lunes, 24 de octubre de 2011

The hypocrysy of Oroonoko: when Oroonoko is a royal slave?

Oroonoko thinks he is a man who can do what he wants. But the real truth is that he is not as free as he thinks he is. He prefers not to fight against his family to maintain his position of power instead of rebelling against the king to get the love of Imoinda. If he loves Imoinda so much, why doesn´t he fight against his grandfather, who calls himself ‘feeble’? So, Oroonoko as a prince has any freedom to live his life. In the court, he must obey his grand-father:


· “He would give way to that hope (king´s old age)…”

· “…to make the old king fancy that the prince had no more interest in Imoinda, and had resigned her willingly to the pleasure of the king.”

· “…in the presence of the king, he showed a face not at all betraying his heart...”

However, when he is sold as a slave, he is treated as a true prince in the colony.

· Upon his arrival at the plantation, Caesar is received "more like a governor than a slave." 

· They recognize the prince who took most of them in battle and sold them into slavery, and now they kiss his feet and call him "king."

Such is his hypocrisy that he betrays those who treated him as a true prince: Imoinda killed, betrayed his grand-father meeting Imoinda at night and revolt against Trefy.

2 comentarios:

  1. I imagine that, in the XVII century, the honourable thing was to obbey the king, o matter what.

    ResponderEliminar
  2. Dear Esthela,

    it is interesting to find that you do not have a very high opinion of Oroonoko, although he is presented in very positive terms throughout the novella. Actually, the fact that you question him shows a high critical stance from your part.

    I'm going to mark this post with a 3,5 (I'm using a scale of 5), since I believe you can argue your case in a more efficient way by using language better.

    Please revise the following:

    He prefers not to fight against his family to maintain his position of power instead of rebelling against the king to get the love of Imoinda.

    Such is his hypocrisy that he betrays those who treated him as a true prince: Imoinda killed, betrayed his grand-father meeting Imoinda at night and revolt against Trefy.

    ResponderEliminar