Oroonoko by Aphra Behn - Annotated Edition
Aphra Behn's Oroonoko stands as a pivotal work in the development of the English novel. Written in the 17th century, this groundbreaking narrative follows a noble African prince who is enslaved and transported to Surinam, where he leads a revolt against his captors. More than a century before the British abolition movement gained momentum, Behn created an early literary depiction of the brutal realities of slavery and racial violence.
This Broadview Press edition presents the complete text of Oroonoko with comprehensive scholarly apparatus designed for students, educators, and literary enthusiasts. The annotated format provides essential context for understanding the historical and cultural significance of Behn's work within 17th-century colonial literature.
What's Included in This Edition
This paperback edition features detailed annotations throughout the text, clarifying historical references, colonial terminology, and period-specific language. The informative introduction situates Oroonoko within the broader context of seventeenth-century slavery and the colonization of Surinam, providing readers with the background necessary to fully appreciate Behn's narrative choices and their implications.
Additional contextual materials explore the work's place in literary history and its early reception. Documentation of how contemporary readers and critics responded to Oroonoko offers insight into changing attitudes toward slavery, colonialism, and race across different historical periods.
About Aphra Behn
Aphra Behn was one of the first English women to earn her living as a professional writer. Her contributions to Restoration literature extended across multiple genres, including plays, poetry, and prose fiction. Oroonoko remains her most celebrated work and continues to be studied in literature courses worldwide for its complex treatment of slavery, nobility, and colonial violence.
Academic and Literary Value
This edition, edited by Tiffany Potter, Professor of Teaching and Associate Head of Curriculum and Planning at the University of British Columbia, is designed for classroom use and independent study. The scholarly apparatus makes this text accessible to modern readers while preserving the power of Behn's original narrative.
The best-known work by Aphra Behn, Oroonoko is an important contribution to the development of the novel in English. Though it predates the British abolition movement by more than a century, it is also an early depiction of the dehumanizing racial violence of slavery; Oroonoko tells of a noble African prince enslaved and taken to Surinam, where he leads a violent revolt of the enslaved. This edition offers helpful annotations, an informative introduction, and contextual materials situating Oroonoko in the context of seventeenth-century slavery and the colonization of Surinam. The early reception of Oroonoko is also documented.
About the Author: Tiffany Potter is Professor of Teaching and Associate Head of Curriculum and Planning at the University of British Columbia.
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