Study Questions: Aphra Behn and Oroonoko
Vocabulary: Travel narrative, Slave narrative,
Noble Savage, Senex Amans (connect with Imoinda
and the old king), Middle Passage
Introduction to Aphra Behn: After her years as a playwright,
what experimental (and scandalous) epistolary novel first
brought Aphra Behn fame as a novel-writer?
Why did Aphra Behn probably travel to the Low Countries
for King Charles II?
Who was John Hoyle and why was he significant in Aphra
Behn's life?
What did Virginia Woolf claim all women should do in connection
with Aphra Behn? Why did Woolf think this was appropriate?
How is the term "history" used differently in
Aphra Behn's day than in modern times?
Character and Location Identification:
Oroonoko/Caesar, Imoinda/Clemene, the king of Cormantian,
the Otan, Onahal, Aboan,
Trefry, Tuscan,
Colonel
Martin
- Aphra Behn precedes her discussion
of Oroonoko's history by describing trade with the
native of Surinam. She also
describes the aprons worn by the natives. Behn compares
this garb to the clothing worn by what biblical figures?
What does this suggest spiritually about the natives?
Explain how Behn's description of the Surinam natives connects
with Rousseau's idea of "The Noble Savage."
- Why
does Behn oppose introducing religion and law to the
natives?
What is funny (or sad?) about the way the natives mistakenly
mourned for the Governor's so-called death?
- Describe the
process of acquiring and selling "lots" of
slaves.
- Oroonoko does not start out the narrative
in Surinam. Our account picks up with his homeland
in
Coramantian.
What
modern-day country corresponds to Coramantien, according
to the footnotes?
- How old is the King of Coramantian
when he dies? How old is Oroonoko when he takes
the King's place
as general
for
his people?
- What are some of the favorable aspects
of Oroonoko's learning and character, according
to Behn's discussion
on page 2174?
- What are some of the physical aspects
that characterize Oroonoko's appearance, according
to Behn's discussion
on page 2175? What does she find particularly
pleasing about
his nose? [Food
for thought: does this passage
show Behn rising above commonp rejudices against
foreigners?
Or
does her description reinforce common prejudices
in an odd way?]
- Note Oroonoko's lovestruck behavior
around Imoinda--the way he sends her gifts of slaves
and flatters
her with clever talk as well as the way he
whispers her name
over and over again. Compare and contrast
this with the description
of love in Castiglione's The Courtier or
Andreas Capellanus.
Aphra Behn contrasts the sexual mores of
Christian Europe with those of the Ghanan
natives. Typically,
a man having
premarital sex with a woman is considered
sinful in Christian European thought in the
1600s.
According to Behn, what
behavior among men do the African tribesmen
consider sinful?
- Explain the custom of the
royal veil. What does it mean if the king sends this
veil
to a person?
- When Imoindais brought before
the king after receiving the veil, what does Imoinda
reveal
to the king
that angers him?
- What is the Otan?
- Who is Onahal? What
is her job in the palace?
- What subtle action does
Onahal witness taking place between Oroonoko and
Imoinda?
- What does Oroonoko do with Imoinda
before the king and the entire
court that clearly
demonstrates
their forbidden
affection? What orders does the
king give to Oroonoko
to separate him from Imoinda
immediately after this?
- When Oroonoko sneaks back
into the Otan and visits Imoinda at
night,
Aphra Behn
changes
her writing
style and tone--inserting
the phrase "I believe" several
times int he paragraph. Why
does Behn change her tone here
and
suddenly assert
her limited knowledge of what
transpired?
- Careful readers
will note the parallels with
Oroonoko and
Uriah the Hittite
in the Old
Testament. Careful
readers will also note on
page 2184 that Oroonoko's entrapment
in the bedroom echoes Lancelot's
entrapment in Gwenevere's
bedroom in Arthurian
legend. Likewise,
the battle
scene where Oroonoko seeks
his own
death is strikingly reminiscent
of Chaucer's Troilus
and Criseyde. Why is Behn establishing these
two connections?
What does
it suggest about
Oroonoko? What does it suggest
about Behn's rhetorical strategy
or
her goals for characterizing
Oroonoko and shaping the
reader's response
to him?
- What punishment does the
king order for Imoinda
after discovering
them
together
in the palace?
- Who or what
is the Captain of the Clouds in the indigenous
religion?
- How does the
European captain manage to enslave
Oroonoko?
What is Aphra
Behn's statement
about his "act
of bravery" when
she hears others praise
the captain for his
deeds?
- When Oroonoko
realizes he has been
trapped,
chained, and
enslaved, what does
he resolve
to do (or
perhaps, not do)?
- When
Oroonoko offers his oath not to kill
himself
but instead
to
obey the
captain,
how does the
captain respond
to this
oath initially,
as it comes from a heathen?
What is
Oroonoko's cutting
retort
when
he hears the
captain's claim
about heathens and their
ignorance of God?
- When
the Captain argues that a real
Christian
would expect
to
go to hell
if he violated
an oath to
God, what is
Oroonoko's response?
- What
is the name of the "young Cornish gentleman" that
buys Oroonoko
to put him to work on the plantation?
- What new name
from classical
history
does Trefry
assign to Oroonoko?
- When other
black slaves
first
see Oroonoko
brought
to Parham house,
what do
they do in his
presence? (I.e, what
do
they say
and what do
they do
with their bodies?)
What
does
this reveal
about Oroonoko's
status?
- What
name from classical
literature
does
Trefry assign
to Imoinda?
Trefry
states
to Aphra
Behn, "I
confess,
when
I have,
against
her will,
entertained
her with
love
so long
as to
be transported
withmy
passion,
even
above
decency,
I
have
been
ready
to make
use of
those
advantages
of strength
and force
nature
has given
me. But
oh! She
disarms
me with
that
modesty
and weeping,
so tender
and so
moving
that
I retire,
and thank
my stars
she overcame
me." What
is Trefry
admitting?
Why is
it incongruous
or creepy
that
he casually
admits
this
to Aphra
Behn?
What
does
this
suggest
about
the commonly
accepted
practices
of male
slave-owners
who own
female
slaves?
- When
Trefry
introduces
Caesar
to
Clemene, what
is
he pleased
and
surprised
to
discover?
When
Oroonoko
realizes
that
Trefry
is
delaying
his
freedom--in
spite
of
Oroonoko's
offer
of
gold
or
vast
quantity
of
slaves,
he
begins
to
suspect
Trefry
wants
to
hold
onto
Imoinda
until
she
does
what?
- Aphra
Behn
is
particularly
impressed
with
the
timber
and
wildlife
of
the
New
World
on
pages
2198-99
of
our
textbook.
What
animal
does
she
compare
to
a
little rhinoceros
the
size
of
a
pig?
- What
is Oroonoko's
reaction to
Aphra Behn's
discussion of
the trinity?
- When
Behn and
her companions
seek out
tigers in
their dens,
who saves
them from
an attacking
tiger?"
- In
the footnotes,
how does
the Abrams
anthology explain
the use
of masculine
pronouns in
reference to
a female
tiger? Do
you buy
this argument?
Why or
why not?
- Later,
Oroonoko offers
to hunt
and kill
a different
tiger that
has been
preying upon
livestock in
the area.
When he
kills this
tiger, what
do the
men find
in its
heart?
- What
trait or
quality does
Behn find
amazing about
the "numb
eel"?
- After
hostilities break
out between
thenatives and
the European
colonists, several
atrocities occur.
In spite
of this,
Behn and
her companions
seek out
one of
the Indian
towns. Describe
some of
the reactions
the Indians
have to
viewing Aphra
Behn and
her clothing.
- What
does "Tepeeme" mean in
aboriginal dialect, according to
Aphra Behn's interpretation?
When
one of
Behn's relatives
sits down
and displays
the use
of a
magnifying glass
to start
a fire,
how do
the natives
react?
- What
does "Peeie" mean in the aboriginal dialect,
according to Aphra Behn's interpretation?
- When
the
natives decide that one member of the party is
a peeie, what request
do they makeof him?
- Behn
reveals that
many warriors
in the
tribe are
missing lips
and noses
or they
have missing
chunks from
their cheeks.
She discovers
that these
injuries occur
from an
unusual type
of ritual
mutilation. Explain
how or
why the
Indians make
these cuts
upon their
faces.
- What
medical condition
becomes apparant
in Imoinda
as the
months pass?
- What
is Tuscan's
response to
Oroonoko's
diatribe
when Oroonoko
insults the
warriors for
not rising
up and
rebelling against
the slave-holders?
What is
Oroonoko's
response
to this
protest?
- What
weapon
does
Imoinda use
against
the
English when
the fight
breaks
out?
- Which
slave
shoots
the governor
in the
shoulder
during
the ruckus?
- After
Tuscan
and
Caesar/Oroonoko
surrender
to
the
Governor
in
exchange
for
a
pardon
, they
enter
the
area
where
slaves
are
punished.
What
does
the
Governor
order
at
this
point--in
violation
of
their
agreement?
- What
do
the
slavemasters
rub
into
the
open
whip-marks
on
the
slaves?
- Why
do
the
slavers
take
Imoinda
to
Parham
and
shut
her
away while
Caesar
and
Tuscan
are
whipped?
(i.e.,
what
are
they
afraid
will
happen
if
Imoinda
watches
the
punishment?)
- It
turns
out
that
the
arrow
used
to
shoot
the
governor
was
poisoned.
Who
or
what
saves
the
governor's
life?
- On
page
2211,
what
does
the
governor
initially
consider
as
a
means
of
punishment/revenge
against
the
offending
archer
who
shot
him?
- On
page
2212,
what
desperate
plan
do
Oroonoko
and
Imoinda
devise
to
avoid
having
the
governor
carry
through
with
his
proposed
punishment/vengeance?
- The
scene
when
Oroonoko
speaks
to
Imoinda
has
several
comparable
traits
to
Shakespeare's
Othello,
Act
V.
Why
do
you
suppose
Behn
creates
this
similarity?
- When
the
searchers
find
Oroonoko
with
Imoinda's
body,
what
do
they
shout
out
at
him?
- What
does
Oroonoko
throw
at
the
men
who
accuse
him
of
murdering
Imoinda?
- The
onlookers
initially keep
their
distance from
Oroonoko
as
he
mutilates
himself.
When
one
sees
him
greatly
weakened
and
rushing
forward
to
strike
Oroonoko,
what
does
Oroonoko
do?
- According to our footnotes,
the Abrams text interprets "gashly" as
meaning "ghastly." Do you agree with this annotation?
Why or why not? What other possibilities might explain
this word in terms of printsetting or in terms of rhetorical
schemes and tropes?
Identification of Passages (Be able to
explain who the author is, from what work this piece
of literature comes, and be able to provide 2-3 sentences
of commentary explaining its significance or importance:
A. For the captain had protested to himupon
the word of a Christian, and sworn in the name of a
great god,
which,if
he should violate, he wouldexpect eternal torment
in the world to come. "Is that allt he obligation
he has to be just to his oath?" replied [xxx]. "Let
him know I swear by my honor; which to violate,
would not only render me contemptible and despised
by all brave and
honest men, and so give myself perpetual pain,
but it would be eternally offending and diseasing all
mankind. . . but
punishments hereafter are suffered by one's self,
and the world takes no cognizances whether this god
have revenged
'em or not, 'tis done so secretly and deferred
so long."
B. " I confess, when I have, against
her will, entertained her with love so long as to be
transported with
my passion, even above decency, I have been ready to make use
of those advantages of strength and force nature has given me. But
oh! She disarms me with that modesty and
weeping, so tender and so moving that I retire, and thank
my stars she overcame
me."
C. For my part, I took 'em for hobgoblins
or fiends rather than men; but however their shapes appeared,
their
souls were very humane and noble; but some
wanted
their noses,
some their lips, some both noses and lips,
some their ears, and others cut through each cheek
with long slashes.
D: This young Peeie had a very young wife,
who seeing my brother kiss her, came running and kissed
me; after
this they kissed
one another, and made it a very great jest,
it
being so novel.
E: But [xxx] told him there was no faith
in the white men or the gods they adored, who instructed
'em in
principles
so false that honest men could not live
among'st
em; though no people professed so much,
none performed
so little;
that he knew what he had to do when he
dealt with men of honor, but with them a man ought
to be eternally
on his
guard, and never to eat or drink with
Christians without his weapon of defense in his hand;
and
for his own
security, never to credit one word they
spoke.
F: He told her his design first of killing
her, and then his enemies, and next himself, and the
impossibility
of escaping,
and therefore he told her the necessity
of dying, he found the heroic wife faster pleading for
death than
he was to
propose it, when she found his fixed
resolution.
G: Thus died this great man, worthy of
a better fate, and a more sublime wit than mine to write
his praise;
yet,
I hope, the reputation of my pen
is considerable
enough to make his glorious name
to survive to all ages, with
that of the brave, the beautiful, and the
constant Imoinda.