Theme Of Identity In Oluadah Equiano

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Just like Harriet Jacob’s story, Equiano’s narrative had many important themes in this story. Identity was a major theme in this story. In this story, a man is allowed no identity if one is a slave, and must earned one despite what is going on in the world. One must work for its identity. As an African slave, Equiano had no identity at all. He was invisible. He had no control over his own movements, his own property, or his even name. Equiano aimed to found out who he was, but slavery had limited the opportunity to found out who is truly is. After Equiano was freed, he was able to found out himself a true identity and discover the real him. He would go on to make his own decisions. He made his own decision on where he wanted to go and what sort of employment he wanted to have. More than anything else, this book is centered on the devastating slave trade. Equiano’s own life tells the truth perspective of how terribly the slave trade harmed everyone involved life. Africans, including children, were kidnapped from their homes and families. The families who had somebody kidnapped would be …show more content…

There were a lot of unnoticeable symbolisms in this story, but there was still some that stood out if the reader could notice it as they read carefully. One small symbolism that stood out in this story was the manumission papers. In this story those papers could be a representation of freedom. The manumission papers could also be a representation of struggle and hardship. Another small symbolism that stood out in the story was the city of the London in England. The city could be seen as symbolism since coming to that city changed Equiano’s life. Coming to the new city can be a representation of hope, educational opportunities, and a new home. London helped found Equiano to found out who he really was due to opportunities and his wisdom he learned from growing up alongside with his

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