Colonialism and slavery in English literature: Case of Aphra Behn's novel Oroonoko or The Royal Slave

Sociological reading of a text seems more advantageous when compared to other reading forms. Author, work, reader and society (covering all the first three factors) are very important factors in the process of sociological reading. While some other reading forms that are based on different social theories may have some limitations, sociological reading presents a wider perspective to researchers.In this study, it was aimed to read the famous novel of Aphra Behn, ?Oroonoko or The Royal Slave? from the holistic perspective of sociological imagination. As a text containing the most of the archetypes of colonial literature, Behn?s work has been read as the first presentation of the noble savage, first anti-colonialist, first emancipationist and abolitionist novel for some time in English Literature. In time, a group of critical readers occurred to demystify and disrupt such perceptions and routine readings of the text. This study serves to a similar ideal by disrupting the routine readings from its own perspective that takes its holistic comprehension from the Sociology of Literature.Within the scope of this study, some terms related to the relationship between society and literature were discussed. Within the historical background, some terms such as ?slavery, colonialism, orientalism and racism? were defined and tried to be understood. ?Legitimacy of Colonialism and Slavery? is the most important one of all these topics for the demystification of an ambiguous point about colonialism and slavery. Emergence of colonial literature from Shakespeare to Defoe was discussed, too. Behn?s social status, ideology, education, social circle, family, job, marital status, changes in her life were tried to be analyzed. In addition to her sociological biography her rhetoric in the text was also tried to be analyzed. In the final chapter, Behn?s work was analyzed in terms of the slavery and colonialism. The portraits of the colonizer and the colonized were tried to be drawn.As a result of this study it was found that Behn?s work isn?t an abolitionist and anti-colonialist text. When the text is read from the perspective of the relationships of the characters with their slaves, it seems possible to analyze two kinds of colonialism models in Behn?s discourse. One is criticized and the other is supported by Behn. While she sympathizes with the slaves who were tortured and governed by violence she tries to construct a new paradigm of colonialism and slavery in which there is no violence and torture. Behn, introduces to her readers some characters who never tortures but governs their slaves without violence and in the same time some other characters that treat their slave vice versa. At this point the main problem is that is it really possible to see such a colonialism model that exists without violence in real life? When we look at the history of colonialism, we can see that there has never been such colonialism before. So, Behn constructs a utopic theory of colonialism and slavery. Thus she produces mystifications with her rhetoric and supports the ruling class of plantation owners. But when Behn does it, she uses some characters as her objects to change the direction of hatred (felt for the colonialism and slavery) from upper class to the members of the lower class.Despite the fact that Behn?s barbarian characters also belong to the upper class, their attitudes and morals are associated with lower class by Behn. What is Behn?s duty in this dilemma? She introduces herself as the peace envoy of a utopic colonialism between the white colonizer and black colonized object, thanks to the mystifications that she produces. A new colonialism model is shown as sterilized from violence and torture in Behn?s text. Even so, all the slaves don?t have the same value in Behn?s eye. Oroonoko is valuable for Behn as he is a royal slave and Europeanized one. However he will be an irrational slave and murder his wife at the end of the novel. Behn?s views about `noble savage? will also change towards the end of the story. Although she sympathizes with the slaves at first sight, it is possible to read her orientalist, racist and colonialist tendencies within the rhetoric of her work.