ipl-logo

Oroonoko's Heroic Voice In Surina Behn

392 Words2 Pages

Behn’s status as a female gives us better understanding of what it was like to be in a lower position than males. Behn takes advantage of her voice being heard and speaks with pronouns such as “I” that shows she takes part in the story. She observed and recorded Oroonoko’s life and states “I was my self an Eye-Witness to a great part” (Behn 8). In Surinam, Behn met Oroonoko and heard of his life before, then witnesses and hears of his life till his horrific death. “His misfortune was, to fall in an obscure World, that afforded only a Female Pen to celebrate his Fame” (Spencer 215). The story of Oroonoko couldn’t of been written by someone who understands it better than herself. She has “as much authority as a male writer and also with special …show more content…

“Power instructed his Heart and Tongue in the Language of Love” (Behn 15). Imoninda displays the most heroic character in the story and this is shown through the narrator speaking of how great her importance is. Her beauty is endless and causes a “hundred White Men sighing after her, and making a thousand vows at her feet, all vain and unsuccessful” (Behn 14). All men wanted her including white men and these men were willing to beg for her. “She was Female to the noble Male; the beautiful Black Venus, to our young Mars” (Behn 14). Imoninda was so beautiful that she is described as a goddess who deserves a worthy and honorable man. Though her age or wrinkles should not change her beauty and “her soul wou’d be always fine, and always young” (Behn 15). Unfortunately, her power is limited unlike her beauty. Unlike many women during that time, Imoinda goes against the “norms” because she is not silent and is not under the complete control of male dominance. Therefore, she represents a “heroic” figure. There are two examples that show that her role is active and is based on her wants; while one example proves that she lives in a male dominated

Show More
Related

  • Helen The Odyssey

    1374 Words  | 6 Pages

    In The Iliad, by Homer, the characters Helen, Athena, and Hera assert that women may not have power, but by embracing the roles given to them, they are able to leverage their

    Read More

  • First Generations: Women In Colonial America

    615 Words  | 3 Pages

    First Generations: Women of Colonial America, written by Carol Berkin, is a novel that took ten years to make. Carol Berkin received her B.A. from Barnard College and her M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. She has worked as a consultant on PBS and History Channel documentaries. Berkin has written several books on the topic of women in America. Some of her publications include: Revolutionary Mothers: Women in the Struggle for America's Independence (2004) and Civil War Wives: The Life and Times of Angelina Grimke Weld, Varina Howell Davis, and Julia Dent Grant (2009).

    Read More

  • The Tain: Gender Roles In Irish Literature

    1477 Words  | 6 Pages

    Gender role is basically an arrangement of societal standards directing what sorts of practices are by and large viewed as satisfactory, suitable or alluring for a man in view of their real or actual sex. In this paper I will focus on the gender roles with reference to the mini-epic” the tain” This piece of Irish literature presents a very good distinction between the old period and the medieval time period. Formerly, men were the protagonists, leaders or the saviors in the literature. A man had to go to the wars and fights, to preserve the territory and honor (women) was their duty.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Jesmyn Ward's Salvage The Bones

    1782 Words  | 8 Pages

    In Salvage the Bones, Jesmyn Ward parallels the mythological story of Medea in order to highlight her representation of women. The use of Medea, who is embodied in various aspects within the three main female characters, allows Ward’s work to obtain a sense of universality to her narrative. Also with this incorporation, Ward is able to change the dominant perspective of “blackness” that has plagued southern literature written by African-American authors. Salvage the Bones occurs in Bois Sauvage, Mississippi, following Esch,who has just found out she is pregnant, and her poor family just days before the catastrophic Hurricane Katrina. Medea, an anti-hero, who succumbs to her own decisions and the demons of love represents a dynamic femininity, rather than the stereotypical aspect of which is what being a female is.

    Read More

  • Women's Role In The Odyssey Essay

    522 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The Odyssey,” written by Greek poet Homer is an epic tale depicting the brutally enduring quest home of the Greek hero, Odysseus. Within this heroic story, women play a very large and pivotal role in Odysseus’s trip home from the Trojan War. In his attempt to get back to his wife, Penelope, Odysseus’s progress is constantly hindered by the intervention of women who will do anything in order to either convince the heroic figure to stay with them or have him killed. The intentions of the women in the epic are all very different but one of the most prominent roles lies in the seductresses and the alluring women who will deeply influence Odysseus. Most importantly, Penelope plays a large role in portraying the importance of women’s roles in the story.

    Read More

  • Esther As A Bat Mitzvah Analysis

    1251 Words  | 6 Pages

    In the story, Esther is brave and clever and shows great strength, however, these characteristics are unnoticed. This is due the to the time period in which women were only seen by men for their beauty. Through historical criticism, the text is accurate, with regard to male sensuality over female intellect (K.Beal, 1997). In a traditional commentary, Lewis B. Paton, a scholar of the early twentieth century, viewed Esther as remarkable for her looks rather than for any abilities. As that Mordecai “supplied the brains while Esther simply followed his directions”.

    Read More

  • The Submissive Women In The Odyssey

    825 Words  | 4 Pages

    Meanwhile, Penelope is in Ithaka busy dealing with the suitors who vie for her hand in marriage, tending to her loom, and directing her serving maids at work. In Homer’s epic poem, women, and goddesses are treated differently than men and gods when it comes to their freedom, expectations, and image. One common occurrence in this epic poem is unequal freedom for women,

    Read More

  • Oppression Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

    780 Words  | 4 Pages

    In many societies today, individuals are led to believe that the concept of women possessing their own strength or independence is abnormal. As a result, women experience the world in a constrained way in comparison to men, even if they are in higher classes of society. However, these extensive aspects of females are contradicted in some ancient Greek literature. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer portrays women as a vital and powerful force through the characters Penelope and Circe, who counter the normality of misogyny in Homer’s time. Penelope’s character displays how some women are able to exceed society’s standards and show strength and cleverness when it is necessary.

    Read More

  • Women In Voltaire's Candide

    1042 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Candide Voltaire discusses the exploitation of the female race in the eighteenth century through the women in the novel. Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman suffer through rape and sexual exploitation regardless of wealth or political connections. These characters possess very little complexity or importance in Candide. With his characterization of Cunegonde, Paquette, and the Old Woman Voltaire satirizes gender roles and highlights the impotence of women in the 1800s. Cunegonde is the daughter of a wealthy German lord.

    Read More

  • Comparing Women In Macbeth And Homer's The Odyssey

    2082 Words  | 9 Pages

    Women have always been portrayed as the weaker sex compared to men. It has been demonstrated in history itself and throughout literary works. Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Homer’s The Odyssey, however, portray women to be more powerful than men, even when their society thought otherwise and underestimated them because of their gender. Lady Macbeth, The Three Witches, Queen Arête and Penelope demonstrate the astute, charming, and ambitious side of women that was overlooked by men when it came to having power and making decisions.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey Essay: The Role Of Women In Homer's Odyssey

    1255 Words  | 6 Pages

    In spite of the fact that Homer’s Odyssey is an epic story of a man’s gallant journey, women play a huge part throughout. Their unique yet controversial personalities, intentions, and relationships are vital to the development of this epic and adventurous journey of Odysseus. The poem by Homer was written at a time when women had an inferior position in society, yet that didn’t stop them from being any less influential. All of the women throughout the Odyssey possess different qualities, but all of them help to define the role of the ideal woman.

    Read More

  • Gender Roles In James Baldwin's Go Tell It On The Mountain

    475 Words  | 2 Pages

    Another example would be, how all women during this time are looked at to play a certain role and never to step out of their role. Throughout one's readings of Go tell it on the Mountain it is bold how the writer expresses that the female has no type of consent toward her growth as a person. The female role is forced to follow by the male of the household's rules. The male has the say within

    Read More

  • Powerful Women In Homer's Odyssey

    1355 Words  | 6 Pages

    Countless of these tearful songs have been written, describing the image of the woman behind a hero’s victory. In The “Odyssey”, Homer transforms the audience’s perspective about women significantly. All of them, whether beautiful woman or powerful goddesses, are occupied by sorrows. Especially, Penelope and Calypso--the two most influential women in both appearance and the complicated relationship with the guile hero. Although they have very different personalities and backgrounds--one is the queen of Ithaca, and the other is a magnificent goddess.

    Read More

  • The Objectification Of Women In Homer's The Iliad

    1333 Words  | 6 Pages

    Known as an epic war poem, The Iliad delves into topics concerning masculinity, heroism, and bravery. Women play a modest but important role that forms the structure of the plot. Helen’s character aids in expanding Menelaus and Paris’ characters. Homer does not delve into the lives of women like he does with the men, speaking to the notion of inferiority between the sexes. Homer displays women as tangible items through male interactions with one another.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Love In Othello And Aphra Behn's Oroonoko

    1686 Words  | 7 Pages

    Like Desdemona, Imoinda is portrayed as Coramantien’s beauty; who catches the attention and desired by every man. This is shown in Behn’s description of Imoinda. “To describe her truly, one need say only, she was female to the noble male; the beautiful black Venus to our young Mars; as charming in her person as he, and of delicate virtues. I have seen a hundred white men sighing after her, and making a thousand vows at her feet, all in vain, and unsuccessful.” (Behn 81).

    Read More

More about Oroonoko's Heroic Voice In Surina Behn

Open Document