Ethical Issues in Oroonoko: Slavery

For years, man has illustrated his willingness to perform injustices to those weaker than he. From the yobbo in the schoolyard, to the mogul and his court, it seems that man has a desire to control and overcome others. Oroonoko, by Aphra Behn, illustrates that thrall is wrong, humiliating, demoralizing, and worse than finish. Oroonoko is a powerful story about the tribulations of a gallant prince named Oroonoko. Throughout the novel, he is shown to be a b arfaced prince and a friend to many. He is given command over an host and shows his military and strategical prowess by winning his battles and conquering his enemies.In the beginning of the novel, the prince presents Imoinda, the daughter of his foster father, with a gift of slaves that had been captured in his successful battles. For Oroonoko, bondage was accepted and part of his daily life. However, in the novel, Behn presents slavery as a controversial and central issue towards the downfall of Oroonoko. Is it ethica l to enslave another human and own them like a piece of spot? What does the novel say about an issue such as slavery? The book, in fact, condemns this type of horrific behavior.She illustrates this issue by showing that slavery is demoralizing and humiliating to the people who are involuntary subjected to this kind of torment. In the beginning of the story, Behn describes the native people of Surinam, a colony in the westmost Indies, as beautiful, respectable, and friendly. Behn says, for those we live with in perfect amity, without daring to command em only when, on the contrary, caress em with all the brotherly and friendly esteem in the world. The natives are very useful to immigrants who came from other areas of the world into Surinam.Behn design of them as being helpful because she could learn their culture and their everyday title of life. Behn finds it, Necessary to caress em as friends, and not to treat em as slaves. Here, Behn says that treating the people of Surina m as slaves is improper and immoral. She says that friends should not be enslaved because they are helpful and caring. Through this effect, Behn considers slavery as an unethical issue. In the novel, Behn displays slavery as an issue that is associated with misery and torment. This occurs when the prince encounters the English captain who deceitfully places Oroonoko and others in captivity.Oroonoko is portrayed in a state of suffering when he is enslaved, We were no so superstarr arrived but we went up to the plantation to see Caesar whom we found in a very miserable and unexpressable condition and I bring in a 1000 measure admired how he lived in so practically tormenting pain protesting our innocency of the fact, and our abhorrence of such cruelties. While Oroonoko is at the plantation, his attitude is diametrical from when he was the commander of the army. He is miserable, sad, and in a position with less(prenominal) power than he had before.In conjunction with the misery t hat is involved with slavery, the actions that consent with a slave such as whippings are also condemned in the novel, No, I would not kill myself, even after a whipping, but will be content to live with that infamy, and be pointed at by every grinning slave. Behn depicts a slave as someone one who is mentally and physically humiliated. In general, public humiliation is and torment is an unethical issue and Behns portrayal of misery, humility, and torment proves that slavery is immoral Oroonoko. In Oroonoko, Behn creates a mindset that favors death over slavery.One situation in the novel where slavery is condemned is when the king threatens to send Imoinda off to another outlandish to be sold as slaves. He ought to have had so more than value and consideration for a maid of her quality as to have nobly put her to death, and not to have sold her like a common slave the greatest revenge, and the most disgraceful of any, and to which they a thousand times prefer death. She states that slavery is the perfect revenge against someone who has deceived another. The king orders, that they should be both sold off as slaves to another country, any Christian or heathen, twas no matter where.This cruel sentence, worse than death, they implored dexterity be reversed. After constantly repeating the idea of someone preferring death many times over slavery in the novel, Behn shows the reader that slavery is unethical. In conclusion, Behn shows that enslaving a friend is wrong, and that slavery brings about humiliation, torture, and grief. Behn uses the morbid effectuate of slavery to the extent when she categorizes slavery as being many times worse than death. Using these techniques, Behn gives an immoral connotation to slavery in Oroonoko.