Olaudah Eugent's View Of Slavery

Slavery, as seen from the perspective of Olaudah Equiano, Maria Nugent, and William Beckford, can be described as being unjust but necessary. The experiences suffered by Equiano as a slave compared to Nugent, a mistress of slaves, and Beckford, a plantation owner with slave workers, displays how the various social classes accepted slavery as societal norm - even Equiano, a black man, who was forced into slavery as a child, claims his father was an owner of slaves. Reading and considering the different narrations portrayed, I can conclusively say that during this time, slavery played a significant role in the economy; it nevertheless remains as one of the most immoral exploitations of a human being.
The imagery used by Equiano as he shared …show more content…
(Bohls p331) Although she displays empathy for the slaves, they also disgust Nugent. Her continual reference to people of color as blackies is no different from people today calling African-Americans by other inappropriate and offensive names.
In reading Beckford’s account of slavery on the sugar plantations, I have a very different feeling. His, is a story that describes the need for slaves in order to run the sugar plantations. Setting aside my own personal feelings on the issue of slavery, I can begin to recognize the value of slavery during this era. Slavery, as Beckford argues, is no different from a British laborer. I am appreciative that Beckford values the life of a slave and encourages other plantation managers to treat their slaves humanely. (Bohls p296)
Although Beckford’s narrative begins to sound encouraging, I get the sense that he fears abolition and liberation for the slaves. In as much as he advocates for the humane treatment of his laborers, the value of his wealth supersedes the value of a human being. His skewed understanding that setting the slaves free would place Jamaica in a disadvantaged economic state is