http://www.janaedwards.com/AmericanLit.html
"I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to escape the imputation of vanity. . . People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or remembered which abound in great striking events, those, in short, which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity; all others they consign to contempt or oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public, especially when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous, and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great; but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If, then, the following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication."
"I now saw myself deprived of all chance of returning to my native country, or even the least glimpse of hope of gaining the shore, which I now considered as friendly; and I even wished for my former slavery in preference to my present situation, which was filled with horrors of every kind, still heightened by my ignorance of what I was to undergo. I was not long suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life: so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench, and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste any thing. 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. I had never experienced any thing of this kind before, and although not being used to the water, I naturally feared that element the first time I saw it, yet, nevertheless, could I have got over the nettings, I would have jumped over the side, but I could not; and besides, the crew used to watch us very closely who were not chained down to the decks, lest we should leap into the water; and I have seen some of these poor African prisoners most severely cut, for attempting to do so, and hourly whipped for not eating. This indeed was often the case with myself."
Reflection
The main point of this selection is to tell the story of Olidah Equiano’s journey along the Middle Passage. Being a black man, he faced a life full of oppression which is upsetting for such a young person to have to endure. It is also upsetting that Equiano was taken from his family at the tender age of eleven. I like that he is neither boastful nor complaining about his memoir. When he says “I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many,” I find this refreshing because normally when one writes a memoir it is to prove that they are in someway special or above others. At least that is my opinion. I also admire that he tells of his sufferings, yet also acknowledges those of others. As I read the account I found myself relieved when Equiano would catch a break, such as when he meets the “displaced Africans.” At first he thought he would be eaten but the Africans told them they “were not to be eaten, but to work, and were soon to go on land, where we should see many of our country people.” Personally, I would have taken this as a bittersweet moment, but not Equiano, he is recorder saying “this report eased us much.” Even in the worst of times, whether he knew it or not, Equiano would take it as a positive. I also admire this characteristic. This is similar to everyday life because some people do have this attribute. As far as Equiano’s account, there are still people who have to deal with hardships such as his in places all over the world, which is very distressing.
Dear Diary,
I do not know how to feel after reading Olidah Equiano’s account of the Middle Passage on account of not knowing any Africans. It sounds like he went through a lot of strife in his life and it is upsetting that people would treat another human being that way. Mama always says to treat people like you want to be treated. Maybe their parents didn’t ever tell them that. Anyway, I admire Equiano’s strength and courage because I don’t think I would be able to handle everything he went through. It is stated in the account that “his experiences had ‘happened to many’ and to a far greater intensity,” but I cannot fathom anything worse than what Olidah Equiano endured. These trials sound so realistic and extreme that I question the credibility of this account, although, someone would have had to be pretty creative to think up such a gruesome story.
EXTENSION: political cartoon re: race and racial sensitivity, equal rights in USA
Although there seems to be equal rights in America, there is still racial sensitivity between certain ethnicities. In the cartoon, Condoleezza Rice is introducing the cabinet of powerful, elderly, white men, as men who support racism and work against the improvement of black people. This is ironic because she is a young, black woman with less stature than the men she is introducing, yet she is making them sound like good people. Also in the cartoon, Rice says “ours is a cabinet that looks like America and thinks like David Duke,” while she is thinking “don’t lynch me.” David Duke is a well-known KKK member and Rice wonders if the accomplished men in the cabinet will one day turn on her because of her ethnicity, as they have numerous other black people. All things considered, if even if someone has authority, like Rice, they are liable to be turned upon because of their race, which in no way promotes equal rights and causes further racial sensitivity.
Essential Question
Due to the intolerance of different beliefs, how does the American dream serve to unite difference by affording each person to become "American?"
Due to the intolerance of different beliefs, white people believe they are above Africans because they consider themselves to be more civilized. The white people went to Africa and took the locals back with them to work as slaves on the ships and in America. They did this because they didn’t consider the Africans to be humans due to their differences in appearances and beliefs. The white people attempt to “Americanize” the Africans by taking them to America, yet they don’t give them the same opportunities because of their cultural differences. Even though it seems like the white people are trying to help the Africans, they are really trying to mold them into what they think “Americans” should be like. All things considered, the white people are destroying the African culture by prohibiting the natives from practicing their beliefs and taking them away from their homeland, therefore, they are killing one way of life in order to make the Africans strive for a new one that they will never be able to achieve because of their preset differences.
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