Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn

Oroonoko is short literary novel, written in 1688 by Aphra Behn, which details the love story of two enslaved Surinam nobilities, who both meet their atrocious ends. Through her explicit analytical language she lets the English colonists know that the enslaved masses had a refined culture and ideological force that was incapable of being disregarded. Aphra Behn was innovative in her plight as being one of the foremost political female novelists of her time. Throughout her narrative she argues "centres on the problems of authority and representatively," and tries to incorporate the fact, "that the presence of the foreigner in our society turns the pronoun 'we' into an impossibility" (Grant p.114). Although Behn neither argues the point of attacking slavery nor denies the issue, she does show the brutal acts imposed on other cultures and helps her readers attach themselves to the protagonist in the narrative. Oroonoko sheds light on the terrors of slavery and paints many of the white colonists as inhumane, unethical and deceitful, furthering the notion that this piece of literature can be viewed as a work of anti-colonialism.

“Mrs. Behn who’s genius was of that force like homer’s, to maintain its gaiety in the midst of disappointments, which a woman her sense and merit ought never to have met with: But she had a great strength of mind and command of thought being able to write in the midst of company” (A. Behn). While Behn never asserts her true intentions in writings this narrative, it can be viewed in various aspects. Although, incorporating it in an aspect of anti-colonialism meter seems rash, the language used to inscribe this work makes Behn’s ploy more visible. Although, in the plights of the characters it seems hard not to ...

... middle of paper ...

... colonists as inhumane, unethical and deceitful, furthering the notion that this piece of literature can be viewed as a work of anti-colonialism.

Works Cited

Behn , Aphra. Oroonoko or The noble Slave. 1688.

Flood, 1530 what was a trickle of slaves had now become a, 000 slaves were being imported per annum. As more of the America, the Caribbean Islands were conquered the demand for slaves exploded, between 1800, and 1865 it is believed about 4 million slaves were landed in the Americas.. " The African Slave Trade - Slaves in Africa." ClickAfrique - Africa's leading online portal for africans by africans.. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.

Grant, S-M. Journal of American Studies 29.1 (1995): 113-114.

Molefi K. Asante, Abu Shardow Abarry. African intellectual heritage:. Temple University Press, 1996.