Literary Analysis Essay on Oroonoko by Aphra Behn

Aphra Behn is a celebrated and prolific prose writer who prides in some works of art. One of her beautiful masterpieces, the novel of Oroonoko is one that has attracted a pool of readers across the globe. The novel gives an account of the slave life at the hands of the English farmers in the Surinam in the South American plantation farms. It is based on this account that this task sets out to give an insight into the story of Oroonoko who is an African prince depicted for his boldness and astute attributes. Driven by these characteristics, Oroonoko leads the fight for the abolition of the slave trade as well as slavery in his community.

The significant aspect of the passage is the thematic concern of the major character in the novel, Oroonoko. He is depicted as a person who strives to bring change in his community, choosing to brave the odds and fight slavery and slave trade. This story is significant in the sense that the author fronts an aspect of bravery on the part of Oroonoko as he fights off the monsters of slavery and slave trade in a foreign land having been sold off by the merchants.

In the story of Oroonoko, the author has employed specific stylistic and structural techniques in heightening the novel and the theme of slavery. The structure chosen by the author is one that fits the thematic concern of the author and the novel perfectly. The story is long, the passage is also long, and comprises of a series of long sentences. The dense structure of the paragraphs could be said to mirror on the activities and events of the slavery and slave trade as depicted in the novel. The novel gives the meaning of the thoughts of the author, and the readers get immersed in the time series of the novel.

The passage relates to the entire passage in the sense that it captures and addresses the central thematic issue in the novel, and mirrors the details the events that occur in the novel. It sheds light on the plight of the slaves in the South American plantation farms and gives the provocative force that prompts Oroonoko into adopting the fight to abolish the slave trade. For instance, a place known as the Coramantien is a country that has been described as the home of the blacks and wad found to be very friendly for the slave trade and formed a very fertile ground for trafficking of merchandise. The passage describes this region as one that is marked by constant wars and bravery, and that the individual members of this country could be captured as prisoners of war and sold out as slaves. The passage also says the proceeds realized from the sale of these slaves ended at the hands of the war general. The passage also states that those using the proceeds under the war general in acquiring ships and other freights for their masters.

In a nutshell, slavery and slave trade is a very inhuman activity and leaves the victims with not only psychological effects but also devastating consequences that also include physical abuse. All humans are born equal and subjecting some to severe and inhuman conditions should be meted with the highest level of condemnation and rebuke. The author through the character in the name of Oroonoko stands against slavery and slave trade because of the inhuman attributes of the outlawed business.