The text, Oroonoko written by a white woman, Aphra Behn can not be regarded as a true incite into the lives of the black slaves or their ‘execution’ due to the contrast between the vivid description of slavery and its happenings in the writings published by white women and the devastating details provided by the African-American writers in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. As evidenced in the other pieces of African-American literature, such as the difference between the expression of thoughts in ‘On Imagination’ and ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’ which was written by the same African-American poet, Phillis Wheatley in the eighteenth century, the white rule influenced the true incite supported by the fact that the difference in the two was because one was written during the time of enslavement and under the patronage of a white woman, Selina Hastings. In ‘Oroonoko’, we observe how Oroonoko is able to carry a friendly and peaceful conversation with her despite how he was tricked into being a part of the slave trade and made to work in the fields against his will. “I was as impatient to make these lovers a visit, having already made a friendship with Caesar, and from his own mouth learned what I have related.” The use of the word, ‘friendship’ indicates how white women were interested in the lives of black slaves and puts the African-Americans to a really high position of ‘friends’ when they were actually treated as slaves.

Citations: Item 470 - 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' by Phillis Wheatley Item 146 - 'On Imagination' by Phillis Wheatley

“Assured them they need not tie him, for he would stand fixed like a rock, and endure death so as should encourage them to die”; Oroonoko displays his bold and fearless character at the time of execution to show how he is not affected by the devastating execution which in turn challenges the confidence of the executioner and the crime that he is going to commit- 'should encourage them to die'. The word ‘rock’ as defined by Oxford English Dictionary means ‘A large rugged mass of hard mineral material or stone forming a cliff, crag, or other natural feature on land or in the sea.’ Taking ‘a large rugged mass of hard mineral material or stone’ in reference, Oroonoko compares himself to a rock referring to the fact that he believes himself to be strong, solid, and unchanging despite the fact that he was being executed at that moment. He believes himself to be someone whom you can always rely on for support as ‘the rock’ forms the part of the surface of the earth.’ The evidence that proves why he claims himself to be supportive and reliable is cited earlier in the text, ‘Oroonoko’ by Aphra Behn when he empowers and motivates his people to protest against slavery by questioning their protected values such as- "And why," said he, "my dear friends and fellow sufferers, should we be slaves to an unknown people?

Citation: "rock, n.1." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2019, www.oed.com/view/Entry/166697. Accessed 11 February 2020

“Without a groan or a reproach,”; Oroonoko would rather die than let himself or his child live their life chained under the white rule. As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, the word, ‘groan’ means ‘a low vocal murmur, emitted involuntarily under pressure of pain or distress, or produced involuntary simulation as an expression of strong disapprobation’ and the word, ‘reproach’ means ‘blame, censure, or reproof expressed towards or directed against a person.’ Earlier in this text, Oroonoko motivates his people to protest against slavery as he did not want his child to go through the devastating conditions of slavery. He died ‘without a groan’ as he considered death to be the last escape from letting his child or himself to live in those horrors of slavery and accepted the decision of an execution- ‘and assured them they need not tie him.’ Oroonoko made sure to not let the consequences of his protest against slavery and death affect his child by putting his beloved Imoinda to death.

Citations: "groan, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2019, www.oed.com/view/Entry/81670. Accessed 11 February 2020

"reproach, n." OED Online, Oxford University Press, December 2019, www.oed.com/view/Entry/163065. Accessed 11 February 2020

“But at the cutting off the other arm, his head sunk, and his pipe dropped, and he gave up the ghost,”; The author, Aphra Behn seems to question the existence of God, faith, and trust by making use of the word, ‘ghost’ when Oroonoko gives up his last breath. As evidenced by "Sensible Proof of Spirits": Ghost Belief during the Later Seventeenth Century, which was written by Jo Bath and John Newton, the word, ‘ghost’ implies empirical evidence for the existence of God. “Ghosts had been cast in the role of supporting the whole superstructure of the immaterial world, and the whole edifice of religion seemed to rest on the success of the performance.” I believe that Aphra Behn implies a lost in hope, faith, and humanity when this hideous crime is committed. It reflects the injustice that is being done by continuing this practice of slavery and execution.

Citation: Item 508 - "Sensible Proof of Spirits": Ghosts Belief During the Later Seventeenth Century

“He still smoked on, as if nothing had touched him; then they hacked off one of his arms, and still he bore up, and held his pipe;” Oroonoko’s rage, resistance, and empowerment become the fundamental elements of the ‘mockery’ that he displays in his actions to show that he would not give up his rebellious attitude against slavery till the very end. As evidenced in ‘The Second Treatise’ by John Locke, the direct definition of a ‘rebellion’ is resistance which is clearly observed in Oroonoko’s character. This point correlates with the satiric commentary which is used by Oroonoko at the starting of this passage- “A blessing on thee,” These actions support the fact that sarcasm and mockery during the time of execution is a sign of protest and bravery instead of giving up that posture and pleading for mercy. He does not fail in protesting against slavery until his last breath.

Citation: Item 512 - The Two Treatises of Government: The Second Treatise

“And the executioner came, and first cut off his members, and threw them into the fire; after that, with an ill-favoured knife, they cut off his ears and his nose and burned them;”; The act of ‘Public Execution’ of Oroonoko has been exaggerated by the author, Aphra Behn. As evidenced in the items #45 ‘18th-Century Illustration of Public Execution’ and #261 Two Letters on Public Execution, I believe that the act of executing in the seventeenth century was beheading the black slave with an axe which later shifted to hanging them from the trees in the eighteenth century. I believe that Oroonoko was beheaded rather than dismembered supported by the fact that the readers are not sure about whether the author, Aphra Behn was really present at the time of Oroonoko’s execution- I was myself an eye-witness to a great part of what you will find here set down; and what I could not be witness of, I received from the mouth of the chief actor in the history, the hero himself, who gave us the whole transactions of his youth:”- a claim made by the author, Aphra Behn at the starting of this text.

Citation: Item 45 - ‘18th-Century Illustration of Public Execution’ Item 261 - 'Two Letters on Public Execution'

“And then he replied, smiling, “A blessing on thee””; The satiric commentary used by the protagonist, Oroonoko makes an aggressive use of ridicule against the white power structure to echo the silence and struggle. The African-American literature developed this distinct form of humour where it switched the tragic and absurd situations into comedy in order to motivate the people to protest against slavery such as- The anti-slavery poem, ‘On Being Brought from Africa to America’, which was written by an African-American, Phillis Wheatley expresses the true incite of the oppressed voices, slavery and its happenings subtly through sarcasm when the main idea was to spread the idea of equality and harmony under the white rule and to support human trafficking. Oroonoko starts with making this exclamation in order to agitate the executioners and continues to mock their practice of executing him by asking for a lighted pipe- an action that signifies the fact that his attitude and determination towards the protest against slavery did not get affected by their act- ‘echoes the struggle’.

Citation: Item 470 - 'On Being Brought from Africa to America' by Phillis Wheatley

The Oxford Dictionary defines it as 'the fact of being extremely silly and not logical and sensible'.

“Absurdity.” Absurdity Noun - Definition, Pictures, Pronunciation and Usage Notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com.

The first novel, "Oroonoko" which was written by Aphra Behn in the seventeenth century clearly portrays the themes of slavery, protest, and racism. The protagonist, Oroonoko gets his supporters' attention and enables them to protest by offending them. As marked by the research conducted by Art Markman at the University of Texas, Austin, "the psychological mechanism for offending others is to transgress their so-called “protected values”" which is used by Oroonoko.

Markman , Art. “Why Do People Protest?” SPSP, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, 2017, spsp.org/news-center/member-newsletters/12-18-2017/why-do-people-protest