Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa

 Á

What’s in a Name?

Paul E. Lovejoy*

Whether the author of 

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano;or, Gustavus Vassa the African

(London, 1789) should be referred to as Equianoor Vassa in part relates to where he was born and how he related to his place of birth. The choice of name also relates to how scholars want to perceive of theauthor, on the one hand, and how the man himself presented himself at the time,on the other. It is argued here that the author of 

The Interesting Narrative

used hisbirth name, Olaudah Equiano, as proof of his African background, not as a nameby which he wanted to be known, Gustavus Vassa. Hence, the dilemma is whyscholars refer to him by his African name, when he chose not to do so. It issuggested that use of the birth name has more to do with the politics of representation and political correctness of later generations of scholarship, notwith the intention of the man. The imposition of the birth name as the signifierlong after he died, however, has allowed the postulation of a series of dichotomies, such as place of birth being in Africa and/or Carolina, and whetheror not the man was self-made, meaning creating his identity and benefiting fromthat creation, as opposed to being a committed activist motivated by principlesand sacrifice. The veneer of interpretation melts away if it is recognized that Vassaconsciously operated in a different mode of expression and implementation thansubsequent literary scholars and historians have allowed. The dichotomy betweenevangelical man and crass entrepreneur evaporates. The reason for the debateover his birth has more to do with the present clash between literary scholarshipand historical interpretation than over possible misinterpretations and misrepre-sentations of the past.

Keywords:

autobiography;  

Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa

 Á

What’s in a Name?

Paul E. Lovejoy*

Whether the author of 

The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano;or, Gustavus Vassa the African

(London, 1789) should be referred to as Equianoor Vassa in part relates to where he was born and how he related to his place of birth. The choice of name also relates to how scholars want to perceive of theauthor, on the one hand, and how the man himself presented himself at the time,on the other. It is argued here that the author of 

The Interesting Narrative

used hisbirth name, Olaudah Equiano, as proof of his African background, not as a nameby which he wanted to be known, Gustavus Vassa. Hence, the dilemma is whyscholars refer to him by his African name, when he chose not to do so. It issuggested that use of the birth name has more to do with the politics of representation and political correctness of later generations of scholarship, notwith the intention of the man. The imposition of the birth name as the signifierlong after he died, however, has allowed the postulation of a series of dichotomies, such as place of birth being in Africa and/or Carolina, and whetheror not the man was self-made, meaning creating his identity and benefiting fromthat creation, as opposed to being a committed activist motivated by principlesand sacrifice. The veneer of interpretation melts away if it is recognized that Vassaconsciously operated in a different mode of expression and implementation thansubsequent literary scholars and historians have allowed. The dichotomy betweenevangelical man and crass entrepreneur evaporates. The reason for the debateover his birth has more to do with the present clash between literary scholarshipand historical interpretation than over possible misinterpretations and misrepre-sentations of the past.

Keywords:

autobiography; slave narrative; Equiano; abolition;

slave narrative; Equiano; abolition;