Question

Olaudah Equiano's slave narrative expresses multiple themes related to the brutal realities of the slave trade. From what you remember from the reading, identify two major themes and explain using examples from his work.

Answer 1

Two major themes in Olaudah Equiano's slave narrative are the brutal realities of the slave trade and the emotional trauma experienced by enslaved individuals and their families.

Step-by-step explanation:

Two major themes in Olaudah Equiano's slave narrative are the brutal realities of the slave trade and the emotional trauma experienced by enslaved individuals and their families.

One example of the brutal realities of the slave trade is depicted in Equiano's description of the Middle Passage. He recounts the filth, gloom, and inadequate provisions allotted to the captives during this terrifying journey across the ocean. This example highlights the dehumanizing conditions endured by enslaved Africans during their transportation.

Another theme explored in Equiano's narrative is the emotional trauma experienced by enslaved people and their families. Equiano recalls how fear of falling prey to slave traders pervaded villages in West and Central Africa, leading children to station someone in a tree to keep watch while others played. This example reveals the constant fear and emotional toll inflicted upon enslaved communities.