Racism And Racism In Oronoko

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Recommended: Slavery and freedom

Aphra Behn's Oroonoko details the story of a noble African prince's enslavement, and it has often been cited as a major antislavery work. Throughout the text, Behn seemingly possesses a conflicting attitude towards the attitude toward slavery and racism in general. On one hand, her portrayal of the protagonist Oroonko is noble, dignified, and sympathetic, and she frequently disparages European culture and religion while depicting Europeans themselves in an unfavorable way; however, Behn reveals deep rooted cultural bias and racism, fictionalizes and romanticizes the lives of slaves, and shows a noncommittal attitude towards slavery.
More than midway through the novel, the narrator reveals that she is the child of a high-ranking Englishman who was to be the "Lieutenant General of six and thirty islands, besides the continent of Surinam," before his death (Behn 48). The narrator herself is of a certain class, and therefore possesses certain values. This is made clear in her depiction of the novel's protagonist Oroonoko, a man whom the narrator holds in high regard. She draws attention to the facts that this Prince Oroonoko was educated formally by a Frenchman "of Wit and Learning," such that his training in "Morals, Language and Science," makes him an equal to any European (7). Further ensuring readers do not see him as a brute, the narrator further informs them that he is an equal Prince among European nobility, as someone who has "all the Civility of a well-bred great Man... as if his Education has been in some European Court," (7). In short, she is fascinated by his title and the fact that he is learned by European standards, making him more equivalent to the narrator that one would think a slave could be.
The narrator's except...

... middle of paper ...

...rrator and Oroonoko could never be, as they are loyal to nothing but to themselves and their profit interests.
In the end, it appears that the narrator's ideal moral and political order would still include the institution of slavery, but with great recognition of each participating country's internal hierarchy. Slavery is condoned as long as capture is done sincerely in battle only and if the native nobility is spared. In her view, there is an almost comforting consistency of hierarchy, since kings, princes, and a small number of "quality" people can be seen everywhere. Seeing someone of Oroonoko's stature mislead and humbled is, to the narrator, the embodiment of the true wrong involved in slavery. Therefore, Behn's Oroonoko cannot truly be considered an abolitionist text, as it is accepting of slavery as an institution, but critical of its devious inner workings.

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