Week 6: Equiano Research Team

     The research team for Equiano did a great job summarizing some interesting context to the story! I found that their exhibit really helped add necessary information to Equiano's life story that made it much easier to understand some of the foreign concepts the book presents. I think, more than anything else, the kingdom of Benin and how it operates was such a fascinating concept to me.

    Equiano very briefly describes the culture he was brought up in the Africa. He does make some efforts to make it clear that they are no less advanced (and in some ways more advanced in terms of their valuing of human rights and slaves) than their European counterparts. He describes his life in very specific detail, but also leaves out some essential information that this research exhibit highlights. First and foremost, is the religion of the Benin Empire. It is interesting to know that Equiano's people have a religion that is so developed. Equiano does not really touch upon this and he makes it seem like his first "true" encounter with religion is with European Christianity. I am curious if his family in particular just was not religious, or if it did not move him the way Christianity did. 

    The exhibit also did a good job explaining the horrors of the Middle Passage. Equiano's story does go into some detail, but his writing is very emotionally dry (in part because it is an older text, I imagine), which makes understanding the truth about the Middle Passage hard from just his text alone.

    Overall, I found this research exhibit to be an interesting one to explore. It was a good supplement to Equiano's book and provided necessary context to a story that has plenty of unfamiliar elements for a modern reader like me.

Comments

  1. Griffin JonesFebruary 21, 2023 at 10:03 AM

    Hey Jalen, I agree that learning more about the kingdom of Benin was super interesting. Although, like you said, he does go into some detail about his culture and home, most of the book does not take place there. It's also the aspect of the book that I was least familiar with. I've heard about the culture and social structures of many of the places that he travels to, but not the Kingdom of Benin.

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  2. Paulos HabtewoldFebruary 21, 2023 at 11:16 PM

    Hi Jalen, Thanks for the feedback on the project. I also found the kingdom of Benin to be really interesting. I did not catch much from the story about the kingdom because I was still adjusting myself to the novel's language and style, so the research on that topic was extremely helpful for me to see. There are small references to the cultural, economic, and legal proceedings in the Benin kingdom, but the research really expanded on everything and helped my overall understanding of Equiano's story.

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