Jessica Umana 

Professor Rumore 

ENG 302 

Writing Assignment 4: Period Recap 

18 May 2020

 Slavery during the Eighteenth Century 

During my time in this semester, I was able to develop a deeper understandment and gain knowledge on the effects of slavery. During the eighteenth century, African Americans were kidnapped from Africa and sold to American colonies while others were forced to work as servants and produce goods for trade. During this course, I was allowed the opportunity to read several novels and poems which had a greater connection to slavery. 

Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, was one of the first novels we were able to read as a whole during this course this semester. Aphra, in fact, is a white woman who writes a novel on slavery which is pretty ironic. Oroonoko focuses on the grandson of an African King, who was powerful but then sold as a slave and killed. The novel itself emphasises the issues slaves were facing, more specifically, focuses on their ownership and authority as African Americans. The prince, Oroonoko, was transported back and forth during his life as a slave and had to undergo several forms of ownership before he died. However, most importantly, we are able to captivate as readers the cruelty and humiliation slaves had to go through during this specific time through the story of Oroonoko himself.

Furthermore, as we read Oroonoko, we realize how deeply in love he is with Imoinda and how his love for her leads to his death sentence. Shortly, his grandfather also falls in love with Imoinda and quickly finds a way to make Orookoko vanish so that he can have her all to himself.  However, since she wasn’t obeying and giving up on her love for Oroonoko, the grandfather decided to sell them both into slavery. After being enslaved, Oroonoko realized the cruelty and the quality of life these African Americans were forced to live in with no freedom whatsoever. He then argued that no one, including  man, women or even children, should ever have to be enslaved. He then encouraged freedom and stated that all the slaves should unite to become a free and supportive community in order to end racial inequality and slavery. 

Moreover, one of the poems we were able to focus on in class was “Being brought from Africa to America”by Phillis Wheatly, an African American poet. She was an African American woman who talks about what women went through during the eighteen century. In this poem, Wheatly speaks on her personal experience as a young girl and emphasises on the time she was taken from her home and brought to Massachusetts to be a slave. She argues that all people no matter the race or skin color, are able to find salvation and be free through Christianity. Wheatly stated, “ Some view our sable race with scornful eye,”Their colour is a diabolic die. Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain, May be refin’d, and join th’ angelic train”(6-8). In this quote, the speaker argued that many people classify dark skin people to be evil and from the devil. However, she reiterates the importance to know that no matter the skin color, everyone has the opportunity to be saved. More specifically, she states that African Americans should not be shamed by their dark skin because they have access to redemption through Christianity.  

Lastly, in” An Hymn to Humanity”, by Philis Wheatly as well, she combines both christan and classical myths in order to convey her own opinions on slavery. I would classify this poem as being a sort of tribute to Africans that were slaves during this time. Wheatly describes in this poem how she was treated as a slave and resembles her story in the poem. On stanza five she says, “Can Afric’s muse forgetful prove? Or can such friendship fail to move. A tender human heart? Immortal Friendship laurel-crown’d. The smiling Graces all surround. With ev’ry heav’nly Art”(25-30). In these lines, the speaker is referring to herself. She singled out the Afircan Americans and was able to talk on how God compensated for the faults and thoughts of humanity towards African Americans allowing them to feel a sense of relief.

Overall, all three of these works of literature demonstrate how slavery was a huge issue during the eightteenth century. In Oroonoko, Behn tells the story of a African American prince who was taken into slavery and then eventually died from fighting for his freedom. In “Being Brought from African to America” and  “An Hymn to Humanity,” Wheatly speaks on her own experience on slavery and how christianity was the only thing that was able to bring her freedom during these difficult times. Slavery impacted the lives of African Americans in an appalling way and although it no longer exists, it is still very impactful to learn and read about peoples lives and experiences as slaves. Although these individuals no longer live in slavery such as Wheatly, it is something that will forever live in African Americans hearts and will always be an impacting and hurtful story to tell to others.