Olaudah Equiano

Author Quote: 

“Hitherto I had thought only slavery dreadful; but the state of a free negro appeared to me now equally so at least, and in some respects even worse, for they live in constant alarm for their liberty; and even this is but nominal, for they are universally insulted and plundered without the possibility of redress; for such is the equity of the West Indian laws, that no free negro's evidence will be admitted in their courts of justice. In this situation is it surprising that slaves, when mildly treated, should prefer even the misery of slavery to such a mockery of freedom?

Outside Quote: 

King often traded in “live cargo,” or slaves, and Equiano saw much that made him grateful for his Quaker master’s treatment of him.

Summary of Author's Quote: 

Equiano, after recounting a story of how a freed man got “captured” and returned back into slavery (or worse), provides us with a look into his true feeling

Response:

I found this quote very interesting, because it was the first time that I had ever really thought about the difficulties that a freed slave would have to endure.  Granted, I never believed that freed slaves got off easy and were now safe to live among the population without fear, but his story really hit home in portraying that at a moment’s notice, that freedom can be taken away and you be returned to the life of a slave once again.

Equiano, however, is mistaken in the second part of this quote when he talks about how slaves should prefer the “misery of slavery to such a mockery of freedom” because for the most part, slaves were not mildly treated. Compared to the other slave narratives that we have read, Equiano’s life has been relatively easy going.  Separated from his sister, but he receives no punishment for running away.  He is bought and sold, but always between masters that treat him well and teach him, both to read and Christianity.  Throughout his life, I am sure that he witnessed slaves being beaten and treated in the most inhuman of way, therefore I find it surprising that he would make such a hyperbolic statement. The story he recounts, while not an isolated incident, was no different than what was happening to many of the non-freed slaves. 

I think that his personal connection to the “victim” and his fear of being recaptured are very real, but also show a hint of being self-centered.  This goes against the rest of his writing.  Even in the beginning, Equiano is very humble going through the history of his own country, even going so far to apologize to the reader at the beginning of Chapter 2 in case he “trespassed on his patience.”  I feel like his humility was given to him by his home country, and as time progressed and the longer he spent learning from his masters the more and more like them he became.  Then it finally came to a head here and although no man should be forced to suffer what Joseph Clipson suffered, it was happening constantly to slaves everywhere and to say that people should prefer that to even a glimpse of hope that they could be free is ludicrous. 

Henry David Thoreau

Harrison Newkirk

English 48A

Journal for Thoreau

October 27, 2011

Author Quote: 
He who gives himself entirely to his fellow-men appears to them useless and selfish; but he who gives himself partially to them is pronounced a benefactor and a philanthropist.  
How does it become a man to behave toward this American government today? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave's government also.


Outside Quote: 
He was a lifelong abolitionist delivering lectures that attacked the Fugitive Slave Law while praising the writings of Wendell Phillips and defending abolitionist John Brown


Summary of Author's Quote: 
This quote consists of two pieces.  The beginning is a a seeming paradox, how can a man, by giving less of himself, be considered greater than someone who gives all of himself.  The second stems for Thoreau's staunch belief in antislavery and he resisted government was because he did not believe in slavery and felt that he could not in good conscience take part in a government that supported it.


Response:

Both of these quotes are trying to impart the feeling that society should be treating slaves as men not as property.  The opening paradox occurs because many would believe that the more of yourself you give the higher you should be regarded.  However, the definition of “gives himself” does not mean “willingly” give yourself.  It, it fact, refers to how much of a life someone is forced to give up in society.  In the case of the slave owners, they were only forced to give a little bit to the rest of humanity, taxes, voting, maybe a civil duty. But slaves were forced to give everything.  They “gave” themselves fully to their masters and were thought of as useless, as property.

The second part of the quote attempts to further drive that point home. He asks how is a man supposed to react to a government that endorses such things.  By man, he is referring both to slaves and owners, as Thoreau believed they were equals.  A slave surely cannot be a part of such government, but Thoreau is chastising the rest of man saying that they should not either.  He further goes on to say, that until the government recognizes slaves as people and therefore slaves are able to recognize it as their government, that he does not recognize it.  He is essentially, including himself as a slave.