After reviewing the Brychan Carey website and reading Equiano’s Interesting Narrative, I am inclined to believe Equiano’s claim to have been born in Africa, although I agree with Carey’s “bottom line” statement in which he reminds us that “we just don’t know.”
The early chapters of the Interesting Narrative provide a full and rich description of Equiano’s homeland, a place that he probably had some memory of, although since he was kidnapped when he was somewhere between seven and eleven years old,
his memories would have been vague and garbled. Equiano’s use of other accounts of the middle passage and of African life and culture and his occasional mistakes in describing his childhood are evidence of the overall veracity of his story. If Equiano used contemporary sources to fabricate his tale, he would have made sure to be completely accurate and not to have made errors like his confusion between the kinds of perfume used by the Igbo on page 47, and his confusion of the kinds of local priests and wise men noted by Allison on page 53.
There are, of course, some instances of poetic license which Equiano used to strengthen his argument. On page 54, Equiano describes the similarities between “the manners and customs of my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of Promise...” This analogy prepares the thesis that, as Dr. Barnes mentioned in the 6th lecture, Equiano and his people were Old Testament people, good but pre-Christian and not “the spawn of Satan” as slavers claimed to justify their assault on humanity. Another example of this is in the beginning of Volume II when Equiano describes his various interactions with religious meetings on the mainland of North America. He describes his experience at the Quaker meeting in Philadelphia and describes the meeting featuring the Rev. Mr. George Whitfield, who, as Allison points out was not in Philadelphia when Equiano encountered him, but rather in Georgia. Again, this lapse in strict chronological reporting does not detract from Equiano’s condemnation of slavery, but instead serves to make the story flow more smoothly, keeping the reader engaged and increasing the power of the document.
As to the documentary evidence at St Margaret’s Church and the Royal Navy muster roll from the 1773 Arctic expedition, it is not surprising that Equiano as a young man would have had been confused. Considering that Equiano was a child when he was baptized he may not have had sufficient command of the English language to realize that the question “where are you from” meant “in what place were you born” and not “from which place have you recently arrived.” As a young man on the Arctic expedition, Equiano may have, as Carey suggests, have considered the error unimportant, or more likely, as Dr. Barnes suggests in the fifth lecture, seen the advantage in being considered a Creole, born in the New World over having been born in Africa. When Equiano wrote his story down, he was framing an argument against slavery, an argument that was, at the time, controversial. He would have known therefore that people would check his story and search for ways to discredit him, indeed anonymous notes were published in the London papers at the time, and Equiano successfully refuted their claims.
Finally, Equiano had become a sort of born again Christian after the death of his friend John Annis. This process is described in Volume II, Chapter X of the Narrative and involves the usual crisis of conscience, feelings of hopelessness, and spiritual visions. Often, people who believe that they have had these sort of “road to Damascus” moments occasionally try to practice the nominal Christian exhortation for honesty, at least until they seek the Republican presidential nomination.
1 Olaudah Equiano, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, ed. Robert J. Allison, Second ed. (Boston: Bedford / St. Martin's, 2007), pg. #25.
2 Ibid. pg #54.
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ReplyDeleteExcellently put argument! You are definitely right in saying that Equiano's memory would have been very vague about his homeland. After all, I believe if I was ripped out of my homeland at the age of 7-11 I would also have an extremely hard time remembering little details such as perfume scents and what exactly the priests were called and how they practiced certain rituals. I also completely agree that if Equiano used other tales to fabricate his story he would not have made so many errors in such things as you mentioned like perfumes and priests. It is also painstakingly obvious that he did have to use some details from stories of Africa to complete his book and also to help strengthen his argument. I, again, turn back to the fact that he was a small child when he left his homeland. I for one can remember vague details about where I first lived when I was small, but I rely on the stories of my parents and others to remember more vivid details.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that may have strengthened your argument, and your argument is extremely strong in the first place, is using the fact that Equiano could not speak English when he first arrived in America and this might have helped prove that if he was born in Carolina he would have been able to speak English from the start(Equiano, 71). Your argument about Equiano's coming to religion and this may have pushed him to be more honest is a valid point, but sometimes people can change their views to survive. I do agree with you, however, that Equiano seemed to follow a much more honest path and he quotes this numerous times in his narrative, he states this on page 119, ". . . for I always remembered the old adage; and I trust it has ever been my ruling principle, that honesty is the best policy; and likewise that other golden precept - to do unto all men as I would they should do unto me (Equiano, 119)."
Terrific argument!! Very well written!
I agree with your argument that Equiano was indeed born in Africa and i fully understand where you are coming from when you say that Equiano could not speak English when he first arrived in the Americas. That makes perfect sense to me that at the time he baptized he wouldn't have been able to tell them where he was from nor be able to even speak to them without an understanding of what was actually going on. I think that it is possible to forget stuff such as perfumes because the lack of communication of what it was at least without his understanding of the language. That also might be why he couldn't remember the dates correctly, he was always learning. He wasn't perfect. We all forget things from time to time especially if you are always looking out for your life in his case.
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