The Accurate Reality of Slavery, Research Paper Example

The history of human civilisation is characterised by different stages of human moral and ethical development. In other words, what can be viewed as moral and socially-acceptable in nineteenth century is far from being so nowadays. The issue of slavery and the slave trade is one of the most horrific lessons of history none should ever forget. In order to make sure that contemporary generation understands the horror of the slave trade, it I need to be studied in the diversity of its discourses. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how the novel “Oroonoko” by Aphra Behn creates an accurate picture of the triangular slave trade in Europe, Africa and the Caribbean in the seventeenth century.

Although, in order to create an accurate reflection of a certain issue, the most rational way is to use various well-known historical events and geographical details, the author decided to go a different path. In this regard, the accuracy of depiction is achieved through a detailed description of the practical aspects of the slave trade in the existing socio-political context of the time. The author has written the story from the perspective of slavery in the eyes of an English narrator, which aimed at systematic demonstration of the accuracy of the described events. The story of Oroonoko shows the multi-facet roles an individual could play in the triangular slave trade. In this regard, as a warrior prince of his tribe he would capture his enemies and sell them as slaves to the Europeans. As a prisoner he served as commodity and capital, finally as working slave on a plantation he became a source of labour. Thus, depending on one’s luck a single person could have a triple function in the slave trade of the time:

“The triangular trade in mercantile good is written into Oroonoko’s name; he is both producer and commodity – slave trader, slave labor, and cash crops ” (Athey and Alarcon 425).

In this regard, the entire nature of triangular slavery was shown through the main character’s symbolic and interpretative name and transformation across the story. The dynamics of the main hero’s changes showed the main trends of trade slavery of the time and its role in the British society of the time. The author explained the existing triangular circle: ships coming from England brought good to the colonies in Africa and exchanged or bought slaves for £20 per head from the local warlords or slave traders and then departed to American where they sold slaves to plantations, getting sugar from the local ports they sailed back to England and Europe. The importance of explaining this cycle is dual. From one perspective, the author shows the factual reflection of the reality of the slave trade: which good were traded and where, the price for a single slave and one of the ways how African people were made slaves in the inter-tribal feuds (Richardson 771).

From another perspective, the author also demonstrated that the slave trade was just an element of a more complex politico-economic system of the European countries. British commitment in colonies and slavery boosted trade were driving forces of the economic and industrial progress on the country of that time. In other words, the further growth of British exports and further Industrial Revolution were stimulated by the slave trade. Some scholars were particularly favourable in:

“attributing British overseas trade – particularly the slave trade and related trades in plantation staples – a positive and substantial role in fostering British industrialisation. Williams, the major exponent of this view, claimed that profits from the triangular of the slave trade “fertilized the entire productive system of the country”” (Richardson 740).

In this regard, Behn description of the European perception and political justifications of the slave trade are the best reflections upon the accuracy of the described picture. This reflection is demonstrated in Behn description of the local colonial order and complete power of Lord-Governor over lives of people under his control. In this regard, his perception of slaves as being only means to an end and not human being but commodities in the system of imperial development correspond to the instrumentalist approach to slaves in England and Europe of that time. The merciless rule of authorities in the local colonies described by the author also corresponds to the outlined above thesis of how crucial slavery was for the British profit making and further stimulation of industrialisation.

Another aspect of the accurate reflection of the slave trade of the time is the way the author presented slave’s perspective on the slavery and their place in the world. Although the white population perceived black slaves as undeveloped and uncivilised forms of animals rather than human beings, the enslaved populations never adopted the white discourse and continued to perceive themselves as free people of their own ethno-cultural identity (Athey and Alarcon 429). In this regard, the author was accurate in outlining such practice aimed at the deconstruction of one identity as given slaves new names according to the place of their new existence. The description of this practice corresponds to the commodification of one’s ethno-cultural identity for the purposes of its instrumentalist application. The change of main character’s name “signifies a transatlantic conjunction of consumer, producer, and commodity, and – more profoundly – he represents the human beings who are themselves consumed by slavery” (Athey and Alarcon 426).

The further difference in perception of slavery by slaves and enslavers was demonstrated by the description of mutinies and human motivations behind the slave revolts of the time. In this regard, the author shows that irrespective of being a slave, Oroonoko played by the rules and hoped to receive freedom legally for himself, his beloved woman and their unborn child. It the denial of the opportunity for freedom and return to being treated like a free man again triggered further anger and revolt against the owners. This demonstrates the reality of different perceptions of slavery from two sides of the line. In this regard, it can be argued that irrespective of her imperialist views, the author reflects the duality of slavery status contrary to colonial perception:

“The other procedure consists in recognising the Negro as a person who never accepted slavery, contrary to what is implied by a number of authors writing history from the colonial standpoint. The Negroes always refused to submit to the slave system… anyone who is willing to refer to the sources will see that the whole history of the slave trade and slavery is a sequence of revolts” (Lara 102-103).

Furthermore, another reflection of the accurate reflection of the slave trade was the demonstration of the main character’s punishment and final execution. In this regard, the primary function of the severe punishment and the use of horrible death was to strengthen the existing trade slavery system and keep slaves compliant to the existing order in the colonies. Thus, the author showed the link between the success and profitability of the slave trade and the ability of the colonial authorities to preserve compliance of the slaves (Richardson 755).

Overall, from all mentioned above it can be concluded that the authors managed to describe the accurate picture of the triangular slave trade through various means. The author used diverse details in order to show the complexity of the slave trade in terms of numbers, locations, products, routes. However, the factual information was not primary in the accurate reflection. The main emphasis placed in this novel was on demonstrating the role of the slave trade in its functionality of British industrialisation and further development of the empire. It was also shown through the detailed explanation of different views on slavery by slaves and their owners. Thus, the author created a multi-facet accurate picture of triangular slavery of the described time.

Works Cited

Athey, S. and Alarcon, D.C. “Subjects and Citizens: nation, race, and Gender from Oroonoko to Anita Hill” American Literature, 65.3(1993): 415-443. Print.

Lara, O.D. “Negro resistance to slavery and the Atlantic slave trade from Africa to Black America” The African Slave Trade from the fifteenth to the nineteenth century, Port-au-Prince: UNESCO, 1978. 101-119.

Richardson, D.  “Caribbean Slavery and British Capitalism” The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 17.4 (1987): 739-769.