Questions & Answers: Olaudah Equiano

Cooperative Learning :

• What aspect of the condition aboard the ship does the protagonist stress in this account?

The protagonist stress how unsanitary and dirty the ship was, plus everyone else on board added to its comfortablenesses as well as it's disgust.

• Cite two examples of the slave traders' cruelty to slave.

One way the slave traders were cruel was that when they ate fish and had enough they would just throw it back to the sea without giving some to the slave even though they begged to get some./ They were also beaten [flog], probably half to death if they disobey or stepped out of time.

• What might have motivated the traders behavior toward there human cargo?

The fact they believe they were better than the African might have motivated them. The salve traders probably strongly believe the slave were a weak race and didn't even deserve to be put in the same category as the whites.

Comprehension Check:

• For what crimes were slaved punished?

Slaves were punished for many crimes, such as defying the whites and trying to get away by attempting to jump of the boat and swim away.

• And what was the punishment?

Normally the where beaten harshly, or staved more than they already were.


Critical Check Questions:

• Why does Equiano blame the illness aboard the ship on the "improvident avarice" of the improvident avarice?

Equiano blamed the illness on the improvident avarice of the slave traders because all they wanted were workers and didn't care about the health and well being of the Africans, so they got sick from the bad conditions.

Support from the Text:

• How could you tell that Equiano had a great zest for life despite his assertion that he wanted to die?

You could tell because if his astonishment when he first saw the ship and then after when he saw the whites on the horses. He even states, "... and where now convinced it was done by magic." He was so amazed because it was something he never saw before.

Infer:

• What does the passage reveal about the author?

It reveals how strong internally he is to suffer so much and not try to commit suicide like his country men did. Also, because even though there were awful conditions he remained strong.

Draw Conclusion:

• Explain what the variety of languages indicates about the slave trade?

It shows that the slave traders didn't care were the person was from or what language he or she spoke. all that matted to them was the fact that they were black. In addition, it shows they got slaves from all over Africa.