Aphra Behn, Oroonoko (1688): The Open-Book, Group, Quiz-NOT
Group 1: 2334-7 (2203-07 in 8th ed.) "Becoming 'Caesar' and 'Clemene'"
How do the slave-holders alter their captives' personalities by commodifying them, handling them as "things"?
What makes the slave-holder, Trefry, so admirable in Behn's judgment? What does Oroonoko say is the most certain test of character?
Why do the other slave-holders mock Trefry for his behavior with Clemene?
Group 2: 2338-41 (2207-09 in 8th ed.): "Slaves in/to Love"
What "novel" pleases Trefry so much, and how many pages does it have?
What does Caesar's oath to Clemene have to do with the third stanza of Donne's "To the Sun Rising"?
How does Clemene's pregnancy affect Behn's relationship with Caesar and what does she do by "teaching him"? (Am I doing the same thing by "teaching you"?)
Group 3: 2341-7 (2210-16 in 8th: "The Idyllic Tourist Expedition"
What is Eden-like about Behn's description of the jungle, and what might be potentially, tragically Hell-like about it?
Medieval romances, which the plot of Orronoko implicitly alludes to, show their readers frequent marvels, such as magic castles, ogres, and fantastic beasts. What are the marvels that Behn's tourists encounter, and which of them are too marvelous to be true?
When the European tourists encounter the Native Americans, what happens to the perception of the European tourists?
How do "Indian" war leaders compete for command, and what does that say about the human body as a signifier of the self?
Group 4: 2347-58 (2216-26 in 8th ed.) "Rebellion, Killing, Torture, and the Saint's Martyrdom"
What does Caesar tell his fellow slaves about their "masters" to incite them to rebel, and how does that construct Behn's ideology of slavery?
Why does Caesar kill Clemene, and why does she urge him to do it?
How, exactly, is Caesar betrayed, and to what other events might Behn be alluding?
What happens to "Caesar" as a self-concept or "fashioned" identity?