The narrator is a female Englishwoman, and possibly the direct voice of the author, Aphra Behn, who lived in Suriname for a while and may have had similar experiences to the narrator. Almost the whole of Oroonoko is told in the narrator’s voice and from her perspective.

Slavery and colonialism Like almost all of her contemporaries, Behn accepted slavery for most of the enslaved; Oroonoko’s first present to Imoinda is a group of enslaved Africans, and he later bargains for his freedom by offering to send enslaved Africans to Surinam.

The first woman in England to make her living by writing, Aphra Behn (1640-1689) combines memoir, exotic travel narrative, and romance to tell the story of the noble Oroonoko, a black man who begins life as a prince and ends it as a slave.

The main themes in Oroonoko are slavery, race, and primitivism. Slavery and race: In Africa, Oroonoko is a prince and a general, a well-respected young man with a bright future ahead of him. In Surinam, Oroonoko is nothing more than an impudent slave who leads an unsuccessful rebellion.

In the story, Oroonoko is an African prince who falls in love with Imoinda. Later, his beloved is stolen away by the King, who is Oroonoko’s grandfather. Oronooko is then tricked into slavery but is able to find Imoinda again and then leads a slave rebellion.

Oroonoko thus seems to have replaced his uncertain status in the colony and developed a position against slavery. As the leader of the slaves, he argues that no man, woman, or child should ever be enslaved, and that the slaves should unite to become a free and supportive community.

Oroonoko ’s tale is told from the perspective of a female narrator, possibly Aphra Behn herself. The narrator claims to have known Oroonoko during his captivity in Suriname, South America.

The despondent Oroonoko realizes he now will never be free in which his child is going to be born in captivity. He informs Imoinda that he has decided to kill her honorably, take revenge on Byam, then kill himself. She thanks her husband for allowing her to die with dignity, and he cuts her throat and removes her face together with his knife.

When Written: Behn wrote Oroonoko towards the end of her life. She claims to have composed it in just a few hours. Climax: Ooronoko kills Imoinda and their unborn child. Unpaid spy work. In 1665, Behn was probably a spy for King Charles II against the Dutch.

She describes her health as poor, and is very sensitive to all kinds of odors. Her closest friends include Oroonoko and Imoinda, who often dine at her table. The Oroonoko quotes below are all either spoken by Narrator (Aphra Behn) or refer to Narrator (Aphra Behn).