Who Gustavus Vassa is
Gustavus Vassa and Olaudah Equiano are the same person, not two different figures in the autobiography. Although Equiano initially resists the imposed name, many people come to know him by it. His account follows enslavement, maritime work, learning, and religious searching through experiences shaped by other people's control.
Gustavus Vassa and the others in the story
Michael Henry Pascal is the British naval officer who purchases Equiano and names him Gustavus Vassa. Equiano serves aboard ships during wartime, learns English, and learns to read and write. These skills do not give him lasting security, because other people still have the power to sell and move him.
What Gustavus Vassa wants
Equiano seeks independence, and his work at sea offers skills he can use toward that goal. While owned by the merchant Robert King, he trades goods on his own account and saves money toward freedom.
Questions
Who is Gustavus Vassa?
Gustavus Vassa is the name imposed on Olaudah Equiano during his enslavement.
Who gives Equiano the name Gustavus Vassa?
Michael Henry Pascal gives him the name while owning him and taking him into naval service.
Does Equiano accept the name Gustavus Vassa?
He initially resists it, but the name remains in use throughout his public life.
