Equiano / Vassa Olaudah Equiano Research Proposal

..really believe[d] the people could not have been saved" (Carretta, p. 129).

In conclusion, this is a fascinating man who was put into slavery and later became an educated, respected writer in his own time. And yet, even after publishing his book, the Interesting Narrative, critics in London doubted that he could have written it himself. A black man with such narrative skill was obviously a rarity. In the Monthly Review, the writer explained that "...it is not improbably that some English writer has assisted him in the compilement, or, at least, the correction of his book" (Carretta, p. 333). Looking back on those times, given slavery and racism, it is not hard to relate to the skepticism of Caucasian editors and critics as regards a black man's writing skills.But today, in 2008, with a black man poised to become president of the United States, will that ancient curse of racism begin to slowly fade away? Will the negative attacks from Obama's opposition (i.e., he was only a "community organizer") be pushed aside by intelligent, open-minded voters? We soon shall see.

Works Cited

Carretta, Vincent. (2005). Equiano the African: Biography of a Self-Made Man. Athens: The….....