Comparative Study On The Autobiographies Of Olaudah Equino And Venture Smith

Thousands of slaves lost freedom and even lives in the miserable transatlantic slave trade which had lasted for three centuries. Many people known of the historical tragedy from the official records or the research from the future generations, so the first-hand materials written by black slaves become more valuable. Especiallly “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African, Written by Himself ” written by Olaudah Equiano and “A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Venture, a Native of Africa: But Resident above Sixty Years in the United States of America. Related by Himself” written by Venture Smith are two representative works in the early stage of slave narrative which appeared in the end of eighteenth century.The two texts were written on the basis of two persons′ slavery experience and the course of struggle for freedom, and more truly reflected the living status of black slaves at that time.Given the two people are related to the early history of the United States, and they also have the similar living background and experience, so this article will confirm two persons′ real experience and struggle for freedom through comparative analysis of two texts, in order to restore the real black life of slaves.The main body is divided into three parts. The first part is about the discussion of the two texts′ authenticity in historian circle. For some scholars questioned the authenticity of Olaudah Equiano′s and Venture Smith′s African identities and descriptions in two texts. The author affirms the authenticity of the two texts through discuss and analysis, and deems that the two texts have a greater value than the authenticity of them.The second part is mainly about the comparative study of the two texts′ contents. In this part, the author inspects the similarities and differences between the experience of two persons through carrys out a comparative study of the life background, slavery experience, ways which they struggled for freedom and the living conditions after becoming a free black. This artical is mainly about the similarities of two texts, and also has the differences, in order to research the tortuous process which two persons pursued for freedom in the secular lives. The two texts confirmed by each other and clearly reflected the darkness of the slavery together.The third part is the comparative study of the two texts′ influence. Both of them had a strong social repercussion at that time.Two texts had a crutial role in the abolition movement of England and America. It can be said that two texts both had the historical and practical significance. At the same time, there are many descriptions of historical events which derived from the first memory of slaves, so the two texts have a high historical value and become the rare first-hand material in the history research.Overall, the mainly research object of this aitical is Olaudah Equiano’s and Venture Smith’s autobiographies. Olaudah Equiano and Venture Smith who were the princes in African trapped into slavery, but enventually they obtained freedom through their own efforts. Unfortunately, they just escaped from slavery, but falled into the law of capitalism and racial discrimination immediately. The two texts confirmed each other and restore the truth of history through a comparative study, and further highlighted the cruelty of slavery.