The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Or Gustavus Vassa, the African

Equiano reiterates that there are so many instances of cruelty toward slaves that it would overwhelm his readers with both disgust and boredom if he included them all. He promises to recount only the cruelties he has experienced from this point on in the narrative and to share notable experiences and sights. He recounts, for example, visiting tourist site Brimstone Hill, a spot about which his readers are likely to be curious.

With the permission of Mr. King, Equiano began buying goods at a low price and selling them for more; he almost tripled his money at one point, so much so that he began to think that maybe he might buy his freedom one day. He constantly thought about gaining his freedom but decided (despite many opportunities to escape) that he would deal honestly with his master and wait for God’s intervention to set him free or leave him in slavery. The trust he earned from his owner and the captain to which his owner hired him out allowed Equiano to travel through the West Indies and back and forth between Georgia and South Carolina, usually working in the transport and sale of slaves.

He encountered many challenges because he was enslaved, despite his acceptance of his fate.