Oroonoko

Remember how I was saying in class that, in compiling my bibliography for my preliminary topics, I was finding a lot of sources on both Othello and Oroonoko (together) about interracial relationships? The term for it is actually miscegenation, and if you look on JSTOR or any other database there's lots of information on the subject. For my topic it had a

I wanted to bring this article from Associated Content to the table because it has some interesting things to say about racism in Aphra Behn's story. If you have a look, you'll notice how critical it is of Behn's racist writings. It says that the many episodes of racism prove to "dilute the power of the story itself," stipulating that this "drag on the theme" was not intended. It goes on to cite a couple of remarks that reveal a "racist mind at work." The logic there is quite interesting.

The next page talks a bit about what we were saying in class, about Oroonoko being "Europeanized" by Behn, and confirms an interesting new take on the hero image we wrestled with. It's like Behn wanted to make him European in order to be a hero. The article then says that "Behn may decry racism loudly, but it didn't stop her from incorporating it into her writing."

However, the article takes an unexpected turn when the author suggests that Behn's "most dangerous form of racism is reserved for members of her own race," mentioning the various ways the white people in the story are portrayed in such negative lights. Still, the book is fairly heavily criticized, with the author implying that the story could have been written much better and its goals could have been achieved without the racist elements.

Did anyone else find Oroonoko to be particularly racist?