Throughout our history, there have been moments that have traumatically impacted the lives of many. The negative event can either be a massacre, war, and even a dictator who believes they are better than others. One horrifying event that still impacts many people today is racism/slavery. It is a moment in our history that has killed many innocent lives, but yet some people still are close-minded to that idea. In the great novel Oroonoko by Aphra Behn, we can understand the prejudiced minds of certain European individuals, and with the help of Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave by David Eltis and David Richardson we can hear the voices of the individuals who have felt silenced their whole lives.
The transatlantic trade was a constant event in which slaves were being transported from Africa to the Americas. When these slaves were being brought to their “owners” they would suffer in silence while listening to loathsome white people. While reading Oroonko, there are many moments in which slavery and the transatlantic system was being mentioned. For example, it was mentioned that being on these ships, slaves were separated into groups of ten. These groups would be mixed with women, men, and children. This specific section of the novel can help us understand the dehumanization that was occurring in these trades and the way slaves were being treated. These innocent individuals were being treated more as objects than actual human beings.
There is a constant reminder of what has occurred in history when it comes to slavery and racism, but something that is always missing is the slave’s experiences during these traumatic moments. Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave has helped us hear the voices of certain slaves that were involved in these moments. “[The Africans are] so crowded, in such disgusting conditions, and so mistreated, as the very ones who transport them assure me, with collars around their neck… [and] that there is no Spaniard who dares to stick his head in the hatch without becoming ill, nor to remain inside for an hour without the risk of great sickness… [is given] once a day no more than a half bowl of uncooked cornflour or millet, which is like our rice… [nevertheless, most] arrived turned into skeletons” (Eltis, Richardson 24). These horrific details are explained by a slave that was living these horrible conditions that Oroonko briefly mentioned but did not bother to specify in detail. Since these slaves are Black they have to suffer because of the color of their skin, they are treated so poorly and in reality, the European and white Americans do not care if they are suffering during these trips. This small description is just a small percent of the terrible environment and treatment that slaves go through.
Many close-minded people would believe that this mistreatment was temporary or that this only occurred during this specific voyage, in reality, this was happening throughout all the four centuries that the transatlantic slave trade was taking place. Another primary archival quote from a slave suggested that the environment during this trip was extremely poor. “We spent in our passage from St.Thomas to Barbados two months eleven days, from the 25th of August to 4th of November following: in which time there happened such sickness and mortality among my poor men and negroes, that of the first I buried 14, and of the last 320, which was a great detriment to our voyage, the royal African company losing ten pounds by every slave that died” (Eltis, Richardson 48). Not only were people getting sick, but many deaths were occurring throughout all the voyages. It is unfair that people had to deal with this environment for a period in their lives.
Oroonko is a novel that brings many questions to the reader’s minds, but racism/slavery is something that many people can agree was unnecessary and filled with so much hate. This novel explains that many close-minded people only care about the color of someone’s skin than their status or even their humble personality. Slaves and Black people are constantly being mistreated, many people and school systems always overlook that specific part of history. With the help of books such as Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave, we can understand the reality of racism and slavery.
In reality, racism is still something that is occuring today. We are continuously hearing the news and reading articles on riots and movements that deal with getting rid of racism. a subject that needs all the attention it can get because this has been occurring ever since the beginning of American history. Even though Orookno sends many mixed messages on racism, and its main focus is on the pessimistic minds of the Europeans and white Americans. As a society, we do need more books like Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave, which brings more light into the people that need to be heard and seen more. We need more quotes from Black people such as the two primary quotes that were previously used, than having to listen to the same racist people over and over again.
Works Cited
Behn, Aphra, (1688) Oroonko
Accessed: 4 October 2020
Eltis, David & Richardson, David Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave
Accessed: 4 October 2020
