative strategies these writers use to challenge the statu s quo.   For example, how do they address their audience and get readers from dominant culture on their sideRead MoreIntroduction. Equiano Olaudah A Slave From Eboe Who Became1319 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Equiano Olaudah a slave from Eboe who became an important figure in the history of slavery, was kidnapped at the age of 11/12 years of age along with his sister from their hometown in the village of Essaka (Benin), a state which is now located in the southern region of Nigeria, West Africa. Born in 1745, in an isolated, but a rich kingdom called Eboe, Olaudah Equiano, commonly known as Gustavus Vassa was born. The youngest boy of seven children, he was a favorite of his mother. HisRead MoreEquiano Olaudah A Slave From Eboe Who Became An Important1431 Words   |  6 PagesEquiano Olaudah a slave from Eboe who became an important figure in the history of slavery, was kidnapped at the age of 11/12 years of age along with his sister from their hometown in the village of Essaka (Benin), a state which is now located in the southern region of Nigeria, West Africa. Born in 1745, in an isolated, but a rich kingdom called Eboe, Olaudah Equiano, commonly known as Gustavus Vassa was born. The youngest boy of seven children, he was a favorite of his mother. His narrative has