Evoking the Ethics of Freedom in the Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

Abstract

In this article an attempt has been made to analyze how the abolitionist literature of the Enlightenment Period worked to evoke sympathy for the slaves and hatred for the slavers by using the same doctrines used by the Christians to inflict atrocities and exert superiority over Non-Christians. In doing so, the article explores how these narratives debunked the notion of enlightenment and argues that it was used not to emancipate mankind but to endorse slavery.