Analysis Of The Interesting Narrative Of Olaudah Equiano

Religion plays a significant part in The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano by Olaudah Equiano, an African man experiencing slavery during the Transatlantic slave trade, and a series of poems written by Phillis Wheatley, an African poet and former slave in 18th century Boston. The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano is a first-person abolitionist slave narrative published in 1789 about Equiano’s experience being forced from his home, Africa, displaced from location to location, and his eventual discovery of Christianity. While the series of poems written by Phillis Wheatley was created during the Revolutionary Era (1764-1789) in Phillis’ leisure time. Both Equiano and Wheatley were Africans whose works drew from their experience†¦show more content†¦The story told in the Bible depicts the dangerous result of jealousy and anger between two brothers. God asks Cain and Abel to both bring a sacrifice. Abel brought his sacrifice to God the way that God re quested, while Cain didn’t and his sacrifice was rejected. As a result, Cain became angered and projected that anger onto Abel, eventually killing his brother. In order to rationalize and continue the injustice of slavery, white slave owners used the concept of the ‘rejected brother’ to validate the enslavement of Africans. But, Wheatley opposes this view by saying that even Africans who bare the â€Å"stain of Cain† can become refined and be forgiven when they accept Jesus Christ. In his narrative, Equiano shares a similar sentiment regarding a pivotal spiritual transition. Equiano is exposed to the concept of Christianity when he sees snow for the first time. He asks his Captain who made the snow, the Captain replies, â€Å"a great man in the heavens, called God† (Equiano 65). Then, Equiano recalls his experience going to church. Equiano says, â€Å"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† (Equiano 65). Equiano’s illumination is not only spiritual but intellectual. In the beginning, Equiano describes white people as ghosts and cannibals, demonstrating his limitedShow MoreRelatedSlaves Narratives: Frederick Douglass, Olaudah Equiano Essay1477 Words   |  6 PagesSojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass, and Olaudah Equiano all have extremely interesting slave narratives. During their lives, they faced plenty of racis t discrimination and troubling moments. They were all forced into slavery at an awfully young age and they all had to fight for their freedom. In 1797, Truth was born into slavery in New York with the name of Isabella Van Wagener. She was a slave for most of her life and eventually got emancipated. Truth was an immense women’s suffrage activist. 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