Sadness And Depression In Oroonoko: The Cause Of Depression

Within the selected quote, the narrator in Oroonoko explains that she becomes ill “upon any extraordinary melancholy” (Behn 2358). As discussed in class, “melancholy” is derived from the Greek word “melancholia,” which was previously understood to be the cause of depression. Melancholy means a state of sadness and depression. Oroonoko experiences extreme losses in his life, which would result in any sane person being in a similarly depressed state to how he feels in this moment. However, it is unknown whether Behn’s intention for this word simply stops here or a racist underlying meaning was additionally deliberate. “Melanin,” which is partially at the root of the word “melancholy,” is the description of the pigmentation of one’s skin. The

Innocently, leaving a room in which someone is sick or dying is a reasonable action. Not wanting to contract the illness that this person is suffering from is rational, or wanting to leave the presence of someone who is dying since it is too emotional to watch them suffer is socially acceptable. However, when reading this phrase with a race-conscious lens, one can propose the idea that maybe Behn, as the narrator, felt the need to leave the room in order to distance herself from someone of the black race. In today’s society, her actions seem more racist and unsympathetic, yet in Behn’s time, people did not discriminate against others based on their skin colour. With this being said, when reading this scene closer to the time of publication, the reason Behn left the room due to the colour of Oroonoko’s skin would never cross someone’s mind. Catherine Gallagher wrote an insightful paper, entitled “Oroonoko’s blackness” which focuses on the reasoning and symbolism of Oroonoko’s black skin. Gallagher explains “’Black’ is a word that is used to describe a skin tone

As the novel progresses, Behn includes more racist and stereotypical descriptions of Oroonoko. Within the selected quote, Behn describes Oroonoko as having an “earthly smell about him” (2358). With a time-sensitive perspective, Behn may be referring the idea that once someone dies, he or she is returning back to the earth and taking part in the ongoing cycle of life. However, from a more racist viewpoint, Behn may be referencing a stereotype in which blacks, due to slavery, constantly work with the land, and therefore, smell like the earth. Due to this association with the land and slavery, Oroonoko’s “earthly smell” is perceived as a negative characteristic (Behn 2358). Further, this possibly stereotypical reference is arguably, not the first referenced within the novel. There are key points within Oroonoko where stereotypical behaviour was described in reference to Oroonoko himself. For example, Behn writes that, he “did such things as will not be believed that human strength could perform,” referencing a common belief that black people have supernatural strength (2330). Again, these stereotypes can be perceived both as a form of racism, or simply, a way to describe Oroonoko’s behaviour or characteristics, unintentionally referencing the conventional