Skip to content
6 years ago

1268 words

Mitali Sarkar
ENG 302
Professor Kappes
3/19/2018

Across the Atlantic

            The transatlantic slave trade has been one of the most horrid realities of history. Many have lost their identity as they had to learn the ways and the customs of the colonizers. A lot of people from Africa were traded as mere commodities by African kings to the Western traders for money and wealth. These facts are not clearly described by the first female writer of the 18th century novel, Aphra Behn, in her book, Oroonoko or the Royal Slave (1688), who at times sympathizes with the protagonist but also shows her superiority as a white female author. The story is about Oroonoko, a prince from Coramantien, who was tricked into slavery by a Captain who owned a ship full of slaves. Similarly, The New York Public Library’s Digital Collection on Slavery’s artifact paints a 19th century image of a number of slaves who are crammed in a three and a half foot compartment box, which relates to how Oroonoko w. He was also bought in the same way but Behn does not give light to his hardship and his loss of identity due to this transaction. The visual illustration of African slaves depicts one of the gruesome atrocities experienced by the people bought from Africa. However, the novella, Oroonoko,does not have vivid descriptions of the gruesome voyage of the slaves or their sufferings. Aphra Behn has “whitewashed” this prince to such an extent that his European beauty and grace was never hindered as he was always treated with respect,which created a slight distinction from the average slave.

In The New York Public Library’s Digital Collection on Slavery, a 19th century image of a number of slaves are crammed in a three and a half foot compartment box, which relates to how Oroonoko was brought to the New World. . The illustrational artifact is in black and white which adds more to the gruesome situation. On the side of this picture, is engraved in cursive/ script: “3 feet 3 in. high.” The African slaves’ hands and feet are chained and bound together. They are treated like cargoes as they are tied down without a voice to speak against the barbarism done to them.  They are sitting side by side in rows with no space in between them. All the slaves have a gloomy expression on their face. The captured slaves do not have a single piece of clothing on them. The photo depicts the Middle Passage through which many Africans slaves and convicts have been traded and brought into the new world. Similarly, Ooronoko was sold and taken through the Middle Passage. This artifact illustrates to its viewers the heinous environment and the ghastly voyage of the Africans. It also sheds light on the systematic planning and capitalistic approach of the transaction of slaves as mere commodities. Not only did they lose their freedom but their identity was lost in the process.

As soon as Oroonoko is sold as a slave in Surinam, he partially loses his identity as a prince. He is sold to “a young Cornish gentleman” named Tretry (41). In Oroonoko, Behn writes: “Mr. Tretry gave Oroonoko the name of Ceasar” (43). Since now he is bought as a slave, “he begged Tretry to give him something more befitting a slave” (Behn 43). Like the people in the artifact of The New York Public Library’s Digital Collection on Slavery, he needed to change his clothes and look just like a slave. Meanwhile, Oroonoko obediently does this and is oblivious that while taking out his princely robe, he is also unknowingly losing his identity as a prince. Just like the narrative told by the artifact, millions of slaves who have crossed the ocean have gone through the same torture. They were given two names, had to learn to talk in another language, and conformed to the dominant culture. Aphra Behn, took the loss of identity lightly since she mentioned that slave owners did not buy slaves but in the process of it introduced them to Christianity (43). She states that their names are so foreign that they are given a Christian name instead. In fact, Behn humorously calls Oroonoko, “Oroonoko” and at other times “Ceasar;” something that must have affected many slaves like the illustrational story told in the artifact. Historically, the slaves in the archival object were also given ‘Christian’ names (usually their owner’s last name) when they were brought as slaves and treated in what is considered very inhuman, today. In the process, many lost their identity like the slaves in the illustration. Would she have conformed to this practice if the tables were turned? If Oroonoko was really allowed to speak his mind, he would not have allowed anyone to treat him like this. He had to be a naive character in order for the story to remain. Fortunately, once he realized that he was mistreated, he revolted against the colonizers.

There is a lack of realization on the feeling of betrayal and remorse in Oroonoko as a person being sold into slavery in the novel compared to the people pictured in the artifact. It is not till the very end that Oroonoko realizes this and he asks his fellow people who are slaves just like him, “Have they vanquished us nobly in fight” (Behn 62)? Oroonoko realized with the delayed day to day promises made by the governor that he will never be granted freedom from slavery. Behn ceases to show the sorrow and hardships one feels when one is literally snatched, kidnapped, or even tricked into being taken to another country from their friends and family.Unlike the slaves in the historical artifact, who were made to toil as soon as they landed in the New World, Ooronoko was a mere companion to Tetry and was never made to work in the field, which could be a reason why it took him so long to realize the horrid realities of a slave. Behn ceases to portray that moment of truth—the suffering of the slaves in the illustration started from the very first day they were sold or even before that. On the other hand,Oroonoko’s suffering started upon his death as it is only during this moment that Behn hoped that her pen was able to glorify and sustain his name.

Which horrid colonizer came up with this idea to chain slaves and take them to other colonies to work as slaves? Yet I wonder, if there was ever a chance, and if they stuck to their motifs, could they have stopped themselves from being sold or being treated in this way. In India, the Quit India Movement, which was a national movement by Mahatma Gandhi, was able to overthrown the British out of the country. Authors like Behn helped to point out a story of an exotic slave, but failed to show the atrocities that the slaves had to suffer during their life time. Maybe if they started a collective movement and if the kings would not have been so greedy, this would have never happened. Alas! We cannot alter history, but hopefully, we can stop this from happening in our future.

 

Works Cited

 

Behn, Aphra, Todd, Janet. Oronooko. Penguin Books, 2003.

Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library. “View of chained African slaves in cargo hold of slave ship, measuring three feet and three inches high.” The New York Public Library Digital Collections.  http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/cd25e5e0-2658-0132-a7fd-58d385a7b928, Web. Accessed Feb 24, 2018.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to toolbar