I really couldn't come up with a good name for this post so, yeah, I just kinda slapped my main qualm onto it.
The main thing I wanted to discuss about Oronooko is that it is
really hard to read, at least for me. These sentences go on and on and on way longer than necessary, and the paragraphs are big and written in a tiny font size. Honestly, it made it REALLY hard to focus on what I was reading and it was making it hard to draw me in, because the sentences kept running instead of moving on and the story takes so long to actually get going.
Honestly, when someone starts a story with 'Before I tell you the story, let me tell you this other thing' and goes on for like two or three paragraphs about it, you know you're in for a long ride. I mean, I'm sure it's probably important information, but I'm a busy man and I want to get down to business.
Anyway, onto the actual story.
One of the first things that struck me was the way the narrator describes Oronooko... By which I mean, it's
kinda racist.
Admittedly though, it is the week where have to deal with
uncomfortable racism at the dinner table. So, fitting.
I mean, the narrator basically goes on about how Oronooko is an imposing, beautiful man and isn't like the 'rest' of his nation, for example- "his mouth the finest shape that could be seen, far from those great turned lips that are so natural to the rest of the Negroes." Like, whoa, calm down there grandma, keep your racist mutterings to yourself please. I mean, I get that we're trying to describe Oronooko as an ideal, probably almost godlike example of his people, but does that really mean we need to
once again dive into that offensive territory of describing African people in a derogatory way?
The answer is always no.
But regardless- I'm about to take this in a very different direction, now that I'm done complaining. So, after reading, it occurs to me that Oronooko is a Prince. "Well duh, Sean," You might say, "We all read the text, we know that." To which I respond, yes, I'm sure you know, I'm not done talking yet so sit down and shut up Captain Sassypants.
The thing is, Oronooko is a Prince of a place called
Coramantien. Now, I'm no expert on African geography, but I'm fairly certain there's no country in this day and age called that. I even looked it up. No results. Sounds like it's either an old kingdom that got renamed later, or just never existed.
Or maybe it did and I didn't look hard enough for information. You can't prove anything.
Anyway, where I'm going with this is to say: Oronooko is a Prince, specifically prince of a possibly fictional African country. Maybe he doesn't pull off any majorly heroic feats in this tale- at least, none that I saw- but this situation does sound mildly familiar...
You thought I was done with superhero jokes after the Wife of Bath? Think again.
Yes, ladies and germs, obviously Oronooko is secretly T'Challa, the man who would become King of Wakanda, and the superhero Black Panther. It all makes sense! Or, well, maybe he's T'Challa's ancestor. Or maybe Stan Lee read Oronooko. I mean, there's a few possibilities, right? I'm not crazy.
Anyway, there you have it. My complaints, and my obligatory goofball humor for today. Join us next week on Self & Society for the obligatory Beach Episode.