In the first chapter of The Interesting Narrative, Olaudah Equiano speaks of the similarities between his culture and the culture of the Jews. He speaks about the matching traditions they share: “circumcision...sacrifices and burnt-offerings” etc. (44). Equiano shows African people resembling people with dissimilar religions and color to strongly argue against slavery. On page forty-five, he fights against the ignorance of Spaniards defining a person as a slave by their “complexion” (45). Furthermore, Equiano strikes against the European’s “prejudice” by demonstrating that their ancestors may have also been “uncivilized, and even barbarous” like the slaves (45). His passion in encouraging his readers to disregard any prejudice or ignorant thoughts
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In the passage, Equiano argues that African people and the colonizers skin color are unalike because of the “different climates” they live in (45). The “complexion” of someones skin is irrelevant to the judgement of their morals, passion, and intelligence because people’s skin color are only different because of “climates” (45). African people are fighting for their human rights because they are not even considered as people due to their “complexion”. Also, Equiano acknowledges “the prejudice that some conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour” (45). However, the Europeans and Spaniards have no sound argument to rationalize their “superiority” over African people. Their only reasoning for their power and dominance is to blame African people for their “complexion”. Oppressing the African people for their color is illogical because they did not choose to be black, they were born that way. The colonizers are blaming African people's hardships on solely their color. Even Equiano questions their logic by saying, according to the colonizers, God, “forbore to stamp understanding on certainly his own image, because “‘carved in ebony’” (45). He sarcastically suggests that the colonizers are going against God’s “own image” for the Africans, showing that these colonizers believe they have more “superiority” than Him. Equiano displays his
In the passage, Equiano argues that African people and the colonizers skin color are unalike because of the “different climates” they live in (45). The “complexion” of someones skin is irrelevant to the judgement of their morals, passion, and intelligence because people’s skin color are only different because of “climates” (45). African people are fighting for their human rights because they are not even considered as people due to their “complexion”. Also, Equiano acknowledges “the prejudice that some conceive against the natives of Africa on account of their colour” (45). However, the Europeans and Spaniards have no sound argument to rationalize their “superiority” over African people. Their only reasoning for their power and dominance is to blame African people for their “complexion”. Oppressing the African people for their color is illogical because they did not choose to be black, they were born that way. The colonizers are blaming African people's hardships on solely their color. Even Equiano questions their logic by saying, according to the colonizers, God, “forbore to stamp understanding on certainly his own image, because “‘carved in ebony’” (45). He sarcastically suggests that the colonizers are going against God’s “own image” for the Africans, showing that these colonizers believe they have more “superiority” than Him. Equiano displays his