A Loss of HonorOroonoko & Fatomina

By: Seth Russell, Chelsea Staheli, Melissa Medaris, & Rachelle Snow

Thesis

• The social constraints that have been established by society can lead to an initial fall and eventually loss of one’s honor.

Oroonoko

• Restraints: –Talking p. 936-37–Grandfather’s Wife p. 935–The Otan p. 935–Slavery p. 961

Social Restraints Application: Hitch

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqps_-QfnOQ

Talking

• “But as soon as the King was busied in looking on some fine thing of Imoinda’s making, she had time to tell the Prince with her angry but love-darting eyes that she resented his coldness, and bemoaned her own miserable captivity. Nor were his eyes silent, but answered hers again, as much as eyes could do, instructed by the most tender and passionate heart that ever loved.”

Grandfather’s Wife

• “Imoinda is as irrevocably lost to me as if she were snatched by the cold arms of Death. Oh! She is never to be retrieved. If I would wait tedious years, till fate should bow the old king to his grave, even that would not leave me Imoinda free; but still that custom that makes it so vile a crime for a son to marry his father’s wives or mistresses would hinder my happiness, unless I would either ignobly set an ill precedent to my successors, or abandon my country and fly with her to some unknown world, who never heard our story.”

The Otan

• “But as it was very hard to get a sight of the women (for no men ever entered into the Otan but when the King went to entertain himself with one of his wives or mistresses, and ‘twas death at any other time for any other to go in), so he knew not how to contrive to get a sight of her.”

Slavery

• “They suffered not like men, who might find a glory and fortitude in oppression, but like dogs that loved the whip and bell, and fawned the more they were beaten. That they had lost the divine quality of men and were become insensible asses…”

Oroonoko

• Initial Fall–When he sleeps with Imoinda p. 941–Placed into slavery

Sleeping with Imoinda

• “But as it is the greatest crime in nature amongst ‘em to touch a woman after having been possessed by a son, a father, or a brother, so now he looked on Imoinda as a polluted thing…”

Oroonoko

• Complete loss of honor–Killing his wife p. 968–Mutilated–Counterpoint p.929

Killing Imoinda

• “A thousand times he turned the fatal knife that did the deed toward his own heart, with a resolution to go immediately after he; but dire revenge, which now was a thousand times more fierce in his soul than before, prevents him; and he would cry out, ‘No; since I have sacrificed Imoinda to my revenge, shall I lose that glory which I have purchased so dear as at the price of the fairest, dearest, softest creature that ever nature made? No. No!’”

Counterpoint

• “And these people represented to me an absolute idea of the first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin.”

Fantomina

• Restraints:–The importance of class–She can’t openly communicate

because of the social scenario. P. 1180

Communication

• “… and she found a vast deal of pleasure in conversing with him in this free and unrestrained manner.”

• “… she found herself involved in a difficulty which never before entered into her head, but which she knew not well how to get over.”

Fantomina

• Initial Fall– The rape– Reputation vs. Virtue– Wanting more p. 1184Fantomina & The Rape

Celia and Violence

The Widow Bloomer & Passivity

Incognita & Sexual Aggressor

Reputation v. Virtue

• “Thus did this lady’s wit and vivacity assist her in all but where it was most needful. She had discernment to foresee and avoid all those ills which might attend the loss of her reputation, but was wholly blind to those of the ruin of her virtue; and having managed her affairs so as to secure the one, grew perfectly easy with the remembrance she had forfeited the other.”

Wanting More

• “The more she reflected on the merits of Beauplaisir, the more she excused herself for what she had done; and the prospect of that continued bliss she expected to share with him took from her all remorse for having engaged in an affair which promised her so much satisfaction, an in which she found not the least danger of misfortune.”

Fantomina

• Complete loss of Honor–Getting Pregnant –Sent off to the convent–P. 1196 & 1197

Losing her Honor

• “All the pity and tenderness she had been for some moment before possessed of now vanished, and were succeeded by an adequate shame and indignation.”

• “Oh, I am undone! I cannot live, and bear this shame!”

Thesis

• The social constraints that have been established by society can lead to an initial fall and eventually loss of one’s honor.