SOURCE: "The Narrator in Oroonoko," in Essays in Literature, Vol. IV, No. 2, Fall, 1977, pp. 174-81.

In the following essay, Brownley discusses Behn 's handling of the narrator in Oroonoko, asserting that the narrative persona is used "to unify and to add realism to disparate elements" in the novel.

In the past the narrator of Oroonoko has, with very few exceptions, been studied mainly in terms of the life and ideas of Aphra Behn. Since what little we know of Behn's life is just as exciting and romantic as any material in her writings, it is easy to see why the narrative persona of Oroonoko has taken second place to the woman who was traveler, spy, pioneer female author, and political intriguer. For the moment controversy over Behn's biography seems to have died down. Undoubtedly the lull is temporary, for many fascinating questions remain unanswered. Nevertheless, the pause offers...