Identity and Belonging

The narrative explores Equiano's dual identity as an African and a British subject, his pride in his Igbo heritage, and his struggle to find a place between his native culture and the European world he adopts.

Equiano describes his cultural identity, naming customs, and the social structure of his community, emphasizing his place within it.

Equiano is renamed Gustavus Vassa against his will, reflecting the loss of his original identity and the struggle to maintain a sense of self in a foreign land.

Equiano resists conversion to Catholicism despite the priest's offer of education and advancement, affirming his own Protestant faith and sense of self.