Equiano as the Cover Portrays Him
The Cover of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: or, Gustavus Vassa, the African, features several interesting details: a sketch of Equiano, the name of the book, and the way the author is printed. How these things are presented tell the reader more about Equiano and how he is distinguished not as a slave but as a free man.
The picture of Equiano on the cover details him in nicer, westernized clothing (although the clothing is still very plain) (see picture below). One would not typically associate this type of cloths with being a slave. Although the book is a slave narrative, this picture seems to focus more on him reaching the status of a free man, in a westernized culture, than on being a slave.
A few pages into the book, there is the same picture in completeness. It reveals him holding the Bible, open to ACTS 4:12 (Lamore). First, this tells readers that Equiano is educated, which is not a common trait for slaves. This portion of the Bible “gives the history of the Christian church and the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as well as the mounting opposition to it” and it details the conversion of Paul, from persecuting Christians to being one of God’s disciples (GotQuestions.org). The specific section, 4:12 states “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (GotQuestions.org). This reflects how equiano has taken on the western idea of being Christian and is educated.
What I find most interesting is that the title of the book details three different “identities”. The first, “Olaudah Equiano” is his birth name (also the biggest name on the cover), the second, “Gustavus Vassa”, is a name one of his masters gave him (Williamson), and the third is, “the African”. The fact that his birth name comes first signifies him as being “himself” and speaks of his African descent. The appearance of the name his slave owner gave him could represent him being westernized as well as having been a slave (he is also commonly known by this name (Williamson)). Referring to himself as “the African” further recognizes him as a slave (given the time period) and his heritage. However, given it states “the African” and not “the slave”, it leads me to think he is trying to distinguish the two, in a time and place when the terms could almost be interchangeable.
Furthermore the way the book’s authors name is printed as “written by himself” (in white with a black background, making it one of the brightest parts of the book), could further establish Equiano’s independence and sense of “self”.
What I find intriguing is that the only place where “slave” is written is in the review, which is outdone by the rest of the cover. This further leads me to believe that Equiano is not being portrayed as a slave but as a free man or his own man.
With all of these aspects combined: the westernized clothing, the Bible, his three “identities”, and how the author’s name is written; the cover seems to portray Equiano as having independence in a western culture, not of being a slave. These things help establish for the reader an identity of Equine that is not of a stereotypical slave.
(image from amazon)
Bibliography:
“Book of Acts.” GotQuestions.org. Got Questions Ministries, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.
Equiano, Olaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Or, Gustavus Vassa, the African. Ed. Shelly Eversley. N.p.: Modern Library, 2004. Print.
Lamore, Eric D., ed. Teaching Olaudah Equiano’s Narrative: Pedagogical Strategies and New Perspectives. N.p.: U of Tennessee, 2012. Google Books. Google. Web. 7 Oct. 2016.
The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano: Or, Gustavus Vassa, the African. Amazon. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.
Williamson, Jenn. “Summary of The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by Himself. Vol. I.” Documenting the American South. The University of North Carolina Library, n.d. Web. 07 Oct. 2016.