Comparison of Journal of the Plague Year and Oroonoko Essay

Throughout history, slaves have been treated like animals and thought of as property, not human beings. Even Oroonoko, a handsome, statuesque prince is turned into a slave because of his race, and is degraded and mistreated. To racist slave owners, the horrible treatment of Africans was acceptable because they were a different species, and no amount of education or beauty could save them. Behn shows how unjust and brutal slavery is in Oroonoko. The treatment of slaves is comparable to the treatment of the poor, as both have few rights, and both are unjustly judged and mistreated based on social status. Behn begins Oroonoko with a description of the native people: they have long black hair, wear jewelry and paint flowers on their†¦show more content†¦. . To which [a person] a thousand times prefer Death.# She further describes how one is sold into slavery, being either sold one by one or in lots with women and children, but families are not sold together; instead, they are separated, as a family cannot be trusted together for fear that they will commit some great Action, to the ruin of the Colony.# At first, slavery is depicted as more of an embarrassment than a painful way of life, and Oroonoko lives a decent life for a while. Oroonoko is sold to Trefry, a Cornish gentleman who assists the Governor, and he proves to be a kind and gentle man to Oroonoko. Trefry cares deeply for Oroonoko, and ever after lovd him as his dearest Brother, and shed him all the Civilities due to so great a Man.# Oroonoko is reunited with his love, Imoinda, who has also been sold into slavery, and the two are allowed to marry (which was a privilege that was not granted often). However, the lifestyle Oroonoko leads is not typical, as he reveals when he makes a speech to other slaves. Oroonoko reveals that slaves suffer Loads, Burdens, and Drudgeries as were fitter for beasts than Men and that both guilty and innocent slaves sufferd the infamous Whip. . . Till their Blood trickled from all Parts of their Body.# The cruelty of the slave owners sparks a rebellion led by Oroonoko, which fails. The slaves are punished in the most merciless manner: they are whipped so