Read these two Primary Source readings:
• Olaudah Equiano Excerpt
• _Thomas Phillips Excerpt
After reading the primary sources, pick a topic related to Europeans and Africans in the Transatlantic Slave Trade that you would like to analyze in your essay. Potential topic:
• African perceptions of European slave traders or the slave trade.
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Essay: African Perceptions of European Slave Traders in the Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Transatlantic Slave Trade stands as one of the most abhorrent chapters in human history. It involved the forced transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas to be sold as slaves, with European traders playing a significant role in perpetuating this heinous practice. Through examining primary sources such as the accounts of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Phillips, we gain insights into African perceptions of European slave traders and the slave trade itself.
Olaudah Equiano, a formerly enslaved African who later became involved in the abolitionist movement, provides a firsthand account of the brutality and dehumanization experienced by Africans at the hands of European slave traders. In his narrative, Equiano vividly describes the horrors of the Middle Passage, highlighting the callousness and cruelty of those involved in the trade. His narrative serves as a powerful indictment of European slave traders, portraying them as merciless oppressors who viewed Africans as mere commodities to be bought and sold.
On the other hand, Thomas Phillips, a European slave trader, offers a contrasting perspective in his own account. While Phillips provides insight into the motivations and practices of European slave traders, his narrative also reveals the dehumanizing attitudes that underpinned the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Phillips’s account underscores the pervasive racism and sense of entitlement that characterized European involvement in the trade, further illuminating the exploitative nature of their interactions with Africans.
African perceptions of European slave traders were undoubtedly shaped by the traumatic experiences endured during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The testimonies of individuals like Equiano shed light on the deep-seated resentment and mistrust that many Africans harbored towards European traders. These perceptions were rooted in a profound sense of betrayal and injustice, as Africans were forcibly uprooted from their homes and families, subjected to inhumane treatment, and treated as less than human by their captors.
Moreover, African perceptions of European slave traders were influenced by cultural and religious beliefs that emphasized notions of community, kinship, and moral responsibility. For many Africans, the actions of European slave traders represented a fundamental violation of these core values, leading to a deep-seated animosity towards those who participated in the trade. The legacy of this historical trauma continues to reverberate in contemporary discussions of race, power, and justice, underscoring the enduring impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on African societies and identities.
In conclusion, African perceptions of European slave traders in the Transatlantic Slave Trade were shaped by a complex interplay of historical, cultural, and moral factors. Through examining primary sources such as the narratives of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Phillips, we gain insight into the multifaceted nature of these perceptions and the lasting impact of this dark chapter in human history. By acknowledging and grappling with this painful legacy, we can begin to confront the legacies of slavery and work towards a more just and equitable future for all.
