Alysia Perez

Document Interpretation: Olaudah Equiano

1. Equiano seems proud of where he comes from (customs, manners,
culture).
2. He was trained in war at a young age.
3. Equiano took part in daily exercised of shooting and throwing javelins.
4. When he was taken on board, Equiano was under the impression he
was going to be killed.
5. Was taken on board by other Africans.
6. He would have rather been in his former slavery position than on
board the ship.
7. The smell below deck was unbearable due to overcrowding; caused
illness.
8. Equiano wished for death.
9. He had never been flogged before.
10.
Prisoners cut for trying to jump overboard; others were flogged
for not eating.
11.
He thought the white men acted savagely and brutally to the
Africans and to each other.
12.
Equiano had never heard of the white men or their country.
13.
Many slaves died due to the poor conditions on board.
14.
Women and children also on board.
15.
They went for days without fresh air; near suffocating below
deck.
16.
When they landed, all Africans were separated and put into
parcels.
17.
Removed to the merchants yard and pent up together with other
Africans from other trips.
18.
Thought the white men knew magic after seeing the boats stop,
horseback riding, and multi story houses.
19.
Africans sold in a yard; the buys would go in and choose the one
they liked.
20.
Equiano questioned the white mens Christian beliefs and if God
would allow such brutality and slavery.
What I will take away from this passage is the brutality, dehumanizing, lack
of regard for human life that the Africans were treated with. From what I read
and will try to interpret is that they were forced below deck where they
barely had room to even lay down, they were fed only enough to sustain life,
and were treated with brutality for no reason. I have never read an account
from a slaves diary, only what I have read in history books or have seen on
PBS specials, and this seems so much more savage and terrifying. I cannot
imagine waking up one day and being taken from my family, put on a boat,

and sent to a foreign country. Equiano had no idea what was happening. He
feared for his life, as I am sure most of the Africans did. Since most of them
were taken aboard by other Africans, why didnt anyone explain what was
happening to them? I understand that a life of servitude is not ideal;
however, being carted around and having no idea if youre going to live or
die is much more terrifying. Even after being enslaved, Equiano does not
sound full of hate, and in fact apologizes so politely in the beginning for
possibly trespassing on your patience. It seems as though the Africans that
were brought here were good, intelligent people. The white men were the
ones that had it all wrong.