What remains ‘Left out’: A short note on ‘Oronooku’, Aphra Behn and the whiteness of Western feminism.

by Rachael Brown

“This piece interrogates how Aphra Behn, often represented in academic circles as an iconoclastic proto feminist trailblazer, actually embodies the same narrow, white perspective of female liberation that mainstream feminism is criticized today for. Her novel ‘Oroonoko’ is frequently understood as one of the first anti-racist abolitionist texts, but in reality it’s treatment of the black female figure of Imoinda, reveals how Behn’s commitment to proto feminist and anti-racist ideals begins and ends with her own symbolic needs. This reality draws a powerful parallel to today’s discourses surrounding feminist intersectionality and the flaws of ‘White Feminism’.”

Rachael is a writer, artist and Masters student studying MA Media And Communications here at London Goldsmiths. She is passionate about fighting paradigms of oppression and changing society through creative media. When she isn’t writing blogs, short stories and songs you can find her playing video games, singing 1930’s jazz and trying out new recipes.