In Oroonoko by Aphra Behn the usage of language is creatively used by mixing the fantastical with the wondrously exotic ( marmosets, a sort of monkey, face and hands like a human creature/cousheries, little beast with form and fashion of a lion, as big as a kitten. pg. 10) This works to bring the reader out of their own world and put them inside the world of the author, this is a fantastic trick to play, because it makes the reader more invested in what the author is saying, therefore making the reader more sympathetic to the story being told and investing emotionally more with the narrator. Emotional investment to the story would therefor make the audience more willing to accept the radical idea for the time period that slavery, though condoned by England was an unjust and evil practice, this also serves the purpose of bringing African culture to life, showing that African culture was no more barbaric or uncivilized than England’s culture. This would have been a large blow to the idea of many that slaves were incapable of being thought of as human, due to being uncivilized. The biographical nature of the book also plays a large role in that by having the book be in first person you are not in danger of being “taken out” of the story the way you would be if this were written in another perspective the fact that the narrator is speaking directly to you makes you feel like you’re being taken on a journey instead of just reading a book. The first person narrative along with the stunning descriptive language used creates a flavor unique to the story which would be exciting to the people of England and therefore make the author more sales and spread the message of the story.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Language in Oroonoko
In Oroonoko by Aphra Behn the usage of language is creatively used by mixing the fantastical with the wondrously exotic ( marmosets, a sort of monkey, face and hands like a human creature/cousheries, little beast with form and fashion of a lion, as big as a kitten. pg. 10) This works to bring the reader out of their own world and put them inside the world of the author, this is a fantastic trick to play, because it makes the reader more invested in what the author is saying, therefore making the reader more sympathetic to the story being told and investing emotionally more with the narrator. Emotional investment to the story would therefor make the audience more willing to accept the radical idea for the time period that slavery, though condoned by England was an unjust and evil practice, this also serves the purpose of bringing African culture to life, showing that African culture was no more barbaric or uncivilized than England’s culture. This would have been a large blow to the idea of many that slaves were incapable of being thought of as human, due to being uncivilized. The biographical nature of the book also plays a large role in that by having the book be in first person you are not in danger of being “taken out” of the story the way you would be if this were written in another perspective the fact that the narrator is speaking directly to you makes you feel like you’re being taken on a journey instead of just reading a book. The first person narrative along with the stunning descriptive language used creates a flavor unique to the story which would be exciting to the people of England and therefore make the author more sales and spread the message of the story.
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I agree with you on all accounts here. I was initially really pleased with the quality of writing in Oroonoko; especially with the diverse language. I really liked the first person view as well. All things considered, the writing is pretty awesome for something written in 1688. Then again, my view of the book may be a little biased after coming off of 300+ pages of philosophy. But it's good to know that I"m not the only one who thought this.
ReplyDeleteMy most heartfelt thanks.
DeleteYes, the commingling of genres in _Oroonoko_ makes for some powerful and even disorienting effects. The first person narrator -- typical of a travel narrative -- provides a sense of immediacy that makes the romance section -- set in Africa -- seem equally vivid.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as we discussed in class, there certainly are anti-slavery sentiments in the book. On this point we might even call Behn a Lockean. However, I think it's more accurate to say that the book comes from a time where several kinds of slavery existed. As with most things we find in Behn's text, slavery is used as a way to measure honor -- the kind of slavery Oroonoko practices is honorable. The kind we see in Surinam -- so violent at the end -- is dishonorable.
Because of its descriptive style, I found Oroonoko to be excellent at putting the audience mentally in the story, as opposed to other novels from the era which seemed too vague.
ReplyDelete