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An Analysis of Oroonoko's Blackness
In her essay "Oroonoko's Blackness," Katherine Gallagher argues that there are three layers to "Oroonoko." These layers are Oroonoko's kingship, the relationship between Oroonoko's blackness and the black ink, and the commodofication of Oroonoko. Gallagher argues that Oroonoko's blackness not only illuminates the text itself but also the author's presence as well. She writes that, "…the gleaming blackness of the eponymous hero corresponds to the narrator's heightened presence."(DeMaria, BL Critical Reader, 88). Therefore, Oroonoko and Behn step into the light because of the black print and the jet-black skin of Behn's hero. In her essay Gallagher makes many assumptions regarding the audience who reads her text. She assumes that the reader has read and studied "The Unfortunate Bride;" knows biographical information about Aphra Behn; possesses knowledge about literary techniques; and knows how the slave trade worked in Africa. Despite these many assumptions made by Gallagher, her argument regarding the contrast of black and light in the text is applicable to the text. Her essay is well argued and is easily applied to the text of "Oroonoko."
Gallagher first assumes that the reader has read other short stories by Behn, namely, "The Unfortunate Bride." Throughout her essay, Katherine Gallagher continually refers to the story. For example, she states that the color of Mooria's skin represents her "dark designs." She then contrasts the notion of blackness in this story with the notion of blackness in "Oroonoko." Gallagher writes that the representation of blackness in "The Unfortunate Bride" is the opposite of the picture given in "Oroonoko." By reading these stories, the reader is able to un...
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...ied this Great Man, worthy of a better Fate, and a more sublime Wit than mine to write his Praise; yet, I hope, the Reputation of my Pen is considerable enough to make his Glorious Name to survive to all ages…."(BL Anthology, 461). Because she is part of the text and the text is illuminated by Oroonoko's "heavenly light," Behn's presence is also illuminated in the text.
The success of Gallagher's essay depends on conditions met by Behn in her work. Regardless of the many assumptions Katherine Gallagher makes in her work, the assumptions do not deplete the value of her words. Because Behn's story is extremely will crafted, Gallagher successfully argues that Oroonoko as well as the presence of Behn herself are illuminated by the blackness of the print and by Oroonoko's skin of "perfect ebony."
Works Cited
British Literature Anthology Edited by Robert Demaria
From the very beginning of this story, it came to my attention that Granny continually repeats are "there's nothing wrong with me" and "that's for tomorrow.” This repetition, to me, shows two very important aspects about Granny Weatherall as a person – she’s stubborn and hardworking, yet procrastinates all the time. When she felt death come upon her on her bed that day, she wasn't expecting it. We know this because of the repetition of all that she needs to do and that she'll get it done tomorrow. At the same, who can blame her for not expecting it? I mean, who really expects to die every day they wake up? Sure, one knows they are going to die, but they don’t wake up planning it to happen that day. Aside from that, it stood out to me that Granny Weatherall didn’t fail to mention that she thought she was going to die once before during her sixties. From this near death experience, she somehow, in my opinion, allowed herself to think she was invisible and immortal simply because she managed to survive.
The Chevrolet Chevelle SSs' earliest engine in 1964 didn't perform as well as the later models. It had a 327 V8 engine which wasn't even close to as powerful as the later models. After a slow start, the 1965 Chevelle became a real muscle car. The car now had a lot more power since it had a 396 V8 engine, also known as the Z-16 package. Along with a better engine the Chevelle also had front and back anti-roll bars, faster power-assisted steering, and better braking. The 1965 Chevelle SS was great, but the 1970 Chevelle was the better than anything Chevrolet had made previously. The 1970 Chevelle had a LS6 454 engine, this was the best engine that Chevr...
Wallace studies this trend temporally, describing first the apex of Rockdale's economic success, then detailing its evolution from a growing village, through great industrial success, to the impact of the Civil War. In detailing the history of industrial technology, he clearly illustrates the importance of economic factors in creating the intellectual climate of the era, first with the emergence of an Owen/Fourier-influenced communal industrialism and later with the development of an evangelical response which better suited the needs and desires of a smaller, more conservative community. The people of Rockdale eventually tended to "a belief in America as a Christian capitalist nation,...(viewing) the social classes as complementary rather than antagonistic," engaging in anti-masonic politics, supporting the existing, traditional communal bonds of religion and work relations (342).
...Conrad removes Marlow’s bias, but through the inclusion of careful details he is able to establish his themes. The cruelty of white man to the natives, appearances being deceiving, the nobility of the Africans – all are clear messages of this text that come across not from Marlow’s opinion, but rather the careful inclusion of details and symbolism. No bigger symbol helps Conrad reinforce his theme than the continuous battle of light and dark, and his use of the two is the cornerstone from which he builds meaning from symbolism.
Katherine Anne Porter wrote “The Jilting of Granny Weatherall” to showcase how one woman responds to loss with strong faith. The reader is introduced to a feisty eighty year old woman named Granny Weatherall. Granny Weatherall is near death and while laying in her bed she starts to reminisce about past events in her life which include her being jilted by George, her fiancé. Then later on, Granny marries a man named John, who soon later dies leaving her with four kids. Granny assumes the role of both mother and father by taking care of everything for her kids. When Granny turns sixty, she prepares for death by seeing all of her kids and their children. On Granny’s bed side is Cornelia, her daughter, her doctor, and Father Connolly, a Roman
In Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart the life of a man named Okonkwo and the tribe of Umuofia is depicted in three chapters which each represent a significant era in the tribe. In the first chapter, Achebe describes the life of the native African tribe before the coming of the white man. This chapter enables the reader to understand and respect the life of the Igbo. The second chapter describes the beginnings of colonialism and introduction of the white man. Suddenly, the Igbo way is questioned. The natives lives are turned upside down as they search for a way to understand the new religion and laws of the Europeans. The third chapter describes the effect of colonialism on the Igbo tribe. This section explores the many ways which the Igbo people try to adapt to the new society. From the suicide of Okonkwo to the abandonment by other tribe members, it becomes apparent how difficult it was for the African’s to adjust to the change. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness tells of an English man named Marlow and his journey into the Congo and interest in a colonist named Kurtz. Marlow is the narrator of the novel. He describes the natives and the Europeans from a somewhat objective view. He finds colonialism questionable, but also cannot relate to the Africans. Kurtz is the antagonist who exploits the Africans to make money by selling ivory and subsequently goes insane. Both novels depict the colonization of Africa, but each has a markedly different perspective on the African’s lives which were irreparably altered when Europeans came to conquer their land and convert them to Christianity.
Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is the author’s most celebrated work. The book conveys the story of Marlow, who is a sailor on the ship. Marlow narrates the story describing particularly what he came across during his journey and experienced. When we look at the events that take place in the book, it is unquestionable that Women do not occupy a significant portion of the story; the story is predominately male dominated. However, does women’s lack of appearance make them minor characters? Or do women have a minor effect in the story? Having analyzed the book under the scope of “Feminist View”, we can answer these questions and say that women play considerable roles even though they occupy a small portion in the story. In my essay I will
Lightness and darkness have very different meanings in the human psyche in that lightness is synonymous with innocence and naïvety while darkness coincides with all things daunting and evil. Throughout the memoir, many situations are repeated but to different degrees of severity. For example, on pages 113 and 145, Marjane is arguing with her mother. However, the first instance is simply a minor act of preteen rebellion while the second alludes to the possibility of state-sanctioned rape and execution. At first glance, these pages are very similar; Marjane’s mother is obviously angry and invades upon her daughter’s personal space as she lectures and ...
Authors often write not only to tell a story, but to communicate personal ideas and opinions to the readers. Even more personal beliefs can be read through the bias that the author uses, often the product of society or race. In the novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad displays his opinions through the attitudes and actions of his main characters Marlow and Mr. Kurtz. Similarly, Chinua Achebe shows his personal beliefs through the character Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart. Both authors, whether intentionally or not, show their opinions on the relations between Native Africans and European colonists in the Victorian era, and the races themselves.
In the novel, the author proposes that the African American female slave’s need to overcome three obstacles was what unavoidably separated her from the rest of society; she was black, female, and a slave, in a white male dominating society. The novel “locates black women at the intersection of racial and sexual ideologies and politics (12).” White begins by illustrating the Europeans’ two major stereotypes o...
Within every story or poem, there is always an interpretation made by the reader, whether right or wrong. In doing so, one must thoughtfully analyze all aspects of the story in order to make the most accurate assessment based on the literary elements the author has used. Compared and contrasted within the two short stories, “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and John Updike’s “A&P,” the literary elements character and theme are made evident. These two elements are prominent in each of the differing stories yet similarities are found through each by studying the elements. The girls’ innocence and naivety as characters act as passages to show something superior, oppression in society shown towards women that is not equally shown towards men.
The Heart of Darkness, a complex text was written by Joseph Conrad around the 19th century, when Europeans were colonizing Africa for wealth and power and were attempting to spread their culture and religion in Africa. It was also a period in which women were not allowed to participate in worldly affairs. Therefore, the text deals with issues such as racism, European imperialism, and misogyny. This essay will look at the different themes in the novel and argue whether or not The Heart of Darkness is a work of art.
When the topic like racism is left untouched in the Heart of Darkness, it indicates that there was never a problem nor the case. However, there is so much room to analyze the racialism that is embedded throughout in the novel: "They are called criminals, and they outraged law, like in the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea. All their meagre breasts panted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered. The eyes stared stonily uphill. They passed me within six inches, without a glance, with that complete, deathlike indifference of unhappy savages.” (46). The natives were enslaved and chained yet, Marlow manages to describe then as dangerous savages who are about to rebel. It is impossible to overlook the stereotypes and ruthless language that are used to depict the Congolese people. Hence, by leaving the racism topic away shows how oblivious the critics are to racialism; Therefore, failing to acknowledge the inferiorities that are used to describe black people. In An Image of Africa, Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic, who focus on traditional African values during and after the colonial era, challenged the prestige of The Heart of Darkness: “And the question is whether in the novel which celebrates this
When read at face value, Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, is a portrayal of white, imperial, oppression of the African natives of the Congo. However, when we view the writing through the lenses of psychoanalysis and feminism, a story focused on one character, Marlow, emerges. Each theory presents a new way of interpreting and understanding the character development and imagery within the story. Psychoanalysis provides a look into the mind and dreamlike setting of Marlow. Feminism examines the binary gender roles of the characters, Marlow and Kurtz. Both theories examine how these two characters are in some way the same person.
Darkness. It pervades every corner of this world, casting literal and metaphorical shadow over everything. Creeping in the hearts of humans, drifting across the night sky, under the bed, darkness is a terrifying, yet quintessential concept in our human mentality. And, as such, it presents itself in cultures and stories around the world to explain the unknown and the terrifying. Through the presentation of the struggle with internal and external “darkness,” both Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart draw upon contrasting viewpoints and cultures, as well as an ironic play of “darkness” between the Europeans and the Africans, to construe the tragedy unfolding in Colonial Africa.