Was Olaudah Equiano an African or a European Free Essay Example, 1750 words

During these early years of captivity, situations and master influence essentially shattered these African values out of necessity. It was during these years where Olaudah eventually began to view himself with a European focus, giving careful and ongoing consideration about how to achieve independence and self-sustainment in a world. There was one period when as a slave in Virginia, Olaudah Equiano was witness to horrors of captivity with other African citizens such as the use of the iron muzzle which left servants barely able to speak or eat. His experiences created delusions about personified objects being essentially whistleblowers for his master, there to inform his master when he had done wrong. The fears and anxiety created in this new slave environment actually made Equiano pursue trying to wash the color off of his face, the first sign that his cultural linkage to African values was beginning to erode. Equiano was fortunate to have been sent away to Britain to attain a quali ty education by Pascal s relative. His experiences in Britain further familiarized him with a society that was rapidly shedding slave practices and gave him further foundational knowledge about trade and travel. We will write a custom essay sample on Was Olaudah Equiano an African or a European or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now By the time Equiano was fully educated and knowledgeable about European culture, he no longer considered himself an African slave but essentially an equal to the European men. This was obvious when he demanded his fair share of prize money offered onboard by Pascal after the Seven Years War. Though he was refused release, which had been promised by Pascal, and further refused the prize award, Olaudah was beginning to see himself as a person with significant value in equal proportion to Europeans. This was the stage where most elements of African heritage had disappeared in favor of furthering education and building a comfortable lifestyle for himself. Equiano was eventually sold to another master, a Quaker named Robert King. Fortunately, Olaudah was now a highly prized slave with educational credentials and experience, something not commonly found in this time period.