The novel as a literary form has a long and diverse history but most scholars would agree that the modern novel came into prominence during the 17th and 18th centuries. This coincided with the emergence of a middle class that gained its wealth from mercantilism and imperialism. This new class of people had much leisure time to devote to such diversionary activities as reading. This new reading public voraciously devoured works from authors such as Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding and Daniel Defoe, and the novel became the most popular form of literature.

One of the first people to author a novel in the English language was Aphra Behn, who was the first professional woman writer in England and a well-known playwright of the time. Behn published the landmark work Oroonoko in 1688, less than a year before she died. While not an initial runaway success, the work went through several printings and later went on to form the basis of a successful play written by Thomas Southerne in 1695 (Todd).

Oroonoko tells the story of an African prince who is kidnapped from his homeland and sold into slavery in the English colony of Suriname, located in South America. The short novel recounts the life of the titular character, including his upbringing in the West African nation of Coromantien, his betrayal and kidnapping, his experiences as a slave in the New World and finally, his attempted rebellion and execution. It is a gripping and effective portrayal of slavery and colonization during the 17th century.

The story of Oroonoko seems deceptively simple but the work has many components. It contains elements of the memoir, the biography, and the travelogue. But while Oroonoko draws from other literary forms and genres, it has characteristics that places it firmly in the realm of the novel. When one examines each of these characteristics, it is easy to see why Oroonoko is considered one of the earliest examples of the English-language novel.

When writing Oroonoko, Behn presented the story as a “true history,” implying that the events of the story actually happened. This was common in early novels as an appeal to realism. This stood in contrast to other types of prose works that were more fanciful and removed from the real world, such as romances. Whether the events in Oroonoko actually occurred or not is up for debate but by labeling the story a “true history,” Behn lets her readers know that the plot and themes of the novel are drawn from the current events of that time period.

The plot of Oroonoko is centered around slavery and colonialism, relevant subject matter for the time period in which Behn was writing. The 17th century was an era expanding colonialism, an increase in the trading of slaves and constant imperialistic wars between the Crowns of Europe. Behn set her narrative in Suriname, an English colony in South America that was infamous for the particularly brutal form of slavery that was practiced there. Africans were kidnapped and shipped to the colony to work on cocoa, coffee, and sugar plantations. These enslaved people faced harsh conditions in this strange new land and even harsher punishments if they attempted to gain their freedom.

Behn’s inclusion of a slave uprising in Oroonoko points to a history of rebellion in Suriname. Due to the horrific conditions they were forced to endure, enslaved Africans rebelled against their owners almost immediately in the early days of the colony. The Narrative of a Five Years Expedition Against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam by John Gabriel Stedman, though written decades after Oroonoko was published, documented the type of revolts that were all too common in Suriname. In Stedman’s narrative, one can see parallels between the actions of the rebellious slaves he encounters and the actions of Oroonoko in the story as he leads a slave revolt. By tying the narrative to commonplace events during this time period, Behn’s work stands out from earlier forms of prose like epic narratives, which were usually about events and matters the reader would have no immediate connection to.

Another aspect of Oroonoko that characterizes it as an early novel is how Behn presents the narrator. The story is told in first-person from the point of view of a white British woman visiting acquaintances in Suriname. The reader gains access to her thoughts, feelings and viewpoints as she gives her account of life in colonial Suriname as well as the relaying of Oroonoko’s story. This was unique, as most earlier works of prose offered little of the inner thoughts of the narrator. Behn drew from her own personal experiences in Suriname when crafting the story, and the unnamed narrator could be seen as a stand in for the author (Todd). This also ties into the realism that Behn is trying to convey throughout the story.

Behn’s writing style is very expressive. From describing Oroonoko’s physical composition to documenting the culture of the indigenous peoples of Suriname, Behn’s descriptions are very rich and thorough. This attention to detail was another characteristic of the burgeoning novel form and Behn was one of its earliest practitioners. Though later authors tended to get a little carried away with presenting the most minute details, Behn’s writing style is illustrative but not gratuitous.

Lastly, the portrayal of Oroonoko presents a well-developed character. Most characters in other literary forms such as plays, epics and romances were usually defined by one major characteristic. These characters rarely grew or changed throughout the story; they usually moved from one situation to another like a piece on a chess board. With Oroonoko, Behn created a sympathetic character that the reader becomes emotionally invested in. Oroonoko is portrayed as an intelligent and regal man who goes from being a willing participant in the slave trade while in Africa to being a rebellion leader in the New World. The reader comes to learn of his thoughts and motivations, which makes his story all the more tragic.

Though Aphra Behn was primarily a playwright during her years as a writer, her lasting legacy is contributing to the evolution of the novel with Oroonoko. This work, with its groundbreaking elements, served as precursor to the later novels that would come to dominate the literary world. It is a notable work that is remembered as important in the development of the novel and has cemented Behn’s place in history as a literary trailblazer.

Works Cited

Behn, Aphra. Oroonoko. 1688, William Canning: London

Stedman, John Gabriel. Narrative of a Five Years Expedition Against the Revolted

Negroes of Surinam. 1796. gale.com Accessed 28 Sept. 2020

Todd, Janet. Oroonoko:Political and Historical Contexts. British Library. 2018.

bl.uk/restoration-18th-century-literature/articles/oroonoko-political-and-historical

contexts. Accessed 15 Dec. 2020.