Oroonoko and Gullivers Travels Essay - 1166 Words

Oroonoko and Gulliver’s Travels By Melissa Eason Mrs. Sarbani Bose Eng 232-69 February 18, 2011 Oroonoko and Gulliver’s Travels Gulliver’s Travels and Oroonoko shatter the myth that European culture was more civilized than â€Å"newly discovered† savage countries. The most prominent examples in Oroonoko are their treatment of the slaves and how they are punished. In Gulliver’s Travels the evidence revolves around how petty, destructive, illogical, and unreasonable human beings act. Though the authors of these stories differ on many levels from their writing style to the very reason why their story was written they have a common theme. They show glaring evidence that European culture is actually more savage than the countries†¦show more content†¦320]. This is Oroonoko’s response to the captain’s betrayal upon their arrival to Surinam. The captain sold Oroonoko to the first bidder when they arrived and not only that they also sold him to a different owner than his other men. But this is only the tip of how savage the Europeans behaved. After Oroonoko, known by this time by his slave name Caesar, had given rise to a revolution he was put to death. The manner in which he was killed is the saddest and most savage display of cruelty. Oroonoko was publicly dismembered and then his body parts were to be distributed to the plantations in order to scare the other slaves into submission. â€Å"And the executioner came and cut off his members, and threw them into the fire. After that, with an ill-favored knife, they cut his ears and his nose, and burned them; he still smoked on, as if nothing had touched him - - - - - - - - - - he gave up the ghost, without a groan, or a reproach,† [p. 341]. Though some of the gory details are omitted in this quote, it is easy to see the cruelty used in his dismemberment and also the desire to inflict as pain as possible. Something that caught my attention while reading of his death was the choice of words used to describe how Oroonoko’s body was â€Å"hacked† apart. To hack at something is to cut it with crude, harsh, and irregular swings. The words mutilate and mangle are commonly used in the definition of hack. In Gulliver’s Travels the authorShow MoreRelatedWilliam Gulliver s Travels And Oroonoko1687 Words   |  7 PagesNeoclassicism in Gulliver’s Travels and Oroonoko Penned sometime between the mid-1600s and late-1700s, a literary genre defined by artificiality and formality, neoclassical literature reflected the style of literature adopted from the Greeks and the Romans. As such, the literature tends to focus on glib characters who were preoccupied with appearances rather than genuineness. In addition, having good manners and public comportment was essential. The literature during the Neoclassical era is characterized