Using the Behn Oroonoko or the slavery book to answer:
- Is it fair simply to say that slavery is different in Oroonoko’s kingdom than it is in the European culture? In fact, is it even reasonable to make that sort of distinction, or is it simply “making excuses”? What does he seem to believe about concepts like freedom, liberty, and individual self-determination?
- Would it be fair to say that Behn uses her novel to question the idea that European culture is superior to other cultures – that Europeans are more “civilized” somehow than non-Europeans? What evidence can you find to support this view? Is there any evidence to the contrary – that is, does Behn offer any instances in which the non-European characters and cultures appear to be superior to the European ones?
