On her return to England from Surinam Behn became embroiled in the court of Charles II, who recruited her to spy against the Dutch in the Second Anglo-Dutch War. Spyīy 1664 Aphra married Johan Behn, a foreign merchant, but he died only a few years into their marriage. Her stay on the plantation inspired her to write Oroonoko: or, The Royal Slave, a novel that shows surprising sympathy for the plight of the plantation slave. Behn stayed on the sugar plantation owned by Sir Robert Harley, and letters from the deputy governor of Surinam refer to her as 'Astrea', her code name as an intelligence officer and later, her nom-de-plume as a writer. She was a staunch Tory and Royalist, and may already have been working as a spy for Charles II when she visited Surinam, an English colony, in 1663. In 1640 Aphra Behn was born Eaffrey Johnson of Canterbury, the daughter of a barber. Production notes: This ebook of Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave was published by Global Grey in 2020.Portrait of Aphra Behn by Mary Beale, via Wikimedia Commons Young Woman
This book has 74 pages in the PDF version, and was originally published in 1688. Scholars have argued for over a century about whether or not Behn even visited Surinam.
Researchers today cannot say whether or not the narrator of Oroonoko represents Aphra Behn and, if so, tells the truth. Not immediately successful in her own lifetime, Oroonoko is now the most studied of Aphra Behn's novels. The story follows him as he falls in love, is sold into slavery, is betrayed by his grandfather, becomes reunited with the woman he loves, and leads a slaves revolt which ends in tragedy. Within this is a historical tale concerning the grandson of an African king, Prince Oroonoko. The narrator opens with an account of the colony of Surinam and its native people. Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave is a short work of prose fiction by Aphra Behn, published in 1688. Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave Aphra BehnĪvailable to download for free in PDF, epub, and Kindle ebook formats.
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