YO

20 April 2013
Olaudah Equiano’s first African-American slave narrative was very well written and easy to read. His work from start to finish was very interesting. We got to see how he was taken and escaped death, how he was able to please the many masters he had, and how he earned and bought his freedom. Equiano’s work came at a time when there weren’t many free African-Americans and because of that it made his narrative all the more precious. In Equiano’s narrative he spoke a few dialects of the African language with some of his countrymen he met along his journey. Equiano eventually made friends with a man named Charles Baker; the two became inseparable. Baker became Equiano’s mentor before he died. Because Equiano was so intelligent he was able to learn English and able to speak, read and write. Everywhere Equiano went he was able to please the masters he worked for and eventually earned enough money and respect to buy his freedom. A well-written story of a brilliant man during a time of desperation and struggle.

Analysis Comparing Oladah Equiano’s narrative to that of Mary Rowlandson and Cabeza de Vaca, the writing styles vastly different. Equiano appeared to have a writing style that was more modern and scholar in nature, while Marry Rowlandson had a style that was written by someone in the 1700’s with little or no scholar background. The most significant difference in Equiano’s writing style is there use of the bible. Equiano uses the bible sparingly while Rowlandson uses the bible in almost every chapter of her book. She misspells words; for example she uses the word ly in the place of lie and the word loose in the place of lose. Equiano’s readings are very easy to read while Rowlandson tone is long and drawn out making it very hard to follow. Cabeza de Vaca’s writing is a little harder to follow as well, although is tone doesn’t seem like 1700 style old school writing, but his writing still makes it harder to follow. De