Oroonoko

It may surprise many that one of the first novels written in English was the work of a woman. Part history, part fictional narrative, part personal memoir, Oroonoko or, The Royal Slave (1688) is the story of an African prince captured by English slave traders and shipped to the English colony Surinam in the West Indies. Aphra Behn was the first Englishwoman to make a living as a writer, and she shows herself here not only as an originator, but an innovator—she implements a variety of perspectives and narrative styles to create a realistic story which she even introduces as factual rather than a fabrication.

On the surface this is a romance and an adventure story about Oroonoko's love for the beautiful Imoinda, and their trials as slaves both in Africa and in the New World. Really, it's an investigation of the ever-controversial slave trade and its necessary debasement of men and women. Not simply a shock-jock, Behn's themes were nevertheless fairly sensational when the novel was published. Imoinda's sexual abuse at the hands of both owners and fellow slaves, and the violence displayed toward slaves are still surprising, not least because in many ways Behn was the last to thoroughly present them for more than a century. Oroonoko's death remains a stunning (and unsettling) picture of the excesses of the slave trade, and an indictment of any society that could support it.

Many opposed to the slave trade took up Behn's text as a standard, but this isn't simply an abolitionist text (though it is that). That it was written by a woman and that she presumed to criticize a male-dominated society are even of secondary importance as well. What distinguished Oroonoko was its use of fictional narrative to make a moral and social argument, while not scarificing interest or artistry. Behn anticipated most of the elements of great fiction, such as uniting philosophical and personal themes, conveying realistic characterizations, and adding excitement and romance to keep the narrative interesting. While subsequent novels may have perfected the formula, it is doubtful most of them would have existed had Behn not penned this slim volume less than a year before her relatively early death.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.