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2.84 AVERAGE
2.84 AVERAGE
The story line was really interesting but the language was dragging. Some sentences, pages, and paragraphs should not have been included bc they added nothing. But overall this story was aggravatingly interesting
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
“Where there is no novelty, there can be no curiosity.”
“And ‘tis most evident and plain that simple Nature is the most harmless, inoffensive, and virtuous mistress…Religion would here but destroy that tranquility they possess by ignorance; and laws would but teach ‘em to know offense, of which now they have no notion.”
Aphra Behn could NOT decide if she was with or against Oroonoko. Get it together, girl.
“And ‘tis most evident and plain that simple Nature is the most harmless, inoffensive, and virtuous mistress…Religion would here but destroy that tranquility they possess by ignorance; and laws would but teach ‘em to know offense, of which now they have no notion.”
Aphra Behn could NOT decide if she was with or against Oroonoko. Get it together, girl.
This little novella was interesting enough, but Behns racial views are pretty confusing, especially the way in which her work seems to support slavery except for Oronooko, only because of his noble uprbrining and Eurocentric education.
Re-read for course on the Global 18th-century:
The thoughts in my previous review stand, but I’m reducing my rating to 2 stars because it wasn’t a very enjoyable read and Behn’s views on slavery are still contradictory as hell. Behn acknowledges slavery as a horrible and violent institution, yet condoned slavery during her life. I think she’s pretty representative of the double consciousness anyone in a slave-owning nation with a semblance of morality had to partake in. To justify not being an active abolitionist, I think a person had to reconcile themselves to see slavery’s “benefits” (economic success) as equal to or greater than it’s negatives (mass enslavement, torture, and murder of African people). In Oroonoko, Behn paints herself in the white savior tradition, and I honestly just couldn’t stand her hypocrisy. This is a finally written novella but it’s nothing special and it’s author was morally bankrupt.
Re-read for course on the Global 18th-century:
The thoughts in my previous review stand, but I’m reducing my rating to 2 stars because it wasn’t a very enjoyable read and Behn’s views on slavery are still contradictory as hell. Behn acknowledges slavery as a horrible and violent institution, yet condoned slavery during her life. I think she’s pretty representative of the double consciousness anyone in a slave-owning nation with a semblance of morality had to partake in. To justify not being an active abolitionist, I think a person had to reconcile themselves to see slavery’s “benefits” (economic success) as equal to or greater than it’s negatives (mass enslavement, torture, and murder of African people). In Oroonoko, Behn paints herself in the white savior tradition, and I honestly just couldn’t stand her hypocrisy. This is a finally written novella but it’s nothing special and it’s author was morally bankrupt.
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Aphra Behn is often praised as one of the first professional female writers in English literature. She was bold for her time—writing openly about politics, gender, and desire when most women had no voice in literature. In that way, she opened doors for future women writers.
But she is also a complex figure. In Oroonoko, she seems to sympathize with the enslaved prince, yet she never fully criticizes the system of slavery or colonialism. Sometimes, her admiration of Oroonoko feels more like exotic praise than true understanding.
Behn gives us a strong male hero, but the enslaved people around him remain voiceless. Even though she challenged gender roles, she didn’t challenge race and empire as strongly. So while she was progressive in some ways, she was limited by the beliefs of her time.
But she is also a complex figure. In Oroonoko, she seems to sympathize with the enslaved prince, yet she never fully criticizes the system of slavery or colonialism. Sometimes, her admiration of Oroonoko feels more like exotic praise than true understanding.
Behn gives us a strong male hero, but the enslaved people around him remain voiceless. Even though she challenged gender roles, she didn’t challenge race and empire as strongly. So while she was progressive in some ways, she was limited by the beliefs of her time.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Colonisation, Classism
I thought this was really interesting as a historical document! I'm not sure who put this on a list of must read novels by women but that feels, inaccurate? Like it's a white English woman writing about the Slave Trade and colonialism (not in an abolitionist way). With that, I think it gave really interesting insights from a pretty average woman's point of view and how she interpreted these things she heard. The reader can clearly trace back a lot of modern day racist things that we still hear (she talks about African names being to hard to pronounce and Oroonoko's name is changed to Caesar, etc.) I think this would be an interesting read in an early American history class (I would still probably prioritize slave narratives written by enslaved people) but could start a very interesting discussion on perspectives. Also the minor-est of notes but things I will be googling later, there's a line that implies Aphra Behn and some friends introduce kissing to a local Native American tribe- it caught me off guard for sure.