The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano · Theme
Identity and Belonging
How The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano develops 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.
Where it surfaces
- I
Equiano describes his cultural identity, naming customs, and the social structure of his community, emphasizing his place within it.
- III
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.
- Chapter XI
Equiano resists conversion to Catholicism despite the priest's offer of education and advancement, affirming his own Protestant faith and sense of self.