Oroonoko by Aphra Behn

     This short novel from Aphra Behn tells a really interesting story about 'royalty turned slave' from a first hand perspective of someone watching what was happening with the transatlantic slave trade. What was interesting to me about Behn's story is the juxtaposition of the character Oronooko from the beginning of the story to when he was sold as a slave versus other slaves and people in the story. We see what happens as he goes from perceived royalty as a prince to someone who is rallying the troops and attempting to lead a revolt of sorts with other slaves running away. Behn illustrates this change in a few interesting ways. When we first hear of the physical makeup of the character, he is described saying, "His Eyes were the most aweful that could be seen, and very piercing; the White of ’em being like Snow, as were his Teeth. His Nose was rising and Roman, instead of African and flat: His Mouth the finest shaped that could be seen; far from those great turn’d Lips, which are so natural to the rest of the Negroes." When we read this, we get a sense of this great figure, not something we would typically associate with a slave. She even says his nose is Roman rather than African-looking. Even when he becomes a slave and has his name changed to Caesar (a Roman, thought to be noble name), Behn says, "he was received more like a Governor than a Slave: Notwithstanding, as the Custom was, they assigned him his Portion of Land, his House and his Business up in the Plantation." Behn has 'whitened' this slave, making him more relatable to European target audiences who would buy this literature, providing more reason to question the historical truthiness and meaning for this tale. 

    Then, we see a turn on how Oronooko is viewed and treated. This gets into the question of how much Behn was sensationalizing this story as the story becomes graphic and violent. As he wants to lead other slaves to freedom, things go south and it gets to the point where the others chose to return back to their owners. The story comes to a boiling point when Oronooko kills his love interest, Imoinda, and unborn child to keep her from returning to the brutality of slavery. He then attempts suicide before being gruesomely executed, Behn saying, "They cut Cæsar into Quarters, and sent them to several of the chief Plantations." This is when the contrast of the character comes full circle, from someone who was a Prince and treated like a Governor to someone who is mercilessly murdered, in a graphic way. This wild turn of events makes you question just how much truth Behn was telling, especially when she closes the story with, "Yet, I hope, the Reputation of my Pen is considerable enough to make his glorious Name to survive to all Ages, with that of the brave, the beautiful and the constant Imoinda." It became her story to tell. Was she wanting to preserve the life of someone who truly lived or sell copies of a historical fiction?

-cs

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