Question

primary source analysis
from the interesting narrative of the life of olaudah equiano (1789)
“i was soon put down under the decks, and there i received such a salutations greeting in my nostrils as i never experienced in my life, so that, with the loathsomeness of the stench and crying together, i became so sick and low that i was not able to eat... but soon, to my grief, two of the white men offered me eatables, and on my refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by the hands, and laid me across... the windlass sail - pulley device, while the other flogged me severely. i had never experienced any thing of this kind before; and although, not being used to the water, i naturally feared that element the first time i saw it, yet, nevertheless, could i have got over the nettings, i would have jumped over the side, but i could not.”
19 why might the slave - traders have forced equiano to eat?
a he was only refusing food because he was fearful of the water.
b they wanted to prolong his pain and suffering.
c he was valuable property they wished to keep alive.
d they genuinely cared about his health and well - being.

Explanation:

Slave - traders treated enslaved people as property. Their main goal was to keep them alive to sell for profit. Forcing Equiano to eat was to ensure his survival as a valuable commodity. Option A is not the main reason; fear of water is not directly related to food - refusal as the main cause. Option B is incorrect as it was not about prolonging pain but about maintaining value. Option D is wrong because slave - traders did not care about the well - being of enslaved people out of genuine concern.

Answer:

C. He was valuable property they wished to keep alive.