Comment on the narrative style in “Oroonoko” and illustrate your answer. 

Answer

Comment on the narrative style in “Oroonoko” and illustrate your answer. 

Aphra Behn’s (1640-1689) novel “Oroonoko” (1688) tells the story of a noble African prince. The way the story is told is very important. The narrator is part of the story. She shares her personal feelings and thoughts. The writing sounds like a report. It is honest but also full of emotion. Her style helps us to feel the pain of Oroonoko. The narrator makes the story seem real and close to us. 

First-Person Voice: Behn tells the story using the word “I.” This is called the first-person voice. She says that she saw many events herself. She also heard the rest from Oroonoko. This makes the story feel real and true. We trust her words more. It also helps us to see Oroonoko as a real person. She talks to the reader like a friend. This style makes the pain and loss more personal and deep. The following quote by the narrator supports this point strongly.

“I was myself an eye-witness to a great part of what you find here.”

Personal Feelings: The narrator shares her own thoughts often. She says what she loves and what she hates. For example, she admires Oroonoko’s noble look and brave heart. She also feels angry at the cruel people. She talks about her surprise, sadness, and respect. These feelings help the reader to feel the story strongly. Her feelings guide us in how to think about Oroonoko. We begin to see him as a hero and not just a slave. This proves the power of narration, as the writer says,

“The pictures of the pen shall outlast those of the pencil, and even worlds themselves.”

Self Vs Other: The narrator sees herself as different from the people she writes about. Oroonoko is noble, but still seen as “other.” She says he looks white even if he has dark skin. She thinks he is not like other black people. She sometimes pulls herself away when she feels