Olaudah Equiano’s Struggle Against Prejudice and Bias
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is an autobiographical story of a single slave’s struggle against contemporary societal norms. Throughout its course, Equiano meets many White people who tend to display biased and prejudiced behavior. In the 5th chapter, Equiano meets Mr. Robert King, which makes the problem of prejudice and bias particularly evident despite their seeming compassion, understanding, and support of abolitionism.
The Impact of a Betrayal by a Previous Master
Before their meeting, Equiano had to endure major frustration. A person Equiano deemed better than other slave masters, he had robbed him of almost all possessions he acquired during war campaigns and sold him to another master (Equiano, 1789). This took a significant toll on Equiano’s dream of buying his freedom and prevented him from returning to London, a place he had gotten used to and desired to stay in (Equiano, 1789).
Meeting Mr. Robert King: A Renewed Hope Through Shared Values
However, Mr. Robert King rekindled hope in Equiano due to his background as a Quaker. According to Equiano (1789), this religious group was known for its abolitionist tendencies. Moreover, Equiano saw further opportunities to make King listen to him after baptism. He tells his English audience that one needs to find the connecting points or common ground to persuade others. He subtly draws attention to the problem and focuses on general moral values rather than directly opposing the status quo.
Equiano’s Strategic Appeal to Christian Morality
Thus, the main argument he had to persuade King was to appeal to Christian values of compassion and humility. Equiano did not openly confront all the atrocities he witnessed under King’s command. Still, he did mention the cases of unjustified violence against his kind (Equiano, 1789). In King’s eyes, Equiano utilized the skills he acquired during his previous sea voyages as a sailor to gain weight. This provided him with the opportunity to bargain for his freedom and also receive payment for his work.
Subtle Resistance: Balancing Advocacy and Survival
In the 5th chapter, Equiano encounters Mr. Robert King, and the issue of discrimination and prejudice becomes especially prominent, even though they appear to be compassionate, empathetic, and in favor of ending slavery. His negative past experience with his master’s taught him that people are not likely to openly oppose the current status quo. In this context, his rhetoric had to be changed from direct opposition to leaving hints of the wrongness surrounding slavery and drawing attention to general morality.
Reference
Equiano, O. (1789). The interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Documenting the American Soul. Web.