I believe that Equiano describes the crulety to slaves in his autobiography in such detail and gives his accounts of the stories to open the eyes of the settlers about how crule the slave trade really is. Since he is the first African writer t be able to reach the people it is important for him to get out his message to the people. In todays society we can walk down the street and observe people being cruel to one another, people feel the need to show that they are stronger and more powerfull by putting others down. I feel that it is the lack of respect for human life that allows for people to be crule. People don't have the right to be brutish to one another, because no one knows what something has been through and it is peoples ignorance that allows for the mistreatment of people.
Equiano experienced the horrifying cruelty of the slave trade at a very young age. In his autobiography he describes the specific events and beatings that he received during his childhood, and how hurtful people really were to the slaves. He describes the cruelty in such detail that makes the reader realize just how bad it really was back then for slaves. I think in today's society especially in schools there is as lot of bullying. Both emotional and physical violence are all around young kids today and it is simply because of the lack of respect people have towards another.Kids watch it happen everyday and don't think anything of it. There is no need for any of this brutishness, but human nature brings it upon us all at one point in our lives.
Equiano was taken from his home at a very young age. The treatment of slaves during this time period was both cruel and just plain wrong. The fact that they would sell other humans to make a profit for themselves is very selfish. Slavery was very popular and excepted during this time period. Slave owners may have felt the sense of power by owning other humans. In Equiano's autobiogrophy the part that struck me most was the conditions of the slaves ships. Not only were they taken from there homes but they were put under the deck in what was called a slave storage room. They were chained together. An example today of harsh treatment of human nature would be guantonamo bay prison. Some of they american soldiers there have used torchure tactics on some of the prisoners and have mistreated them.
In the autobiography, he described many examples of cruelty on the ship, they were all packed into the bottom of the ship, in chains, and were whipped and flogged for misbehavior such as not eating or attempting to jump off the ship. At one point when some slaves were acting up, they just threw a bunch off the ship because they were useless. In today's society people are still racist. It's common for humans to unsult others, and it's less harsh, but similar to what was done to the slaves.
It's interesting that several people point out "human nature" as part of the reason brutality happened--and continues to happen. Does human brutality serve any useful purpose? Is brutality "just part of being human"?
Allie is correct children in society today are exposed at a young age to violence and it has become almost part of human nature to accept it and turn the other cheek, which as we all know is not what we should be doing.
Peter is correct wwhen he speaks of the slaves being mistreated, but in the case of guantanimo bay most americans dont know what goes on there. these people that are supposidly brutally torchered are terrorists, people who are a danger to our society. anyways pete does make strong points about humans crule nature though.
What hanna stated about what is done in todays society was similar to the mistreatment of slaves, i would have to completely disagree. not that that isn't a right answer but i believe that actios speak louder than words.
The cruelty depicted in Olaudah Equiano's autobiography is a perfect example on man's capacity for extreme selfishness. Not to mention the contradiction of these selfish people's own ideals displayed throught their actions toward enslaved human beings. The fact that the slave trade was so successful goes to show that people are that selfish. There are or at least were, for quite some time, people in the world who felt it necessary to force another human being into labor just to either save money, make money, or live more luxuriously. Equiano also points out that many slave owners are deeply Christian, yet their selfishness blinds them to the fact the the Christian ideals they so truely live by mean they aren't supposed to treat another person unfavorably. Many slave owners never once treated a slave as they expected to be treated by others.
I also agree with Allie and Will that when people grow up around a certain reoccuring display of cruelty, it would become commonplace and people wouldn't think twice about it. A prime example of this today is India. Though the government does not officially recognize a "higher" social order, the people in India have grown up in an environment where if someone comes from less money than you, you have every right to treat them with less respect. My mom has been to India and during meetings seen someone told by a CEO to get them a cup of coffee repeat the demand to someone near them dressed in less valuable clothes.
I believe that Equiano describes the crulety to slaves in his autobiography in such detail and gives his accounts of the stories to open the eyes of the settlers about how crule the slave trade really is. Since he is the first African writer t be able to reach the people it is important for him to get out his message to the people. In todays society we can walk down the street and observe people being cruel to one another, people feel the need to show that they are stronger and more powerfull by putting others down. I feel that it is the lack of respect for human life that allows for people to be crule. People don't have the right to be brutish to one another, because no one knows what something has been through and it is peoples ignorance that allows for the mistreatment of people.
ReplyDeleteWill
Equiano experienced the horrifying cruelty of the slave trade at a very young age. In his autobiography he describes the specific events and beatings that he received during his childhood, and how hurtful people really were to the slaves. He describes the cruelty in such detail that makes the reader realize just how bad it really was back then for slaves. I think in today's society especially in schools there is as lot of bullying. Both emotional and physical violence are all around young kids today and it is simply because of the lack of respect people have towards another.Kids watch it happen everyday and don't think anything of it. There is no need for any of this brutishness, but human nature brings it upon us all at one point in our lives.
ReplyDeleteAllie
Equiano was taken from his home at a very young age. The treatment of slaves during this time period was both cruel and just plain wrong. The fact that they would sell other humans to make a profit for themselves is very selfish. Slavery was very popular and excepted during this time period. Slave owners may have felt the sense of power by owning other humans. In Equiano's autobiogrophy the part that struck me most was the conditions of the slaves ships. Not only were they taken from there homes but they were put under the deck in what was called a slave storage room. They were chained together. An example today of harsh treatment of human nature would be guantonamo bay prison. Some of they american soldiers there have used torchure tactics on some of the prisoners and have mistreated them.
ReplyDeletePeter
In the autobiography, he described many examples of cruelty on the ship, they were all packed into the bottom of the ship, in chains, and were whipped and flogged for misbehavior such as not eating or attempting to jump off the ship. At one point when some slaves were acting up, they just threw a bunch off the ship because they were useless. In today's society people are still racist. It's common for humans to unsult others, and it's less harsh, but similar to what was done to the slaves.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that several people point out "human nature" as part of the reason brutality happened--and continues to happen. Does human brutality serve any useful purpose? Is brutality "just part of being human"?
ReplyDeleteAllie is correct children in society today are exposed at a young age to violence and it has become almost part of human nature to accept it and turn the other cheek, which as we all know is not what we should be doing.
ReplyDeleteWill
Peter is correct wwhen he speaks of the slaves being mistreated, but in the case of guantanimo bay most americans dont know what goes on there. these people that are supposidly brutally torchered are terrorists, people who are a danger to our society. anyways pete does make strong points about humans crule nature though.
ReplyDeletewill
What hanna stated about what is done in todays society was similar to the mistreatment of slaves, i would have to completely disagree. not that that isn't a right answer but i believe that actios speak louder than words.
ReplyDeleteThe cruelty depicted in Olaudah Equiano's autobiography is a perfect example on man's capacity for extreme selfishness. Not to mention the contradiction of these selfish people's own ideals displayed throught their actions toward enslaved human beings.
ReplyDeleteThe fact that the slave trade was so successful goes to show that people are that selfish. There are or at least were, for quite some time, people in the world who felt it necessary to force another human being into labor just to either save money, make money, or live more luxuriously. Equiano also points out that many slave owners are deeply Christian, yet their selfishness blinds them to the fact the the Christian ideals they so truely live by mean they aren't supposed to treat another person unfavorably. Many slave owners never once treated a slave as they expected to be treated by others.
~Erik
I also agree with Allie and Will that when people grow up around a certain reoccuring display of cruelty, it would become commonplace and people wouldn't think twice about it. A prime example of this today is India. Though the government does not officially recognize a "higher" social order, the people in India have grown up in an environment where if someone comes from less money than you, you have every right to treat them with less respect. My mom has been to India and during meetings seen someone told by a CEO to get them a cup of coffee repeat the demand to someone near them dressed in less valuable clothes.
ReplyDelete~Erik