Psychological Coercion, Affection, and Enslavement: Robert King and Mechanisms of Control in Olaudah Equiano's <i>The Interesting Narrative</i> (1789)

Abstract Scholars have still not come to a full reckoning with Robert King's career as a slave holder in Olaudah Equiano's The Interesting Narrative, partly because of Equiano's own effusive praise and stated affection for him. By contending directly with issues of trauma and psychological coercion on display in the text, we can develop a more forceful critique of King and the psychological controls that he uses to manipulate Equiano's behavior, to profit from his efforts, and to draw forth from him such effusive feelings of gratitude and appreciation. We can also more fully appreciate Equiano's heroic struggles to come to terms with the emotional and psychological damage he endured as a result of King's slave-management practices.