This is the second time that I have read part of Olaudah Equiano's narrative. The first time was when I was a junior in highschool. We just read the part where he describes the foul smells on the ship coming to the Americas. It was very difficult reading because of all the sorrow I felt for the slaves. It is so sad that this happened.
Another reason why this is sad is because people who called themselves "christians" held slaves. Many times through Equiano's narrative he mentions christians many times. One part he says they were singing hymns right next to where the slaves were being auctioned off. How ironic is that? Chrisianity is about God's grace that we can be free from sin and here they are practicing bondage of other human beings. I think it is sad when people use the name of Jesus to do bad things.
I think I read that part about the hideous smells in middle school, too. It's not an easy piece of writing to forget.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad when people use Jesus' name to justify bad things. Slaveholding American Christians must have had to work hard at being blind to the incorrectness of their actions. Equiano takes time in his narrative to point out the hypocrisy of it all, as does Phillis Wheatley in her poetry. Even Crevecoeur, a white man, mentions a congregation that chastised their minister for speaking against slavery. It's interesting to see the writings of all these people who lived in the same century intersect. Thanks for the great post :)