The one thing that I am impressed with the most is how everything is written. The poem by Alexander Pope is good, the references to being ready for battle to talking about getting married got me for a bit. The reading of everything that we were assigned to read for homework was interesting for me. The … Continue reading The Writing of the Work
What’s In A Name?
“What’s in a name? that which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet.”William Shakespeare The famous lines written by William Shakespeare challenge the importance of a name. The quote is shared between the lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, saying that either would be the same person even if they … Continue reading What’s In A Name?
Royal and Heroic Slaves
Often found in slave narratives is a type of character called the “noble savage” who is an African American character, or other outsider, portrayed as agreeable and uncorrupt to a more dominant group, such as white people. This character trope often involved giving the character “whiter” characteristics to make them more understandable and accepted by … Continue reading Royal and Heroic Slaves
The Theme of the Noble Savage
I think one of the most defining themes in "The Royal Slave" is that Ceasar is always presented as a "noble savage" and in many ways seems to be embellished about in the story. This is very similar to many different writings, including some that were discussed in a class on New Hampshire History at … Continue reading The Theme of the Noble Savage
Imoinda and Ophelia
Something that really interested me about Oroonoko was something that Marc was talking about last class. He mentioned that Imoinda was essentially just bouncing back and forth, falling under the “possession” of various male characters, with hardly any agency of her own. This was a little perplexing – most of the time, we expect woman writers to … Continue reading Imoinda and Ophelia
Oroonoko and his relationship with the King
As we all know there is a direct relationship between Oroonoko and the king which is that the king is his grandfather. The King has already lost all of his sons in battle and as soon as Oroonoko was of age he gave him a bow and trained him to be an expert by the … Continue reading Oroonoko and his relationship with the King
Oroonoko: The Idol of Some
The way that Oroonoko, the character, was written was interesting as well as frustrating. As was mentioned in class, he was written as some noble savage, a man of taste, knowledge, class, and looks that was still noble and somewhat kind despite the betrayals he suffered. His character seems much too well taken care of … Continue reading Oroonoko: The Idol of Some
Oroonoko and honor
While The Royal Slave follows many different themes throughout the story, one of the leading characteristics of the character Oroonoko is honor. The prince has a strong understanding in what is right, or just, and follows this philosophy through his death. All of the actions executed by Oroonoko are done with full commitment. His status within … Continue reading Oroonoko and honor
Thoughts on Jonathan Swift’s “The Lady’s Dressing Room”
One of the first thoughts that popped into my head upon reading this poem was “is this about a man being disgusted by a woman’s dirty clothes?” After not much further analyzation, I concluded yes, it is. I had to look up “Strephon” and “Cecilia” to determine if they had any relevance and found … Continue reading Thoughts on Jonathan Swift’s “The Lady’s Dressing Room”
Comparing and Contrasting Oroonoko and “The Interesting Narrative”
What’s fascinating about Oroonoko and “The Interesting Narrative” is that they both follow slave narratives, but the authors are polar opposites. Aphra Behn was a white woman with no expertise whatsoever (as far as we know), and Equiano is supposedly telling his own story, though historians debate the validity of that claim. Both claim that … Continue reading Comparing and Contrasting Oroonoko and “The Interesting Narrative”
Rethinking Modern British Literature 