Michael Henry Pascal Character Analysis in The Life of Olaudah Equiano

Pascal is the owner of a merchant ship who buys Equiano from the first plantation where he works. Though Pascal is the first white man to treat Equiano kindly, he later cruelly betrays Equiano and sells him to another master. While Equiano seems to forgive him, Pascal—out of either malice or guilt—refuses to engage with Equiano even after Equiano returns as a free man to England.

Michael Henry Pascal Quotes in The Life of Olaudah Equiano

The The Life of Olaudah Equiano quotes below are all either spoken by Michael Henry Pascal or refer to Michael Henry Pascal. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

Culture, Education, and “Civilizing” Theme Icon

). Note: all page numbers and citation info for the quotes below refer to the Dover Publications edition of The Life of Olaudah Equiano published in 2000.

I had often seen my master and Dick employed in reading; and I had a great curiosity to talk to the books, as I thought they did; and so to learn how all things had a beginning. For that purpose I have often taken up a book, and talked to it, and then put my ears to it, when alone, in hopes it would answer me; and I have been very much concerned when I found it remained silent

Related Characters: (speaker), ,

Page Number and Citation: 42

Explanation and Analysis:

Michael Henry Pascal Character Timeline in The Life of Olaudah Equiano

The timeline below shows where the character Michael Henry Pascal appears in The Life of Olaudah Equiano. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

...says, God smiled on him. One day the captain of a merchant ship, Michael Henry Pascal, arrived on business to the master’s (Mr. Campbell’s) house. He liked the look of Equiano... (full context)

Pascal named Equiano “Gustavus Vassa.” While Equiano said he’d prefer to be called Jacob, Pascal refused,... (full context)

...their hands before eating; he also found the women’s slenderness less attractive. He often saw Pascal and Dick reading and wanted to “talk to the books” in order to discover the... (full context)

Pascal and Equiano lodged at a gentleman’s house where there was a daughter, about the age... (full context)

Several months later Pascal sent for Equiano and Dick and they sailed to England. At first Equiano was amazed... (full context)

Conversion, Providence, and God’s Will Theme Icon

Equiano arrived in London to lodge with a relative of Pascal and his two amiable sisters, the Miss Guerins. Equiano grew ill, first with chilblains and... (full context)

Pascal was appointed a lieutenant on board the Royal George, so Equiano joined him, but they... (full context)

Equiano was now accustomed to his new life, especially given the kind treatment by Pascal, which allowed his fear to ebb. Equiano’s English got much better, and he considered the... (full context)

...He shared this with one of the sisters, and she told him she’d insist to Pascal that Equiano be baptized. In February 1759, then, he was baptized in Westminster. (full context)

...accompanied the Miss Guerins all throughout London, though sometimes he stayed by Westminster Bridge with Pascal. There, he played outside with other boys, and once he nearly drowned when he fell... (full context)

Meanwhile the ship Preston came to Gibraltar from the Levant, and Pascal told Equiano he might see Dick again. But Equiano learned from the Preston’s crew that... (full context)

...During this next battle, Equiano saw a number of his companions blown to pieces, and Pascal was wounded, but Equiano took solace in recognizing that even his own death would be... (full context)

After the battles, Pascal and Equiano moved from their ship to another, the Aetna fire-ship, where Equiano was well-treated... (full context)

...when Queen said he would instruct Equiano in his business, Equiano began to hope that Pascal—who, after all, treated him kindly and seemed concerned about his moral education—might finally free him. (full context)

In December the ship arrived in London. As it sailed into port, Pascal suddenly forced Equiano into a barge, saying he had to prevent Equiano from escaping. Stunned,... (full context)

Pascal took away Equiano’s coat, leaving him with only the nine guineas – a type of... (full context)

...36 shillings a month. He hoped to return to England the next year and see Pascal again, imagining that Pascal might be pleased to see him free rather than enslaved. (full context)

...whom he regaled with tales of his travels, including the sorry role of their cousin, Pascal, who had betrayed Equiano and sold him to Doran. For his part, Pascal was taken... (full context)