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Part I
Mrs. Aphra Behn -- Born in Kent, 1640.
Lived as a child in Surinam. Died in England 1689. She also
wrote plays, e.g., The Rover (1677-1681); and poems, e.g.,
"Love in Fantastic Triumph Sat"; and a number of
novels.
Mrs. Behn is best known for Oroonoko or the Royal Slave,
published in 1678. Oroonko, an African prince, is sold as a slave
and carried to Surinam. He meets there his beloved Imoinda, who
had been sold previously by Oroonko's grandfather. In Surinam,
Oroonoko leads the revolt of slaves. Oroonoko surrenders when
the deputy governor, Bynam, promises a pardon. Bynam tricks
Oroonoko and the prince is beaten with great cruelty. |
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This breach of honor causes Oroonoko to settle on
revenge. First, he kills Imoinda, rather than leave her to his
enemies, and she dies happily. Before he is able to execute his
revenge, Oroonoko is caught near the body of his beloved and
executed.
Behn wrote with sympathy toward the oppressed blacks. Her
character are so still, so perfect; we know that her story is
mere inventions. It is true she lived in Surinam and knew the
conditions of slavery there. "But she was a European: she
saw with European eyes, and she had European ideals. In
inventing an African hero, she makes him an ideal European
courtier. He is a scholar, a linguist, a soldier of great valour,
a gentleman, and a prince" (Ramchand, 7-11). * * * *
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Matthew Gregory Lewis -- Born in London
1775. Died in West Indian waters on a return voyage. Educated at
Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford. Owned plantations
in Jamaica, visited them in 1815 and 1817. Publications include The
Monk (a novel, 1796), Tales of Terror (verse tales,
1799), Tales of Wonder (verse tales, 1801; numerous
plays; and Journal of a West India Proprietor (1834).
Matthew Lewis' Journal of a West Indian Proprietor,
and Lady Nugent's Journal, may be taken to illustrate
another way in which the West Indies and its inhabitants
appeared in writing before West Indian writers began to speak
for themselves. |
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According to Ramchand, Lewis' Journal
provides a good picture of plantation life and some details of a
restless slave population. "They lied, cheated, and stole.
They made friendships and formed alliances. They loved and
hated like free men." Some consider the Journal the
best book of travel of the period -- it covers the years
1815-1817. * * * *
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Lady Maria Nugent -- probably the first
American wife of a British governor. Born in New jersey 1771.
Died in England 1834. lady Nugent's father was a Loyalist -- on
the side of the British Government during the American
Revolution. When peace was declared the family emigrated to
England. Her single publication is Lady Nugent's Journal
(private circulation, 1839; general publication, 1907).
Lady Nugent's husband was a governor of Jamaica from
1801-1806. The Journal covers the period from 1801-1805.
Lady Nugent wrote for her own pleasure, and for that of her
children, not for publication, unlike Matthew Lewis. |
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in 1839, however, four years after she died, the
Journal was printed in London for private circulation.
As a governor's wife, Lady Nugent's journal contains
information about the affairs of the governor and the people
around him. There are scenes of slavery, and some glimpses of
the lives of the slaves, according to Ramchand.
Lady Nugent met a group of "Eboe negroes" just
brought to the island. "Lady Nugent does not idealise or
europeanise the Negroes: instead she seems to take her eyes off
the objects and give form to her own preconceived idea of the
Negro--using those before her only as a kind of starting
point," Ramchand concludes. In another entry, Lady Nugent
encourages morality among masters so that marriage might be
encouraged among slaves. * * * *
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Olaudah Equiano -- born 1748 in West
Africa. Sold into slavery while a child. Worked in America and
in the West indies. Bought his freedom and settle din England.
Learnt English. His singular publication was
The Life of
Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Cassa the African, Written by Himself
(1789).
The Life of
Olaudah Equiano
provides an early account
of the West Indies and slavery written from the inside by an
ex-slave, an African.
While a child, Equiano was sold into slavery. Surviving the
perilous crossing from Africa to the West Indies, he worked on
an American estate. He served an English naval officer and was
resold into slavery in |
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the West Indies. Equiano learned to speak
English fluently and became a skilled seamen and was a competent
hairdresser. By petty trading in the West Indies he earned
enough cash to buy his freedom and settled in England where he
published his book.
Equiano presented his book
The Life of
Olaudah Equiano
to the British Parliament as a plea against slavery. His
narrative style is simple but effective, describing things and
incidents as he saw them. But he looks for meaning, seeking to
understand. He describes his attitudes and reactions to new
experiences. But Equiano is more than a recorder. He is clever.
He asks innocent questions about the appearance of white men and
their home. He does not understand why men leave homes and
families to take away forcefully others from their native
country. Source: Kenneth Ramchand,
West
Indian Narrative: An Introductory Anthology. London, 1966
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updated 1 October 2003 |
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