Book Critique on The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano
             Olaudah Equiano's initial paragraph from his autobiography clearly states the intentions of the ensuing narrative and is perhaps the most important paragraph in the book. It sets the tone for his account, describes his attitude toward the book and gives and overall impression of Equiano himself. His work not meant merely for entertainment but for the purpose promoting the inhumanity and torments of slavery:
             "I believe it is difficult for those who publish their own memoirs to escape the imputation of vanity. . . People generally think those memoirs only worthy to be read or remembered which abound in great striking events, those, in short, which in a high degree excite either admiration or pity; all others they consign to contempt or oblivion. It is therefore, I confess, not a little hazardous in a private and obscure individual, and a stranger too, thus to solicit the indulgent attention of the public, especially when I own I offer here the history of neither a saint, a hero, nor a tyrant. I believe there are few events in my life which have not happened to many; it is true the incidents of it are numerous, and, did I consider myself an European, I might say my sufferings were great; but when I compare my lot with that of most of my countrymen, I regard myself as a particular favorite of heaven, and acknowledge the mercies of Providence in every occurrence of my life. If, then, the following narrative does not appear sufficiently interesting to engage general attention, let my motive be some excuse for its publication."
             Equiano knew that simply telling the reader about his plights as a slave was not enough to change any minds; if he was to make progress in the matter Equiano must have the empathy of the reader. To do this he intertwined his childhood, his years as a slave, and his travels abroad in a manner that correlated his life to that of the common free
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