Imoinda's Modernity: Aphra Behn's Enactment of Conjugal Marriage in Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave

The understanding of the life of a slave woman is far beyond the knowledge of you or I, unless you have actually been an enslaved woman. These literary elements depicting the passage from this story are the only

While she is credited for the good treatment of her slaves and is presented as a slave advocate, Queen Nzinga was a strong supporter of the slave trade and occasionally demonstrated severe cases of slave abuse. This “slave advocacy” image of Nzinga is evident when World history association member and history journalist Pamela D. Toler writes that “Nzinga encouraged [slaves] to run away and enjoy freedom at home rather than remaining as Portuguese captives” (267). Nzinga’s mistreatment of slaves is lightly touched on in

In the early days, the role of woman has been confined by a man because their jobs are to get marry, have children, and most depend on their husbands. The men in the early society had bigger roles than women. Therefore, women has to base themselves on and listen to their men. However, in the story “Once Aboard The Lugger,” author Thomeas Qiller- couch presents an intense image of a woman who makes change in woman’s role in the early society. Nance Trewartha, a daughter of a fisherman in Ruan, wants to marry a minister Samuel from Troy. She has fond on him and starts to wonder how would be like if Samuel is her husband. With her lovingness and braveness, she kidnaps Samuel and start to reverse a women role in the courtship. Surprisingly, Nance pursues Samuel by isolating him, and she changes the patterns of courtship, culture, and class.

. . To which [a person] a thousand times prefer Death."# She further describes how one is sold into slavery, being either sold one by one or in lots with women and children, but families are not sold together; instead, they are separated, as a family cannot be trusted together for fear that they will commit "some great Action, to the ruin of the Colony."# At first, slavery is depicted as more of an embarrassment than a painful way of life, and Oroonoko lives a decent life for a while. Oroonoko is sold to Trefry, a Cornish gentleman who assists the Governor, and he proves to be a kind and gentle man to Oroonoko. Trefry cares deeply for Oroonoko, and "ever after lov'd him as his dearest Brother, and she'd him all the Civilities due to so great a Man."# Oroonoko is reunited with his love, Imoinda, who has also been sold into slavery, and the two are allowed to marry (which was a privilege that was not granted often). However, the lifestyle Oroonoko leads is not typical, as he reveals when he makes a speech to other slaves. Oroonoko reveals that slaves suffer "Loads, Burdens, and Drudgeries as were fitter for beasts than Men" and that both guilty and innocent slaves "suffer'd the infamous Whip. . . Till their Blood trickled from all Parts of their Body."#

How does Iola’s perspective of the role of slavery and race change throughout the novel?

When propositioned by the governor Cunegonde must decide between staying faithful to her love, Candide, or being the governor’s mistress. Her companion, who is simply named the Old Woman, offers this advice. …

As one reads Octavia Butler’s “Wild Seed,” often the reader will find themselves quickly getting wrapped up in the conflict and surface story between Doro and Anyanwu. It is apparent there was a struggle of power between these two immortal beings that went far beyond simple gender identity and equality, and delved deeply into the cultural schemata of the master-slave paradigm. This motif is what carries the story throughout the novel, over centuries and changing landscapes; and yet although the people’s names change within the context of Anyanwu and Doro’s world this paradigm stays consistent.

One day she comes to him in the garden to discuss the arrangement, she has grown bored of him and her suitor feels uncomfortable having him around. She has found exactly what she needs in this new man, not another slave, but rather a man willing to take the reins. Severin explains that he does not want to lose her and even that he would kill her than let another man marry her. She continues her role as his master and threatens to surrender her control over him to her husband to be. When Severin grabs her and threatens her with her dagger she switches around and starts saying that she loves him also and that this was all a jest. She says she wants to leave Italy and marry him. She asks him to take care of a few formal matters while she says goodbye to her friends in the city and that they will leave the next day. He goes to mail her letters while she packs and when he returns the servants tell me that she called for him. He goes to her room with some trepidation and sits at her feet. Then she reverts to her mistress self and calls to have him bound so she can whip him and elicit his love for her from him. He gets bound to a support in the room and she puts on her furs to get ready for his “punishment.” When he asks for the whip, she calls out and from behind a curtain emerges her young, greek courtesan, to dole out the whipping. The Greek whips him into fury, shame, and despair and then he and the Venus leave Severin all alone. Severin thinks of

The inclination to belittle the reality of female heroism while encouraging male heroism is far more conspicuous in African epics as compared to any other African literary genre. Many African epics, although on might question why women are not quite the actual heroines, they are portrayed as just attachments of their male equals, regardless of the fact that without their involvement, male heroes would not exist at all. The matter lies more on the tendency and habituation to perceive heroism in especially male terms as opposed to whether figures of women were at first exalted in the initial African epics. A closer scrutiny of the epic under study here reiterates s this statement. In The Epic of Sundiata, the Buffalo woman, Sogolon Kedjou, appears to be the one of the principal heroines due to the fact that she exemplifies all the relevant traits of a heroine. Sunjata’s epic role of women exhibits Sogolon’s empowerment as a user

Tonal shifts: How Matthee Emotionally Affects The Reader The western frontier of America was once characterized by the secular plains and the respected buffalos; similarly, South Africa embodies a sense of imagery of the beautiful vegetation and animals. Matthee transposes the reader to a landscape so brightly painted that the trees, birds, elephants, and rivers of old South Africa are characters themselves. As a result of reading Fiela’s Child, my understanding of cultural and contextual elements expanded because Fiela’s Child is convincing, thought-provoking, upsetting, and timeless. This book is a parable that broadens and humanizes my understanding of the conflicts still affecting South Africa today. Particularly, Matthee utilizes

Iriola had no voice when it came to Kelemo’s activism. This is evident when Iriola says, “My role in the struggle ahead was mapped out for me. I knew the drill. I would support as the loyal partner to the courageous, self-sacrificing activist” (Wood 4). Iriola is viewed in this story as an obedient companion to her dominant lover Kelemo.

The old woman tells her, “’ you have seventy-two quarterings to your coat of arms but not a farthing to your name; you have only yourself to blame if you do not become the wife of the greatest nobleman in South America…What right have you to pride yourself on unshakable fidelity? Remember that you have been ravished by the Bulgars, that a Jew and an Inquisitor have enjoyed your favours, and reflect that misfortunes bring some privilege’” (59). Because of Cunegonde’s lack of virginity her worth is significantly lowered even though she has noble blood and she is told to take the proposal since the Governor overlooked her lack of virginal purity based on her beauty. Cunegonde uses her beauty and sexuality as a way to survive in this patriarchal society; the old woman coaches her on survival telling her what she would do in Cunegonde’s

The story, Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave, written by Aphra Behn, depicts the main character, Oroonoko, as being an African prince that lives among his people, whom all abide by a code of virtue and fidelity. When Oroonoko is faced with a dilemma in his own country and living among a “civilized” white society, that are devout Christians, he is confronted with the burden to uphold his code of virtue and maintain a title of being a “Noble Savage” by means of loyalty, religious beliefs, and honor.

Contrary to the natural and proper place of women within the era, during the mutiny while “the Women and Children seeing their Husbands so treated, being of fearful cowardly Dispositions, […] all run in […] and hung about them, crying out, Yield! Yield! And leave Caesar to their Revenge” (64), to which the other slaves consent, thus abandoning Caesar and Tuscan to the white men’s wrath. Yet, there stands a largely pregnant Imoinda “press[ed] near her Lord, having a Bow and a Quiver full of poisoned Arrows, which she managed with such dexterity, that she wounded several, and shot the Governor in the Shoulder” (64-65). Her slave name is given to be Clemene, yet unlike Oroonoko’s Caesar, Imoinda is rarely referred to as such; she becomes her own person rather than the English slavers property.

The conclusion that is drawn from this article is that women were viewed as a total piece of property, but Imoinda was also an “erotic figure as she was in control of her own territories” (221). Imoinda tried getting over the stereotype of being a property and had gained respect from other people as they realized she is a human and not owned by anyone.