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:
• European perceptions of Africans slaves or African traders.
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: European Perceptions of African Slaves and African Traders in the Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Transatlantic Slave Trade stands as a dark chapter in human history, characterized by the forced enslavement and transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas. European involvement in this trade was pivotal, with European perceptions of African slaves and African traders shaping their attitudes and actions during this period. Through examining primary sources such as the accounts of Olaudah Equiano and Thomas Phillips, we can gain insights into European perceptions of African slaves and African traders in the context of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
European perceptions of African slaves were often steeped in racist attitudes and dehumanizing stereotypes. Olaudah Equiano, an African man who was enslaved and later became an abolitionist, provides a firsthand account of the brutal treatment endured by African slaves at the hands of European slave traders. Equiano’s narrative sheds light on the inhumane conditions of the Middle Passage and the harsh realities faced by enslaved Africans, challenging European perceptions that justified the exploitation and commodification of human lives.
On the other hand, Thomas Phillips, a European slave trader, offers a contrasting perspective in his own account. Phillips provides insight into the motivations and practices of European slave traders, revealing a complex interplay of economic interests, cultural biases, and power dynamics. Phillips’s narrative reflects the paternalistic and supremacist views held by many Europeans towards Africans, portraying them as inferior beings to be controlled and manipulated for profit.
European perceptions of African traders also played a significant role in shaping attitudes towards Africans in the context of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The presence of African intermediaries and traders in the trade complicated European views of Africans, challenging simplistic notions of victimhood and agency. While some European traders viewed African intermediaries as collaborators in the exploitation of their own people, others recognized the agency and entrepreneurship exhibited by African traders in navigating the brutal realities of the slave trade.
The intersection of race, power, and commerce in the Transatlantic Slave Trade influenced European perceptions of African slaves and African traders in complex ways. The legacy of these perceptions continues to impact contemporary discussions of race and inequality, underscoring the enduring consequences of centuries of exploitation and dehumanization. By examining primary sources such as the narratives of Equiano and Phillips, we can begin to unravel the layers of prejudice and injustice that characterized European attitudes towards Africans during this dark period of history.
In conclusion, European perceptions of African slaves and African traders in the Transatlantic Slave Trade were shaped by a complex interplay of racial prejudice, economic interests, and power dynamics. Through exploring primary sources and historical accounts, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which these perceptions influenced European actions and policies during this period. By confronting and acknowledging this legacy of exploitation and dehumanization, we can work towards a more just and equitable future for all.