Oroonoko, or The Royal Slave

At first the beginning of the story didn't make a lot of sense to me, because she was discussing different cultures, and everything! But after I kept on reading the story, I really liked it. This story was somewhat different from all the other stories that we have read in class. I don't think any of the other stories we have read, talked so much about black people, and a black community as this one did. Which shows me that times are really changing, and it's becoming more acceptable to write about other things, and not just write to please the King or who over is in charge.

I like the fact that this is a love story, but its not just about love. Deceitfulness is also a major part of this story. I think it's pretty messed up how Oroonoko's grandfather goes after the girl he knows his grandson loves, and I think he knows they are married also...and he stills gives her the royal vail. And Imoinda has no choice but to accept the vail, I don't know what I would have done in her situation, because 1) that's disgusting, this old man wants you to be like one of his mistress!!! Gross! and secondly, she is already in love with his grandson and i think they are already married!! So that was Oroonoko's and Imoinda first separation, and yet they find a way to still be together and consummate their love anyway! The second time they get reunited is when Oroonooko gets tricked into slavery and Imondia is a slave their also. It shows that true love will always find a way to be!!

I think its funny that even though the place where Oroonoko becomes sold to as a slave, they all know that he is a prince and they treat him pretty good, well i guess better then other slaves! But yet they still keep him as a slave and tell him that the governor will let him go free as soon as he gets their. I also think its funny that they changed his name, once he was a slave. At first I didn't understand why, until I went back and re read the part where it explains why they change slaves names, Aphra Behn writes, "I ought to tell you that the Christians never buy any slaves but they give 'em some name of their own, their native ones being likely very barbarous and hard to pronounce". I think that this is pretty rude for them to do, I know that if I was ever slaved, I would want to keep my name, because its the only think left that's mine. I feel like by changing their name, they are taking away the person they are, which I guess that's what they wanted to do, because slaves aren't supposed to be their own person anymore! So even though I don't like that they change their names, I can still see why they do it.

I have to say I had mixed feelings about the end. I mean I know why Imoinda, let Caesar [Oroonoko] kill her, because they didn't want their child being born into slavery and they were pretty much doing it to save the babies life, and their life, so they didn't have to live in slavery anymore either, because they knew they would never be free again! But it was really disgusting when Oroonoko sat my his wife's body for days, until the smell got so bad, everyone came to see what it was. I mean that is so GROSS, because if it was that bad, think of how bad it was when you are sitting right next to the body!! Then they killed Oroonoko, but they didn't just kill him, they tortured him then killed him in pieces, which I think is just wrong. I mean you have already done so much to this poor man, that it was really necessary to cut him up into pieces! I don't think so!!! But he took it like a man, because it's what he wanted, he had nothing left to live for anymore, his wife was dead, and he was a slave, what else did he have going for him?? NOTHING!