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 resistance to 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 Studies4(8), 487.

Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.

Sample Answer

Sample Answer

 

 

 

Essay: African Resistance to the Transatlantic Slave Trade

The Transatlantic Slave Trade stands as a dark chapter in history, marked by the forced enslavement and exploitation of millions of Africans. Amidst this system of oppression, African individuals and communities demonstrated remarkable resilience and resistance against the dehumanizing forces of the trade. Through examining primary sources such as the accounts of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Phillips, we can uncover the diverse forms of African resistance to the Transatlantic Slave Trade and their enduring impact on the course of history.

Olaudah Equiano, an African man who was enslaved and later became a prominent abolitionist, provides insights into the various ways in which Africans resisted the horrors of the slave trade. In his narrative, Equiano recounts acts of defiance and rebellion among enslaved Africans, ranging from small acts of sabotage to organized uprisings against their captors. These acts of resistance served as a testament to the resilience and determination of Africans to assert their humanity and resist the dehumanization imposed upon them by European slave traders.

On the other hand, Thomas Phillips, a European slave trader, offers a perspective on African resistance from the vantage point of those perpetuating the trade. Phillips’ account acknowledges the challenges faced by European traders in maintaining control over African captives, highlighting instances of resistance and escape attempts that disrupted the smooth operation of the slave trade. Phillips’ narrative underscores the agency and resourcefulness exhibited by Africans in navigating the brutal realities of enslavement and exploitation.

African resistance to the Transatlantic Slave Trade took many forms, reflecting the diverse strategies employed by individuals and communities to resist their subjugation. These forms of resistance included acts of sabotage, feigned compliance, escape attempts, and the preservation of cultural traditions and identities in the face of erasure and dehumanization. The collective efforts of Africans to resist the dehumanizing forces of the slave trade contributed to the disruption and eventual abolition of this abhorrent system.

The legacy of African resistance to the Transatlantic Slave Trade endures as a testament to the enduring spirit of resilience and defiance in the face of injustice. The stories of resistance recounted by individuals like Equiano serve as a powerful reminder of the agency and strength exhibited by Africans in the most challenging of circumstances. By reclaiming their narratives and asserting their humanity through acts of resistance, Africans challenged the systems of power and oppression that sought to strip them of their dignity and autonomy.

In conclusion, African resistance to the Transatlantic Slave Trade was a powerful force that disrupted the machinery of exploitation and dehumanization perpetuated by European slave traders. Through examining primary sources such as the narratives of Equiano and Phillips, we can gain a deeper understanding of the courage and resilience displayed by Africans in the face of unimaginable suffering. By honoring and commemorating the legacies of African resistance, we can celebrate the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and work towards a more just and equitable future for all.

 

 

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