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Remembering The Middle Passage

6 years ago

685 words

Ohanys Rodriguez

English 302

Professor Kappes

February 28,2018

Remembering The Middle Passage

The archival that I chose connects with “The Interesting Narrative” by Olaudah Equiano, because it symbolizes the act of slavery which has affected many African-American’s throughout history. The Transatlantic Slave Trade is referred as the first system of globalization, which means that it has influenced and developed growth and prosperity. However along with that it brought a lot of mental and physical damage towards the African-Americans. During this era a lot of families were separated and it left permanent damage towards people of color. This impact has opened the door for freedom and with moving forward as a nation but still affects those of color today. It’s hard to believe that our ancestors found the strength and hope to move forward with their lives after such tragedy has happened that has left permanent scars. Equiano went through a rough experience but eventually bought his freedom. The picture that I chose is from the archive of The Transatlantic Slave Trade called “Remembering the Middle Passage”. I strongly believe that this image connects with Equiano’s narrative because while he is explaining his experience as a slave, the image is strongly remembering such tragedy that happened during this era. Equiano gives the reader insight about slavery, which is why the image sends out a powerful message in remembrance of those who had to go through this misadventure. One is able to understand the journey through Equiano’s point of view.

Equiano narrative can be described as a tragedy but also gives the reader a leap of faith because of how successful he turned out. His full African name is Olaudah Equiano, however he was given the name Gustavas Vassa by one of his masters and was forced to use that name for the rest of his life. He used this name as his own but didn’t forget his roots and his identity as an African-American. Equiano states:

I was not able to eat, nor I had the least desire to taste anything. I now wished for the last friend, death, to relieve me; but soon, to my grief, two of the white men offered me eatables; and, on my refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across, I think, the windlass, and tied my feet, while the other flogged me severely (Equiano, pg.2)”.

During this time Equiano was captured as a slave and described his feeling of wanting to die than go through the experience of being enslaved on this ship. Just the thought that Equiano wanted to die makes the reader sympathize and gives us a better understanding as to what emotions he went through during his enslavement. One can agree that what Equiano, along with others that were enslaved, went through torture that will mentally never erase their memory and so forth.

Equiano’s experience has changed him drastically. Mentally, it seems like he started living up to his name Gustavas Vassa but didn’t forget where he really came from or his origin. One can agree that Equiano also had a lot of faith. He mentions death a lot, which is an understandable mindset with what he was going through. He seemed to question God as to why he went through what he was going through, but his faith in him didn’t vanish. His faith in God and connection to the bible was his pathway to having hopewithin himself and his freedom. I believe that that archive that I chose intertwines with Equiano’s experience because their remembrance of the Middle Passage is a representation of what the slaves went through. The experience itself was brutal and mentally scarring. Equiano’s mentioning of death is heart-breaking to read but was also extremely hopeful because of his faith in God.

 

 

Work Cited Page

http://www.inmotionaame.org/gallery/large.cfm?migration=1&topic=99&id=481290&type=image&metadata=&page=13

 

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Olaudah-Equiano#ref239392

 

https://history.hanover.edu/texts/equiano/equiano_contents.html

 

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