Anti Slavery in Oronooko -Hanna A.

Behn’s Oronooko is a disturbing piece of literature that has a surprising anti-slavery bent to it. The characters in the story are people who have been torn as royalty from Africa and are now stuck in slavery in a British colony. Oronooko, an African prince, is reunited to the love of his life after being sold into slavery. They are all but married in their love for one another. Oronooko plans a great escape but is caught. He realizes that this is the end of any trust that his masters might have in him and he realizes that he, his love, and his soon to be born child will be doomed to slavery forever. He tells his wife that he his going to kill her swiftly so that she and the baby will not have to endure slavery, he vows revenge on his masters, and states that he will commit suicide after killing them.

It is confusing that he would kill his wife however because he was treated quite well as a slave because he was royalty and so his life was relatively normal until he tried to run away. Why would he end his wife’s life, his child’s life, and let himself be tortured to death when he could have had a decent life? It is clear that Behn is making the point that all slavery is worse than death, and so death was the better option. However, it seems like slitting his wife’s throat and letting her bleed to death would be a terrible and painful way to let her die. Her death then drives him so mad with grief that he is incapable of living out his revenge and instead is killed in a terrifying, painful, and drawn out way.

Behn is very much against slavery, and this piece humanizes and gives a clear picture of the lives of slaves and how slavery is a dehumanizing, cruel, and disgusting practice. The British people are consistently liars and are seldom kind, and are therefore portrayed in a radically different light than most works of the time would have shown. This particular piece is showing how the lives of men and women are completely destroyed by slavery and that slavery should never be an option no matter how economically advantageous it may be to have slaves.

Through graphic images of death and pain, Behn is able to show his readers why slavery is a problem, and why it should be put to an end. Oronooko is one of thousands upon thousands of stories that shows how slavery is cruel and should never be an option.