Olaudah Equiano, or also known as Gustavus Vassa is presented as an outspoken abolitionist in Gloria Fiero’s textbook The Humanistic Tradition. Gloria Fiero introduces Olaudah Equiano by summarizing his life as he tells it in his book The Interesting Narrative of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself. Thus through this summary, we are enlightened about Olaudah's past experience as a young captive slave and learn about the traumatizing and humiliating experience he is put through by his captivators. This life changing experience documented in his book results in Olaudah Equiano becoming one of the most influential supporters of the British movement to end the slave trade. Consequently the popularity of his narrative
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This dramatic event results in Olaudah Equiano having a unique slavery experience as he spends most of his time at sea. However his European capturers still manage to give Olaudah the entire slavery experience even on board. This could be seen from the very beginning when Olaudah Equiano is taken onto the ship and he is inspected by some of the crew members such as if he was some kind of merchandise. This very act seems to alert Olaudah of the seriousness of the situation as he sees the Europeans behavior as a process of dehumanizing him. Consequently Olaudah Equiano is also frequently victim to the stowage of the slave ship which forced him to be in inhuman conditions as he was forced to be in a cramped space with others slaves all while having to deal with the pestilential smell of human waste. This again can be seen as part of the brutal dehumanizing process that Olaudah and many other slaves had to endure thanks to their abductors. Ironically, all of these cruel brutalities were done by Christian men that were devoted to God and his practices. Hence toward the end of his narrative Olaudah shares a story of two brothers that were sold to different owners and in which one of the brothers responded to the cruel act by telling the Christian men to follow God’s words to do unto men as they would like
This dramatic event results in Olaudah Equiano having a unique slavery experience as he spends most of his time at sea. However his European capturers still manage to give Olaudah the entire slavery experience even on board. This could be seen from the very beginning when Olaudah Equiano is taken onto the ship and he is inspected by some of the crew members such as if he was some kind of merchandise. This very act seems to alert Olaudah of the seriousness of the situation as he sees the Europeans behavior as a process of dehumanizing him. Consequently Olaudah Equiano is also frequently victim to the stowage of the slave ship which forced him to be in inhuman conditions as he was forced to be in a cramped space with others slaves all while having to deal with the pestilential smell of human waste. This again can be seen as part of the brutal dehumanizing process that Olaudah and many other slaves had to endure thanks to their abductors. Ironically, all of these cruel brutalities were done by Christian men that were devoted to God and his practices. Hence toward the end of his narrative Olaudah shares a story of two brothers that were sold to different owners and in which one of the brothers responded to the cruel act by telling the Christian men to follow God’s words to do unto men as they would like