As a New York City student, it is refreshing to read such works like Oroonoko. Not many literary works that I have read as a student portray slaves. Some parts of the history in Oroonoko can be related to the communities I can identify with. In the book Oroonoko, or the Royal Slave, by Aphra Behn, the main character starts off in his native land as a free man of royalty. He is tricked into slavery, and interestingly is treated different from other slaves. Oroonoko is described as someone who is extremely beautiful, which can be why is treated differently. There are many individuals who get treated differently because of the way they look in all communities. Some individuals are classified by just how they look and are treated unfairly because they may not have “beautiful features”. When it comes to people of color in my community, they may be treated differently because of how they look, but in the end, they still fall into one category that is considered lower than the masses.

The histories within the text can reflect issues within our communities. In low income areas, individuals can be seen as being enslaved by the system they live in. There is a form of oppression that is holding back certain individuals. For example, the prison system and be reflected to Oroonoko thinking, where he was stuck to be tortured or he can die. There did not seem to be anyway out, and opportunities were limited. It is unfortunate to think that in some way’s individuals do not see any way out of their problems and oppression other than death. Areas within the communities I live in offer housing for those who are in need of assistance, but it is made to keep individuals stagnant. There seems to be no way out of the areas they live in because the system is made to have a sense of control over people. Even though Oroonoko was treated differently and he even assisted with mistreatment of the other slaves, he did not move up in the scale. He always remained an enslaved person no matter what opportunity he was giving. Like many issues within this day, Oroonoko realized the suppression he was facing along with a group of other slaves. He began to fight the system and encourage other people to as well, but in the end, it did not work out the way he wanted. I see a lot of fighting for change and equality in my community and I have also been a part of this change as well. Sometimes I would admit that it may not work out the way it is expected to.

As I begin reading certain texts, I always think back to my history. I consider myself to be an individual with a Caribbean background. Most text that I read, like Oroonoko, encourages me to divulge into other histories. I must remember to think back on the history of America as a student and grasp and understanding for the time period the work is written in. This forms an understanding to what the text is supposed to be about. During the time this text was written the history within the location can also be compared to the history in New York. The New York area had been a Dutch Colony and the Suriname also became colonized by the Dutch. Both places were also known to have a slave trade area which gives them both similarities. Oroonoko can be compared to modern day New York and within the past. I enjoyed reading the book and will be excited to see what comes next.