Raamin Mostaghimi
November 27, 2006
Occ Civ Section 8
November 27, 2006
Occ Civ Section 8
Oroonoko
Aphra Behn's Oroonoko is supposedly the first English novel ever written, but this is not without question (of course, since nothing in history really is). The plot basically revolves around Oroonoko, the grandson of an African prince of some sort. He finds a lover named Imoinda (who for some reason is italicized all the time, along with the rest of the names), and they fall madly in love and get married. Meanwhile, his grandfather the king of the African nation is intensely jealous of him, and decides to take Imoinda as his mistress (or one of them anyways). He is apparently unsuccessful at violating her maidenhood, because Oroonoko becomes enraged and they end up having a late-night tryst that ends in disaster when he is discovered by some of the royal guards and they report back to the king what had happened. The king is outraged at Oroonoko's actions, and in a rage decides not even to kill Imoinda but sells her into slavery (a fate far worse). After some cool-down time, the king kind of repents, and sends a messenger to Oroonoko (who is leading the army from the battlefield) to tell him that he had killed Imoinda. Oroonoko becomes immensely depressed and essentially shuts down for a matter of days before reviving himself in the midst of a rout and leading the army to victory. He goes back home and reconciles with the king, only to be tricked and captured by a slaver and shipped as a slave to a colony. Happily for him, however, he manages to meet up with his beloved Imoinda again, and they're overcome with joy. While in the colony, Oroonoko organizes a massive slave revolt which is eventually beaten down with the promise of amnesty, but he's whipped afterwards anyways by the cruel governor Byam (who is also in love with Imoinda). In return Oroonoko decides to kill Byam, but knowing he'd be killed afterwards and Imoinda mistreated, he and Imoinda plan to kill her as well (Imoinda is more than willing). He doesn't want to, but he ends up killing her and she's happy, and then Oroonoko's kept from killing himself. He gets brutally executed, but manages to calmly smoke a pipe rather than cry out in agony.
Questions:
Did Aphra Behn really mean this as a critique of slavery?
Was Oroonoko real?
Aphra Behn's Oroonoko is supposedly the first English novel ever written, but this is not without question (of course, since nothing in history really is). The plot basically revolves around Oroonoko, the grandson of an African prince of some sort. He finds a lover named Imoinda (who for some reason is italicized all the time, along with the rest of the names), and they fall madly in love and get married. Meanwhile, his grandfather the king of the African nation is intensely jealous of him, and decides to take Imoinda as his mistress (or one of them anyways). He is apparently unsuccessful at violating her maidenhood, because Oroonoko becomes enraged and they end up having a late-night tryst that ends in disaster when he is discovered by some of the royal guards and they report back to the king what had happened. The king is outraged at Oroonoko's actions, and in a rage decides not even to kill Imoinda but sells her into slavery (a fate far worse). After some cool-down time, the king kind of repents, and sends a messenger to Oroonoko (who is leading the army from the battlefield) to tell him that he had killed Imoinda. Oroonoko becomes immensely depressed and essentially shuts down for a matter of days before reviving himself in the midst of a rout and leading the army to victory. He goes back home and reconciles with the king, only to be tricked and captured by a slaver and shipped as a slave to a colony. Happily for him, however, he manages to meet up with his beloved Imoinda again, and they're overcome with joy. While in the colony, Oroonoko organizes a massive slave revolt which is eventually beaten down with the promise of amnesty, but he's whipped afterwards anyways by the cruel governor Byam (who is also in love with Imoinda). In return Oroonoko decides to kill Byam, but knowing he'd be killed afterwards and Imoinda mistreated, he and Imoinda plan to kill her as well (Imoinda is more than willing). He doesn't want to, but he ends up killing her and she's happy, and then Oroonoko's kept from killing himself. He gets brutally executed, but manages to calmly smoke a pipe rather than cry out in agony.
Questions:
Did Aphra Behn really mean this as a critique of slavery?
Was Oroonoko real?
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