Feminism in Aphra Behn`s Oroonoko
Women were living in a patriarchal society in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries and unfortunately feminism, as we know it today, did not exist. Some women did, however, express the desire to be equal to men, to be allowed to learn and to do all things that men had the opportunity to do. One of them is Aphra Behn who was regarded as a pioneer of feminism, as she was the first female British author to earn her keep with her pen. In her novella, “Oroonoko”, she challenges many of the accepted notions of the female role at that time through her educated female narrator and her strong active female main character, Imoinda.
First of all, the narrator, even as a white person, is a part of the marginal position as a female in a patriarchal colonial society. She tries to give herself a voice and an authority of narrating as any man at that time. For example, she uses many pronouns as “I” and “we” and the two times repeated words of “my pen” to speak out and express her feelings as the weakest part of society, as a woman. In addition, she uses her authority as a white person to speak for Oroonoko, the hero, and tell his story. The narrator pities Oroonoko because he only has a female to tell his story as she says, "But his misfortune was to fall in an obscure world, that afforded only a female pen to celebrate his fame". This illustrates the unequal worth of men and women in the novel as this shows that no male author would tell the story of a slave. This inequality is also a reflection of women at the time. She is writing the novel because the narrator is seen as a projection of herself and so she will takes part in the story as well.
The other point is that Aphra Behn speaks of Imoinda in a very positive manner as “the Brave, the Beautiful, and the Constant Imoinda”. She even calls her Oroonoko's "Heroic Imoinda". In this time, women had no choice but to follow what they were told by men. However, Imoinda goes against the grain; therefore, she is "heroic". Imonida is a black female dealing with slavery. Unlike the other women, she is not wholly passive, silent, and under the complete control of male dominance. She is quite active in the novel, and that is shown in three prominent examples.
The first one is when Imoinda refused to surrender herself to the desire of the king though, at first, she obeyed the Royal Veil. She refused to submit to the king`s attempts to rape her. This is an obvious brave message that woman has the right to choose her partner, and to say no whenever she feels the injustice of others. The Royal Veil is a tool used by the king to enslave women for his desires. Here, she bravely stands against those colonialist tools, methods, and practices.
The second one is when she fights the slave owners, shooting bows and arrows, and eventually causing the demise of a man. In this scene the other slave wives stand back and watch their husbands, while the pregnant Imoinda takes control of her own actions and does what she feels needs to be done to ensure her and her unborn child’s freedom. The last important example of Imoinda’s active personality occurs when she “faster pleads for death” when Oroonoko suggests killing her, and then himself, to escape slavery. Here, Imoinda displays bravery, strength, and the ability to be active in an important decision that will ultimately be her fate. She is not only protecting herself from slavery and possible rape but she is also taking on the responsibility of being a mother and saving her child from being born into slavery and unfortunately, never knowing freedom.
Both of these women, Aphra Behn and Imoinda`s character, challenge classical female roles by using their voices and actions to either tell their stories or free themselves. Aphra Behn sets an example for the women of upcoming generations to fight for their right of freedom and to stick to their will. She proved herself as an early example of being a feminist, and having a literary authority to express her own ideas.
Written By: Sahar Yassin Elshobaki
