“Horrors of slavery is one of the themes of the novel Oroonoko”—Discuss.
Oroonoko is a notable literary work by Aphra Behn. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of Oroonoko.
Answer
Depict the horrors of slavery and the harsh attitude of the European colonists in “Oroonoko”. [NU. 2017, 2022]
Or, “Horrors of slavery is one of the themes of the novel Oroonoko”—Discuss. [NU. 2020]
Aphra Behn’s (1640-1689) novella “Oroonoko” (1688) tells the tragic story of Oroonoko. Oroonoko is an African prince who is betrayed, enslaved, and ultimately killed. The novella shows the terrible reality of slavery. It also depicts how cruel European colonists were to the enslaved people. We will discuss the horrors of slavery and the harsh attitude of the European colonists below.
Betrayal: We get the first look at the horrors of slavery when we see how slaves are captured and sold. Oroonoko is a noble prince in Africa. He is loved by his people. But European slave traders trick him. An English ship captain invites Oroonoko to a friendly dinner on his ship. Once Oroonoko and his men are onboard, the captain captures them. He chains them like animals. He sends them to Suriname (a British colony in South America) to be sold. This betrayal shows the horrors of slavery. This also shows how European colonists used lies and false promises to trap people. The narrator says:
“Never to credit one word they [European colonists] spoke.”
Life in Slavery: In Suriname, Oroonoko is renamed “Caesar” by the colonists. It shows slavery strips away the identity of the slaves. Even though he is a prince, the colonists treat Oroonoko like a slave. They force him to work in harsh conditions on sugar plantations. The colonists beat enslaved people for small mistakes. They separate families—parents from children, husbands from wives. Enslaved people have no freedom and no rights. They call Africans “savages,” but their own actions are far more brutal. Oroonoko says:
“We are bought and sold … to be the sport of women, fools, and cowards.”
This means that the enslaved people are treated as unimportant property of the white colonists.
Cruelty of European Colonists: The European colonists inUnlock this study guide now