Equiano An Argument Upholding Slavery

Equiano was timid in his approach against slavery due to the immense prejudice of the time period he was in. In the past slaves, or people of color, were not supposed to have choices. For example, Equiano stated “without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood,” (516), which shows the control others had over their lives. Equiano and his sister were not only forced into slavery, but they were separated despite pleas “not to part [them]; she was torn from [Equiano].” (516). Also, Equiano was thankful toward his “good owners” (513) because he knows he could have had it much worse than he did. Equiano certainly would not want to make those who were prejudiced more angry …show more content…
Dew and Equiano used similar tactics, but to appeal to different audiences. Equiano was appealing to abolitionists, while Dew was appealing to Christian owners. “An Argument Upholding Slavery” attempted to persuade its audience that there was no shame in utilizing slaves and that “the slave is happy, and happiness is the great object of all animated creation” (Dew 100). Dew’s argument continues by “deny[ing] ... there is anything in the Old or New Testament, which would go to show that slavery … ought … to be abrogated, or that the master commits any offense in holding slaves” (96). Equiano, instead of relying on the Bible, used his personal experiences to convey his beliefs. Equiano told about his time as a slave to convey the utter torture and fear experienced by most slaves. Equiano elucidated that he “expected every moment … to be found out, and punished by [his] master” (517). Both writings attempted to persuade the audience using like examples, but for conflicting