Slave Narrative of Olaudah Equiano

"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."

http://www.princeton.edu/~howarth/304.Projects/Erera/Pages/Narrative.htm



Reflections:
To know that this piece of literature was known as the first AMERICAN AMERICAN narrative.



Dear Diary,
It brings delight to my heart because they were people treated the same as my family and I was throughout the years, so I am blown away with the accomplishments that were conquered through Equiano's expression of feelings. Maybe one day I will have the courage to write my own narrative that expresses everything I went through..