Various Uses of "Interesting" in Equiano's Narrative
It seems to me that Equiano is very concerned in making sure his narrative appeals to his audience and that his audience finds it engaging. I think that this is one reason why he chooses to include "Interesting" in his title. His use of "interesting" in his title as a positive descriptive is why I find his insertion of "uninteresting" in the final lines of the novel to be so jarring. Equiano seems to put himself and his writing down in the final paragraph stating, "I am far from the vanity of thinking there is any merit in this narrative..." and "If any incident in this little work should appear uninteresting and trifling to most readers..." (252). While it does seem typical of Equiano to appear meek and humble even as he concludes his own work, I do find it fascinating that he chooses to use "uninteresting" as a way others may view his novel. I think Equiano is hyper aware of his audience and is overcompensating for his use of "interesting" in the title.
Hey Catalina. I think that your analysis here is super interesting! I agree with your argument for why he uses the word "uninteresting" here. I think this plays into the clear power dynamic between Equiano and his intended audience and, yet again, attempts to please his readers by putting down his work.
ReplyDeleteHi Catalina! I too found it odd that he would choose to use uninteresting here. It reminded me a bit of the close reading activity we did with the address at the beginning of the book, where maybe he was trying to almost put himself down before the others got the chance to do it. He seems to try to acknowledge the counterpoints to his narrative before the critics can bring them up, which was maybe a strategy he used to add credibility?
ReplyDeleteHey Catalina, that is a very interesting analysis that I had not thought about so deeply before. I hadn't quite caught the "uninteresting" part in his final chapter, but now that you have brought it up, I would agree with you that Equiano is hyperaware of his audience and how they might perceive his narrative. Usually, those who like to think themselves above others tend to want to find any little excuse to make the other person feel inferior, whether it be true or not. So just by adding that one word as a sort of counterbalance in the end showcases just how much he has thought about his audience. They can't go to him saying that it was uninteresting as an excuse to dismiss the topic of abolition because Equiano already addressed the fact that it is/might be uninteresting thus they have to either come up with another excuse not to take his appeal seriously or actually consider his appeal.
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