IDENTITY MAKEOVER IN GUSTAVUS VASSA’S “THE INTERESTING NARRATIVE”

Abstract

This article mainly discusses Gustavus Vassa’s identity makeover in his work The Interesting Narrative. It means to make Gustavus Vassa’s controversial identity public that he proclaims him as an English gentleman by makingover him in a radical transformational phase. Therefore, the investigation of his identity makeover strategically examines two his narrative strategies: his sense of audience perception and the process of getting and using his new name “Gustavus Vassa.” It applies structuralist criticism and descriptive qualitative method. It focuses on analyzing and interpreting the text that shows Vassa’s strategies in narrating his transformation. It results in the exposition of Vassa’s identity makeover that parallels his political notions, and intentionally pictures his narrative strategies of his ultimate change from an African slave (Olaudah Equiano) into an honorable Englishman (Gustavus Vassa. His radical narrative strategies portray his long but total adjustment and sacrifice in perceiving his new identity.