Olaudah Equiano Analysis

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Existence Through Assimilation Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano is a tale of a man whom fate has dealt harshly with, but even so this man still rises to overcome his hopelessness and ascend to a place where he is free to be whom he chooses to be. Through setbacks and discrimination this African born man rises and falls throughout the late 1700’s at the hands of the white man. However, this insightful account is not one of complete despondency, but one that portrays the true courage of a man and how holding on to a single idea no matter what happens can lead to the inevitable claiming of that goal. Equiano did just that and from that single-minded thought he was able to rise above his…show more content…
He came to identify himself as first a Christian and then a European. This can clearly be seen from his heartfelt declaration of how God has been there shaping and guiding his life: I was sensible of the invisible hand of God, which guided and protected me when in truth I knew it not: still the Lord pursued me although I slighted and disregarded it; this mercy melted me down. When I considered my poor wretched state I wept, seeing what a great debtor I was to sovereign free grace. Now the Ethiopian was willing to be saved by Jesus Christ, the sinner's only surety, and also to rely on none other person or thing for salvation. (Equiano 191) Here it is beyond obvious that he has come to define himself through his conversion to "true" Christianity (in Equiano’s case, Methodism). After returning from his Arctic voyage, Equiano was compelled to seek out religion in a deeper and more meaningful manner and he finds nourishment in the Scriptures that helps to grow and strengthen his religious identity. He felt that the "invisible hand of God" was present in everything he had done and he wept at the thought of his sinfulness and debt for God's forgiveness (Equiano

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