Reading Equiano So Far

 I just finished reading the first three chapters of Olaudah Equiano's novel, and honestly it is a bit of a tough read for me. I have always struggled comprehending and understanding historical texts, and this has been no different. I think something that is interesting to me in this text is how matter-of-factly Equiano writes. For me, it is bit jarring to be in the middle of reading a seemingly uninteresting passage about crops and then have the sudden contrast of a horrific event/death with little shift in tone. This almost emphasizes the normalcy of these atrocities, however. The fact that Equiano can so casually mention tragic events shows the commonality of these during the life of an enslaved person. 

Something that also caught me a bit off guard was Equiano's age. When I imagine slaves in the slave trade, I usually think of them as young adults or grown men. I must have missed it at the beginning because I remember being shocked when Equiano arrived at a new location and said he must have been 12 years old at that point. I never imagined this horrific treatment Equiano described happened to young children too, and this was something that was upsetting to me. 

While, yes, this is a tough read for me, I think it is most definitely an important one, and I am learning a lot from Equiano's narrative. 

Comments

  1. Jalen PaigeFebruary 2, 2023 at 8:59 PM

    I agree, Cassi! Historical texts have always been tough for me, too. The book's pacing was a pretty big part of that. Like you said, having a paragraph that lasts pages that details something seemingly mundane, only for it to switch to some deep and nuanced insight made this a hard book to follow at times. It was also shocking to hear his age- and how calm he was about the whole process of being kidnapped. Why was his writing so emotionless? Especially since he was arguing against slaver- you'd think Equiano would make the story more emotionally appealing. I think it is good that you are still learning from the book though- it is usually the tough books that teach me the most.

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  2. Monique Cov.February 3, 2023 at 1:29 PM

    Hey Cassi! We share similar difficulties when it comes to this new nonfiction text. For me, the hardest part is understanding the diction at times and just the details about places and names. I have to admit that I tend to gloss over names of places and people in texts leaving me to be a bit disoriented when the actual person or place becomes important in a story.
    You make a great point about just how normalcy of the tone emphasizing just how common tragic events can be in the life of a slave.

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  3. Hilary LeFebruary 3, 2023 at 7:37 PM

    Hi Cassi! I totally agree that this novel is a tough read. We're in the same boat. Historical texts and books are already difficult for me to read but plus the content. It just makes it more difficult to get through. Honestly, the part you mentioned about his age, I didn't even know or notice that until someone mentioned it in class. A bit jarring in context. It's very interesting how he can talk about what seems to be traumatizing events from his life so calmly, like it was a common Tuesday! It's great to hear that you are learning from the book. I wonder how the rest of the book will turn out.

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  4. Griffin JonesFebruary 6, 2023 at 5:29 PM

    Hey Cassi, the drastic change in topic and treatment of the descriptions of atrocities and violence being thrown in so nonchalantly had me taken aback as well. I'm sure that the way the he is presenting this book has something to do with its intended purpose and the audience he is trying to reach, but I'm still trying to figure out the reason for his blunt, matter-of-fact approach as opposed to one that appeals to the emotions.

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