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Introduction

Aphra Behn (1640-1689), one of the first English women writers in the seventeenthcentury, is also regarded as an important poet, translator, playwright and fiction writerof the restoration time. This celebrated woman writer in the seventeenth century iscredited with influencing the development of the English novel toward realism. AsVirginia Woolf puts in her A Room of One’s Own, “All women together ought to letflowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn which is, most scandalously but ratherappropriately, in Westminster Abbey, for it was she who earned them the right to speaktheir minds” (Woolf 69). Behn, who broke cultural barriers, is mainly remembered as afine literary role model. According to Britannica,“Aphra Behn’s place in history extendsfar beyond her title as the first professional woman writer; her fame was marked by herlibertine and revealing writing style during a time period when women did not have aplace nor a voice, in the patriarchal society of seventeenth century England.”Attributingher success to her “ability to write like a man,” she competed professionally with theprominent “wits” of Restoration England, including George Etherege, WilliamWycherley, John Dryden, and William Congreve. Similar to the literary endeavors ofher male contemporaries, Behn’s writings played up to the libertine tastes of KingCharles II and his supporters, and occasionally excelled as humorous satires recordingthe political and social events of the era.Behn’s most enduring work is the novel Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave (laterreferred to as Oroonoko1), which is considered to be one of the earliest novels to userealistic technique and incorporate a title character often regarded as the first “noblesavage” in English literature. Just as Hunter remarks, Behn is the foremother of Britishwomen writers, and her celebrated work Oroonoko has occupied a position as a crucialtext in the history of the novel (Hunter 1). A spy for King Charles II, one-time prisonerin debtor’s jail, controversial political writer and Restoration dramatist, Aphra Behnsecured her place in history with the writing and publication of her prose narrative novel Oroonoko in 1688. Oroonoko holds an important place in English literature asone of the first social statements against slavery. Oroonoko has been praised as an earlyabolitionist book due to the nobility and heroism of its African royal prince. It has alsobeen condemned as having perpetuated negativity towards Africans by way of itsnarrator never opposing slavery. Despite these conflicting arguments, Behn’s worksignificantly contributed to the development of anti-slavery literature and influenced theevolution of the English novel. Although relatively little is known of her personal life,through Oroonoko considered by many to be a landmark of fiction and one of thegreatest contributions to British literature, Behn’s literary mirror of the early colonialempire can be searched and analyzed.
Oroonoko is the story of an African prince who deeply loves the beautiful Imoinda.Unfortunately, his grandfather, the king, wants to possess Imoinda, too. Imoinda iseventually sold as a slave and is taken to Suriname which is under British rule.Oroonoko's tribe is a supplier for the slave trade. One day an English ship arrives andthe captain invites prince Oroonoko to come aboard for a meal and drinks. After dinner,the captain takes advantage of Oroonoko's trust and takes Oroonoko and his menprisoners. The shi