The 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 “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 “Noble Savage” by means of loyalty, religious beliefs, and honor.
Oroonoko is able to sustain his code of virtue and fidelity by showing an act of true loyalty that proves his devotion and love to his lover and wife, Imoinda. After the King, Oroonoko’s grandfather, vigorously takes Imoinda for himself, Oroonoko faces the decision to either end his love affair or prove his loyalty to Imoinda. He chooses to go against the King and have Imoinda for one more night, even if his consequence is death:
You may imagine how welcome this news was to Oroonoko, whose unseasonable transport and caress of Imoinda was blamed by all men that loved him; and now...
Von Daacke, Kirt. 2014. HIUS 3262 Lecture. Vol. Lecture on Slave Narratives. University of Virginia:.
In "The Perils of Obedience," Stanley Milgram conducted a study that tests the conflict between obedience to authority and one's own conscience. Through the experiments, Milgram discovered that the majority of people would go against their own decisions of right and wrong to appease the requests of an authority figure.
The fight for racial equality is one of the most prominent issues Americans have faced throughout history and even today; as the idea that enslaving individuals is unethical emerged, many great and innovative authors began writing about the issues that enslaved people had to face. Olaudah Equiano was no exception. In his work The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, he attempts to persuade his readers that the American way of slavery is brutal, inhumane, and unscrupulous. Equiano manages to do this by minimizing the apparent differences between himself and his primarily white audience, mentioning the cruelties that he and many other slaves had to face, and the advantages of treating your slaves correctly.
If she resists the king, then Oroonoko would be sent off or killed. If she resisted a slaveowner then she could be killed. If she says no to Oroonoko killing her then their child will be born into slavery and that is the very last thing that Oroonoko wants for his child (Behn). In the situation with Oroonoko’s grandfather (the king), the people involved are Imoinda, the king, and Oroonoko. The king sent Imoinda the royal veil that she couldn’t refuse so she had to leave Oroonoko. This made her emotions change and she was upset that she was being taken away from her lover. Oroonoko wants to see her but he can’t because she has been taken to be the wife of the king. She is taken to the Otan which means that the only person that can see her is the king. Oroonoko eventually gets caught and then is told that she has been put to death by the king. What happened is that she was sold into slavery
In comparison to other slaves that are discussed over time, Olaudah Equiano truly does lead an ‘interesting’ life. While his time as a slave was very poor, there are certainly other slaves that he mentions that received far more damaging treatment than he did. In turn, this inspires him to fight for the abolishment of slavery. By pointing out both negative and positive events that occurred, the treatment he received from all of his masters, the impact that religion had on his life and how abolishing slavery could benefit the future of everyone as a whole, Equiano develops a compelling argument that does help aid the battle against slavery. For Olaudah Equiano’s life journey, he expressed an array of cruelties that came with living the life of an African slave; which demonstrates all of the suffering that he endured, then proving how much it can change one’s point of view in life.
...e the Congo, for all of Africa, the heart of light" (Kingsolver 184). Through the courage of such leaders to provide a voice, the oppressed blacks in these novels begin to experience liberation from the constraints placed on their rights to make their own choices.
Douglass, Frederick. “The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.” The Classic Slave Narratives. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. New York: Penguin Group, 1987.
Oroonoko is presented to the reader from the beginning as being a fine man who is extremely brave, Behn writes, “[T]he most illustrious courts could not have produced a braver man, both for greatness of courage and mind, a judgment more solid, a wit more quick” (12). He gains the role of general after his mentor takes a fatal wound protecting Oroonoko. This shows how much adoration Oroonoko held with his people, even the general. It is through this he decides to return to court to honor the late general’s daughter with the slaves won in the battle. He falls in love with Imoinda and decides to pledge his life to her. This intense love for Imoinda also shows his honor. After meeting the beautiful woman he vows to go against the traditions of his country, “[H]e made vows she should be the only woman he would possess while he lived; that no age or wrinkles should incline him t...
From the beginning of Oroonoko, the narrator expresses a very definite opinion of Oronooko.Based on his words, his actions, and the reactions of other characters one of the most prominent motifs throughout the story is that Oronooko is distinguishable from other slaves (noble, heroic, passionate). He is referred to as a royal slave, which in a sense has a double meaning. He is a slave yet is worthy of honor. His characterization remains consistent in the text.
The narrative titled, “A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson,” written by Mary Rowlandson is closely related to the narrative titled, “The interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavvas Vassa”, written by Olaudah Equaiano. Both narratives talk about captivity, the struggles of being held a prisoner, and the everyday emotions that each character goes through. Each of the narratives dives into the theme of Self vs. Other; however, each one takes a different look or view between racial and cultural difference. Each other also focuses on different aspects of faith and the impact that it has on the characters captivity experiences.
Sir Walter Scott's riveting classic, Ivanhoe, is a wonderfully woven story of battles, adventure, comedy, and love. In this story we encounter Robin Hood, Richard the Lion-Hearted, Prince John, and some less known but important characters. The reader meets Cedric the Saxon, who is guardian to the beautiful Rowena, and his swine herder Gurth along with his fool friend Wamba. In their adventures throughout the book they meet a feeble old man. He is a Jew. Rebecca is his beautiful daughter. Together they live in a fancy house of great wealth. For you see, Isaac is a very wealthy Jew, who is very much in love with his money.
The Prince, written by Machiavelli is concerned with the issues politics, ruling a state and how a ruler or a leader should be. The key properties of a ruler are represented by Machiavelli in details and the inner and outer effects of the success in ruling are mentioned. One of the most important topics in The Prince is about the relationship of skillfulness (virtù) of the ruler and his good or bad chance (fortune) and their effects on gaining and keeping the power. Virtù, which has the present meaning of manliness, is used by Machiavelli as having skills, strength, intelligence and prudence of a ruler. It is the inner ability to gain the power and not to lose it easily. Fortuna, with the present use, fortune is explained as the word of God and the luck and opportunity that is given to the ruler. A ruler by fortune is dependent
"The Life of Olaudah Equiano” is a captivating story in which Equiano, the author, reflects on his life from becoming a slave to a freeman during the 19th century. Through his experiences and writing, Equiano paints a vivid picture of the atrocities and cruelties of European slavery. Ultimately through his narrative, Equiano intends to persuade his audience, the British government, to abolish the Atlantic slave trade as well as alert them of the harsh treatment of slaves. He successfully accomplishes his goal by subtly making arguments through the use of character, action, and setting.
In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart the life of a man named Okonkwo and the tribe of Umuofia is depicted in three chapters which each represent a significant era in the tribe. In the first chapter, Achebe describes the life of the native African tribe before the coming of the white man. This chapter enables the reader to understand and respect the life of the Igbo. The second chapter describes the beginnings of colonialism and introduction of the white man. Suddenly, the Igbo way is questioned. The natives lives are turned upside down as they search for a way to understand the new religion and laws of the Europeans. The third chapter describes the effect of colonialism on the Igbo tribe. This section explores the many ways which the Igbo people try to adapt to the new society. From the suicide of Okonkwo to the abandonment by other tribe members, it becomes apparent how difficult it was for the African’s to adjust to the change. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness tells of an English man named Marlow and his journey into the Congo and interest in a colonist named Kurtz. Marlow is the narrator of the novel. He describes the natives and the Europeans from a somewhat objective view. He finds colonialism questionable, but also cannot relate to the Africans. Kurtz is the antagonist who exploits the Africans to make money by selling ivory and subsequently goes insane. Both novels depict the colonization of Africa, but each has a markedly different perspective on the African’s lives which were irreparably altered when Europeans came to conquer their land and convert them to Christianity.
Oronooko is placed in a terrible situation in which he is deserted from his homeland by his grandfather, the King. This situation makes him feel lost because being his only family and betraying him that way had no possible excuse. He was also separated from his love Imoinda whom to which he declared eternal love. Oronooko is then again betrayed and sent as a slave to Surinam. In this occasion this makes him suffer more emotionally because he knows he is not a slave, but as soon as he gets there his name is changed so he does not feel so much a prince and starts feeling more a slave. His life by now seems like it has no sense until he sees Imoinda again and marries her. He might have thought that his life was about to change, but he did not know it would be for the worse. He would soon be father of a sibling and that child would be born a slave because both Oronooko and Imoinda were slaves at the time. He tries to look for other opportunities to leave that world behind and search for his homeland, but things do not happen as expected.