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“Some of the Beauties which indeed are finely shaped, as almost all are, and who have pretty Features, are very charming and novel, for they have all that is called beauty, except the Color, which is a reddish Yellow or after a new Oiling, which they often use to themselves, they are of the color of a new Brick, but smooth, soft and sleek.”
“I have named the highest Degree of Love; for sure, great Souls are most capable of that passion.”
What does color mean to us? Why do we always judge others from their appearance? What is love? What it the deep of slavery?
The book OROONOKO represents the content regarding values of beauty, love, honor, and reveals the slavery issues. I was inspired many times by the pure idea when soaking myself into the book. It is so beautiful when Oroonoko and Imoinda keep their dignity and humanity when facing the forces and custom. They believe reasoning, justice, liberty, freedom and the feeling of love. The combination of Romance and Realism make the book a great adventure. At the same time, as the author Aphra Behn mentions at the beginning that “Though I shall omit, for Brevity’s sake, a thousand little Accidents of his Life, which, however pleasant to us, where History was scared, a World where he finds Diversions for every Minute, new and strange”, the deep issues under the surface is complicated, which we as human still fight to solve like the pursuit of freedom and happiness.
“No Age or Wrinkles should incline him to change, for her Soul would be always fine, and always young; and he should have an eternal Idea in his Mind of the Charms she now bore, and should look into his Heart for that Idea, when he could find it no longer in her Face.”
I understand how hard it is in reality to find and maintain the purity of our humanity in a world with invisible corruption. It is easy to become rigid for the public. I was persuaded to believe the life should be boring and compromise by the name of Grown-up. Being like Oroonoko, there should be courage, deep belief and pure honor.