At right: a portrait of Aphra Behn, one of the first women to make her living from writing (chiefly as a playwright), which inspired the following tribute from Virginia Woolf: "All women together ought to let flowers fall upon the tomb of Aphra Behn which is, most scandalously but rather appropriately, in Westminster Abbey, for it was she who earned them the right to speak their minds. It is she--shady and amorous as she was--who makes it not quite fantastic for me to say to you tonight: Earn five hundred a year by your wits" (Chapter Four, A Room of One's Own).
Remember that your first 1-2 page reading response is due in-class. It can be about anything that interests, confuses, or excites you, but try to be specific and consider close reading a short passage to illustrate your ideas. Here are a few ideas to consider as you start reading Oroonoko:
• How does the narrator depict the natives of Surinam? Look at her language and imagery.
• What makes Oroonoko stand out from the other slaves? Why is the narrator taken with him, and how does she describe him and his virtues in the novel?
• Does Oroonoko read like a novel? Some critics claim it is one of the first novels, though the term didn’t exist at the time. What elements are or aren’t like a more traditional (19th century) novel?
• How are the British characterized in general in Oroonoko? Do you feel that Behn was more sympathetic toward the natives and the slaves, or her own people?
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