The Narrative Style of Aphra Behns Oroonoko Essay

Oroonoko is an intriguing and epic story of a young African prince who gets tricked into becoming a slave for a workers plantation written by the first professional woman author, Aphra Behn. As the story is told by the narrator (who the reader will presume to be the author Aphra Behn) the reader gets a sense of a first hand perspective from the narrator. This allows the reader to only get a perspective from the narrators point of view. As the story is told to the reader, the narrator seems to favour or share sympathy with Oroonoko and even in some cases, throw in a biased opinion. This is why the story of Oroonoko and his misfortunes should not be taken as a true account, but rather as a narrative biased opinionated tale. When we†¦show more content†¦As Behn describes him as of a shape the most exact that can be fancied the reader can truly have it engraved in his or her mind that the author is most definitely favouring the physical body of Oroonoko. As the reader can clearly seen the favouritism that Behn has with the physical part of Oroonoko, one can also capture from the writings of Behn that a strong sense of emotional favouring is had by the narrator with the Prince. A good example of that emotional favouritism is when Oroonoko and his fellow tribe mates are tricked into having a dazzling feast on board such an immense and wonderful ship by the Captain. When Behn describes the way that the Captain takes the many tribesmen and Prince Oroonoko into custody as slaves she uses harsh words that would seem almost to condemn the acts that the Captain had ordered. The same treachery was used to all the rest she says, describing the harsh and emotionless forces and that the Captain and his shipmates administer to betray the trust of their guests. Even though the author later states that some have commended this act, as brave in the captain; but I will spare my sense of it, and leave it to my reader to judge as he pleases, there are still a few feelings that show that Behn is secretly (to the untrained reader) feeling sympathy towards Oroonoko and utter disgust towardsShow MoreRelatedAphra Bens Oroonoko and Daniel Defoes Moll Flanders1562 Words   |  6 PagesIn his Dictionary of Literary Terms, Harry Shaw defines the novel: â€Å"In effective narrative literature, fictional persons, through characterization, become so credible that they exist for the reader as real people,† he says (1). Many eighteenth century British novelists neglected to earn this credibility. Looking specifically at Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko and Daniel Defoe’s Moll Flanders, Shaw’s definition becomes especially difficult to apply to Moll and Oroonoko’s narrator. While the novels shouldRead MoreEssay about Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn1336 Words   |  6 PagesAphra Behn’s novel, Oroonoko, gives a very different perspective on a slave narrative. Her characters embody various characteristics not usually given to those genders and races. Imoinda’s character represents both the modern feminist, as well as the subservient and mental characteristics of the typical eighteenth-century English woman. Oroonoko becomes an embodiment of what is normally a white man’s characteristic; he is the noble, princely, and sympathetic character that is not usually attributedRead Morecompare and contrast aphra Bhens Oroonoko the royal slave and candide, or optimism1618 Words   |  7 PagesWRITE AN ESSAY OF 1,500 WORDS IN WHICH YOU COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE TWO PASSAGES BELOW, TAKEN FROM BEHNS _OROONOKO_ OR THE ROYAL SLAVE AND VOLTAIRES _CANDIDE_, OR OPTIMISM. IN YOUR DISCUSSION PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE WAYS IN WHICH THE CONTEXTS OF EUROPEAN COLONISATION AND EXPLORATION INFORM THE TWO PASSAGES. Aphra Bhen was a prolific female playwright and author during the restoration period of English history. Bhen herself stood by the power of the monarchy. Her book _Oroonoko_