Oroonoko: or The Royal Slave

A detailed Summary of Oroonoko: or The Royal Slave

Pages 1-9. The first two paragraphs serve as an introduction to the novella, and try to show the reader this is supposed to be a true story. Just reading these first two paragraphs, it sounds as if this could be a romance or a tragic romance. Relations between the natives and the English seem to be good; at least this author seems to respect them. The natives are important to the whites because they trade with them and the natives show them how to survive. The English don't enslave them because they are "useful" to them. The blacks do the work in Surinam. The people who want slaves contract with a slave ship, and when the ship comes back, they get the slaves they paid for. Behn's description shows these people have a distinct culture, enjoy ornaments and colorful clothing, and he makes them sound dashing and dignified, which could indicate a noble savage genre. Oroonoko is a brave soldier with a "native beauty." He is honorable and gallant, he is educated, but not by reading, spoke French and English, and he is very black. He is grandson of King Coramentien. He is attractive because he is literate, graceful, and has attributes of someone "civilized." The theme could be "ennobling the African." Imoinda is as beautiful

as Oroonoko is handsome, and even white men think she is beautiful. Their courtship is filled with presents and with "love and joy," but they are separated by the king, who wanted her for himself because she was a virgin. She told the king she belonged to Oroonoko, but he discovered she was still a virgin, and so kept her for his own. This shows the country was afraid of and would not go against their ruler, and that they had some barbaric customs regarding women. He did not think he could take her back because she had become the wife of his father, and he cannot marry his father's wife. This part of the story might represent star crossed lovers or the tragic romance.

Pages 10-20. Oroonoko and Imoinda meet in her chambers and sleep together. Oroonoko wishes that he had not taken his father's wife, but he loves her. She sends him away to the wars, and convinces him that he has to save himself to save his love. The king is furious, but decides not to kill Imoinda, but to sell her as a slave. Imoinda believes Oroonoko will be safe because she tells the king that she could not stop him. He excuses Oroonoko because he is his only heir, and because he felt Oroonoko had a reason for what he did. The messenger asks Oroonoko to forgive the king because he is old and feeble. Oroonoko decides never to fight again, and to always remember Imoinda with tears and sighs. Oroonoko tells the messenger there is no revenge between them, and then he would not fight with his men, he shut himself away. Oroonoko resembles ????? Oroonoko says that if he must die he will do it nobly, and this sounds like ???? The army is unprepared for fighting on their own and they need his as their

Some common words found in the essay are:
Oroonoko Imoinda, , Oroonoko Oroonoko, Imoinda Oroonoko, African Imoinda, Indians English, Indians Indians, King Coramentien, French English, oroonoko tells, oroonoko decides, tragic romance, father's wife,

Approximate Word count = 1136
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Novels