Oroonoko & the "other fruits"

"...for they do not only in the Woods, and over the savannahs, in Hunting, supply the Parts of Hounds, by swiftly scouring thro’ those almost impassable Places, and by the mere Activity of their Feet, run down the nimblest Deer, and other eatable Beasts; but in the Water, one would think they were Gods of the Rivers, or Fellow-Citizens of the Deep; so rare an Art they have in swimming, diving, and almost living in Water; by which they command the less swift Inhabitants of the Floods. And then for shooting, what they cannot take, or reach with their Hands, they do with Arrows; and have so admirable an Aim, that they will split almost an Hair, and at any Distance that an Arrow can reach: they will shoot down Oranges, and other Fruit, and only touch the Stalk with the Dart’s Point, that they may not hurt the Fruit. So that they being on all Occasions very useful to us, we find it absolutely necessary to caress ’em as Friends, and not to treat ’em as Slaves; nor dare we do otherwise, their Numbers so far surpassing ours in that Continent." (Behn, 12)

The placement of this section of Oroonoko, which introduces and extrapolates on the lifestyle of African slaves in their native land, early on in the book works to establish a crafted image of the slaves in Suriname. Several vague descriptions of the African individuals’ actions provide a very small window into their everyday life and culture in their native lands. Yet, without the knowledge of a geographical location pinned down, the reader is unable to delve further into the descriptions or the historical contexts of the literary work's authoring. The book Looking at Language, Identity, and Mobility in Suriname by Eithne B. Carlin provides a more in-depth look at everyday life and happenings in Suriname, the setting for Oroonoko—including the trade of slaves. This enables the reader to more fully understand the text at hand in many ways. Specifically in this section, the information that many slaves in Suriname were from Ghana allows the reader to explore the descriptions of "other fruits" and "other eatable beasts" being hunted and gathered more intimately. Knowing the geographical setting of the African individuals’ origin provides further context. It means knowing what fruits specifically are in question, understanding more about the historical hunting practices and environment, and better grasping the social environment these individuals are being ported from. Historical contextualization is a vital component to investigating texts from our past and allowing contemporary students and readers to engage with and learn from the literature previous generations have left behind.

Baesjou, René. “The Historical Evidence in Old Maps and Charts of Africa with Special Reference to West Africa.” History in Africa, vol. 15, 1988, pp. 1–83. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3171856. Accessed 6 Feb. 2020.

Carlin, Eithne B., et al. “Looking at Language, Identity, and Mobility in Suriname.” In and Out of Suriname: Language, Mobility and Identity, edited by Eithne B. Carlin et al., Brill, LEIDEN; BOSTON, 2015, pp. 1–12. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.1163/j.ctt1w76x18.6. Accessed 6 Feb. 2020.

Fage, J. D. “African Societies and the Atlantic Slave Trade.” Past & Present, no. 125, 1989, pp. 97–115. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/650862. Accessed 6 Feb. 2020.