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Oroonoko's Love for Imoinda

Decent Essays

“He had scarce arrived at his seventeenth year, when fighting by his side, the general was killed with an arrow in his eye, which the Prince Oroonoko (for so was this gallant Moor called) very narrowly avoided; nor had he, if the General, who saw the arrow shot, and perceiving it aimed at the Prince, had not bowed his head between, on purpose to receive it in his own body rather than it should touch that of the Prince, and so saved him (224).”
In this passage, the General sacrifice his life for Oroonoko illustrate the criteria: belief in another’s goodness is proven by physical sacrifice.
The writer’s detailed killing of the General is sensational, because not only did he die to prove his love for Oroonoko; but had to die in a shocking manner with an arrow in his eye. The General, purposefully receive the arrow shot rather than let it touch the prince to show his belief in Oroonoko’s goodness, because the ultimate sacrifice to show his love for the prince is physical sacrifice. The eye is a very delicate part of the body and any pain inflicted on it would create an emotional response to the reader. On the other hand, there is a greater chance of hitting the body mass with an arrow rather than the eye. However, an intelligent response is unlikely, because sensationalism elevates the emotional response above all others; effectively preventing an intellectual assessment. According to the passage, the General saw the arrow and to prove his belief in Oroonoko goodness; let it

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