Character symbolisation in the book Oroonoko or the Royal Slave by Aphra Behn (1688)

Seminar paper from the year 2019 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 1,0, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, language: English, abstract: The paper aks: who are the main characters in Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko; or, the Royal Slave and what are their traits? How do they interact with each other and what do they represent? As the novel gives little evidence what each of them stands for, this term paper will give a detailed analysis about their occurrence, appearance, introduction and importance during narration. In the beginning, the focus will be on the role of Oroonoko, who gives the novel its name and fails to gain his freedom as a royal slave. What makes him different than the other slaves and how is it visually presented? An important point to consider is his European behaviour that he has acquired and how he shows it within interactions between other characters. Nevertheless, his character symbolises much more than these aspects and therefore, it is essential to focus on his attitude towards love and religion in order to highlight his individuality and unique nature. Furthermore, the presence of the narrator within the novel will be analysed in order to see if Aphra Behn creates a narrative that reflects her own impressions during her stay in Surinam or if the story is complete fiction.