The Life of Olaudah Equiano Lesson Plan

How would you describe Equiano’s prose style?

Equiano’s style of writing would now be considered somewhat archaic. His style and tone are also quite matter-of-fact, dry even. It’s worthwhile discussing why this style might have been adopted. In slave narratives published with the intention of gaining sympathy, describing atrocities in a fairly matter-of-fact way was one way authors attempted to have audiences understand their experiences as facts, rather than overwrought emotion. Of course, Equiano does include descriptions of his own feelings at certain events, like the death of his friend Dick.

How might the readership at the time have viewed Equiano’s accounts of...