Gender In Aphra Behn's Oroonoko

The concept of gender is often difficult to define; many critical views oppose and clash with one another, whereas some interlink. Teresa de Lauretis views gender as a representation and claims it is not an essence fundamentally determined by ‘sexual difference’ . Butler’s stance fits a similar scope claiming gender is a construction , it is not passively scripted on the body nor is it determined by factors such as nature or language . These definitions of gender essentially portray it as a concept only present once an individual has been placed into a certain gender category by another individual. In relation to this, this essay will present a reading of Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko regarding the concept of gender, focusing on de Beauvoir’s theory of woman as ‘Other’. de Beauvoir professes the view that women are ‘defined and differentiated with …show more content…
Before Imoinda’s status is defined by Oroonoko, she is portrayed as ‘daughter of his foster-father, the dead general’ , she is defined in terms of personal relationships, summarised by Butler as an ‘oppressed situation’ . Being a woman automatically enters her into an oppressive state, she is dominated by men whom are defined in terms of public role, presenting both male and females as polar opposites in terms of equal opportunities. Oroonoko is acknowledged and praised for his achievements, the narrator deems him ‘one of the most expert captains and bravest soldiers’ . Juxtaposing male and female descriptions apparent in the text in such a way highlight the woman as other. Females are fundamentally seen as less worthy, their attributes seem unnecessary to their description as they will not be as domineering as those of the males they are affiliated with. Women are seen as less important and can thus be deemed as ‘Other’ as they are not socially viewed within the same elevated