and White:
Behn says natives and whites live in peace. The native people help the whites in the forest. They are kind, simple, and honest. They live close to nature and have pure hearts. The whites, however, are often greedy and full of lies. They use sweet words but cheat others. The natives are better in morals. But the whites have more power. So they try to control the natives. Oroonoko and Imoinda are two special natives with royal and noble hearts. Through the quote below, the narrator compares the White cruelty to the Black innocence.
“These people represented ... the first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin.”
Evil of Colonialism: This novel is against colonial rule. Behn shows how badly the British treat others. The settlers break promises again and again. Byam promises to send Oroonoko home. But he tells lies and does not keep his word. When the slaves run away, the settlers go to catch them. They hurt and killed the slaves. Banister’s cruelty is beyond our imagination. Here is the description of Banister.
“...Banister, a wild Irishman, and one of the council, a fellow of absolute barbarity, and fit to execute any villainy, but rich;...”
Behn also leaves the land during the fight. These things show the British as fake friends and cruel rulers.
Fake Promises: Many settlers in the novel tell lies. They cheat Oroonoko again and again. The ship captain tricks him first. Then Byam promises to free him but does not do so. They even write a paper to make the promise look true. But later they beat him and forget the paper. These lies bring great pain to Oroonoko. He loses trust in the white men. He also feels lost in life. He says white men do not even fear their own gods.
Truth of Slavery: Slavery is shown as a great evil. Slaves are caught like animals and sold for money. Oroonoko himself sold many slaves before. But later he becomes a slave too. His pain shows how bad this system is. Imoinda is also made a slave without any fault. They are treated like things, not people. They are given new names and no freedom. Their deep love and high birth do not save them. Slavery destroys human life, as Behn says,
“They had lost the divine quality of man, and were become insensible asses.”
In summary, the story of “Oroonoko” is full of pain and truth. Behn tells the real story of how British rule and slavery hurt good people. She praises the natives and their simple life. She shows that colonialism is full of lies and tricks. The love between Oroonoko and Imoinda is deep and noble. But in the end, both die because of slavery. The novel teaches us that freedom is the most important thing in life.
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