Struggle for Freedom in Olaudah Equiano's the Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano

ABSTRACT:This research analyzes the struggle for freedom in Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano (1789) as both a personal testimony and a political instrument. This work traces Equiano’s arduous journey from his violent abduction in what is now southeastern Nigeria, through the Middle Passage, assorted Caribbean plantations, and trans-Atlantic trading ventures, to his eventual manumission and literary fame in Britain. It situates the author’s individual story within the broader, collective struggle of millions for human dignity, cultural identity, and social justice under the Atlantic slave system. Through a postcolonial lens, the study analyzes how Equiano used literacy, Christian values, and personal storytelling to challenge slavery and influence public opinion in Britain. The research also highlights the role of Equiano’s narrative in humanizing the experiences of enslaved Africans and contributing to the abolitionist cause in the 18th century. Grounded in slave narrative studies, narrative theory and psychoanalysis, this research work focuses on qualitative data sources including a close textual reading of Equiano’s The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, scholarly commentary and interpretations drawn from academic journals, books, and critical essays.This work illuminates Equiano’s narrative as a pivotal cultural artifact that has not only portrayed his extraordinary life but also has built up a tangible political momentum toward the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 and inspired subsequent emancipationist discourse across the Atlantic world.