『오루노코: 고귀한 영혼의 노예』와 『자비』에 나타난 시혜적 자비와 고귀한 저항에 대한 고찰

초록

Both Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko: or the Royal Slave and Toni Morrison’s A Mercy are set in colonial America at the end of the 17th century, when the slave trade began to increase significantly. But interestingly enough, the titles of the above novels imply the attitude of antislavery and the notion of a generous colonialist, respectively. I argue that all the praises and kindness the white narrator in Oroonoko gives to the royal slave, and a mercy the white colonialist in A Mercy has on the young slave are nothing more than hypocrisy or the patronizing mercy. I also examine the African slaves’ noble resistance to slavery to show that they are not savage and barbarous. We will find out that the African slaves try to keep their dignity while struggling for freedom.

키워드