Oroonoko - 1235 Words

Is Life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death Patrick Henry. Throughout the years, man insisted on inflecting injustice and oppression on the vulnerable and weak. The desire of man to dominate and control is continuous. In this novel the author illustrates a side of the injustice inflected on the world. Oroonoko is a short novel written by English author Aphra Behn. Aphra Behn s novel Oroonoko is one of the earliest forms of literature that sheds the light on the matter of slavery taking many shapes throughout the novel. Oroonoko, a prince taking part in the trafficking of slaves†¦show more content†¦They are kept in order by savage force and threats of whipping and punishment, as the slaves arrive they are given different clothes and different names, when Oroonoko arrived he was given a brown holland suit and renamed Ca esar by Trefry. Behn s reason for the renaming of the slaves is that their native names are barbarous and difficult to pronounce. In Oroonoko, Aphra Behn denounces colonialism; she exhibits the relevance between colonialism and slavery. Slavery was one of the main tactics of colonialism; Britain was in great need of colonies in the 17th century that could supply it with commodities such as sugar, tobacco, and markets for its manufactured goods that in return enriched the British economy and made it more productive. Behn reprobates this tyranny towards the black people as being an inhuman act. In the novel, death is shown to be more preferable than slavery. Oroonoko realizing the deception of the white men, and his enslavement will go on neither for weeks nor days but for years. Oroonoko decides to step up against this vile crime committed against him and his beloved wife Imoinda, he made his decision to flee from the plantation and gain his freedom once again, convincing the rest to join him in his attempt, though this march did not last long, the militia was sent to besought the slaves, and once more Oroonoko was enslaved and severely whipped and pepper was poured into his wounds. Oroonoko chooses death for him and Imoinda,Show MoreRelatedOroonoko, By Aphra Behn Essay1519 Words   |  7 Pagesessay is â€Å"Oroonoko† by Aphra Behn. This narrative could be viewed in many different ways. One way it can be seen is as a biography, another is a memoir, but it can also be seen as a travel narrative. In this essay I will touch base on the topics of switching power. By switching power I mean how different individual’s power fluctuates within situations in the novel. Aphra Behn and Oroonoko are able to exceed the way they are viewed. Behn is both the narrator and the author and Oroonoko is the princeRead MoreOroonoko and Gullivers Travels Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesOroonoko and Gulliver’s Travels By Melissa Eason Mrs. Sarbani Bose Eng 232-69 February 18, 2011 Oroonoko and Gulliver’s Travels Gulliver’s Travels and Oroonoko shatter the myth that European culture was more civilized than â€Å"newly discovered† savage countries. The most prominent examples in Oroonoko are their treatment of the slaves and how they are punished. In Gulliver’s Travels the evidence revolves around how petty, destructive, illogical, and unreasonable human beings act. 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It is not fully understood whether when Behn refers to being â€Å"a female pen† she does so in a sarcastic way or with a deeper meaning, giving a double sense to her story. That although she writes about a male cha racter, she decides to write and exalt those partsRead MoreThe Narrative Style of Aphra Behns Oroonoko Essay703 Words   |  3 Pages Oroonoko is an intriguing and epic story of a young African prince who gets tricked into becoming a slave for a workers plantation written by the first professional woman author, Aphra Behn. As the story is told by the narrator (who the reader will presume to be the author Aphra Behn) the reader gets a sense of a first hand perspective from the narrator. This allows the reader to only get a perspective from the narrators point of view. As the story is told to the reader, the narrator seems toRead More Subtle Criticism in Aphra Behns Oroonoko Essay1362 Words   |  6 PagesSubtle Criticism in Oroonoko  Ã‚   In reading Oroonoko it might be easy to miss the criticism offered against the European culture. Upon studying the novel however, this criticism which had been presented subtly becomes quite clear. An important note is that the author and the narrator are not in fact the same. Although the author is out to provide a criticism of European culture and values, she is reluctant to let it come through the narrator. This critique comes through mainly in less directRead More Aphra Behns Oroonoko as the First Modern Novel Essay1294 Words   |  6 Pagesof Behn, All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds.   Although she was a woman of outstanding accomplishments, one of her publications truly glistens.   Oroonoko (1688), the epic tale of a heroic black slave, has often been dubbed the first modern novel in that it displays qualities utterly matchless for the seventeenth century.    Although one may not realize it, several aspects work harmoniouslyRead MoreVirtue in Oroonoko (The Royal Slave) by Aphra Behn Essay591 Words   |  3 PagesThe story, Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave, written by Aphra Behn, depicts the main character, Oroonoko, as being an African prince that lives among his people, whom all abide by a code of virtue and fidelity. When Oroonoko is faced with a dilemma in his own country and living among a â€Å"civilized† white society, that are devout Christians, he is confronted with the burden to uphold his code of virtue and maintain a title of being a â€Å"Noble Savage† by means of loyalty, religious beliefs, and honor. OroonokoRead MoreThe Narrative Of The Life Of Olaudah Equiano s `` Oroonoko, And The Royal Slave `` And Olaudah1781 Words   |  8 Pagesfamous and well known slave narratives that give the modern day reader just an idea of what slavery was like are, Aphra Behn’s â€Å"Oroonoko, or, The Royal Slave† and Olaudah Equiano’s â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano†. The journey of these two young men, although in many ways are similar, from a larger perspective could not be more different. For Oroonoko a somewhat established young man who comes from royalty, optimizes what it means to be a noble savage. As for a young EquianoRead MoreImoindas Modernity: Aphra Behns Enactment of Conjugal Marriage in Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave3146 Words   |  13 PagesIMOINDA’S MODERNITY: APHRA BEHN’S ENACTMENT OF CONJUGAL MARRIAGE IN OROONOKO, OR THE ROYAL SLAVE Aphra Behn depicts Imoinda, the object of the prince’s love in Oroonoko, Or The Royal Slave (1688), as exotic in her person, potent in her sexuality, but highly conventional in her domestic aspirations. While she has only limited ownership of her body, she operates within the limits of her status to secure the love of Prince Oroonoko, and then to defend their union, even at great risk to herself, and