Ch. 2/4 Specific Topics

In Chapter Two of  Bury the Chains by Adam Hochschild, we are introduced to Olaudah Equiano.  Olaudah was kidnapped and then sold to a slave dealer.  We follow Olaudah's journey as he is sold to different masters, but remains optimistic in all situations.  He frequently became friends with his owners and he learned how to read and write - something uncommon for most slaves.  We follow Olaudah until he finally manages to escape captivity and return home, but his travels are not pleasant and although he was treated better than other slaves, he was by no means happy.  In Chapter Four, we see a different kind of captivity.  James Stephen was in love with Nancy, but her parents forbade them to see each other so he (like slaves) had limited abilities.  Stephen had the ability to return to school because of his family's wealth from slavery and knew this was a beneficial industry for him.  Stephen escaped a difficult love-triangle in the secrets he kept from Nancy about his love (Maria) and his illegitimate child.  We are next introduced to the Codrington plantation which also treats slaves badly.  Very few slaves at Codrington managed to avoid work and running away made one subject to death.  From all of the stories in these chapters, there is a common topic of escape and the consequential reinvention of oneself after being freed from the hardships of a previous life.