Introduction
In recent years, it is being commonly suggested that the Era of Exploration, as we know it, was nothing but geopolitical extrapolation of Europeans’ greediness, therefore, it should be considered as “evil” by definition. We are being told that ships, filled with uneducated White “rednecks”, went sailing around the world, while wreaking havoc upon peaceful and culturally excelled savages in Africa and America, for which White people in Western countries are now supposed to be filled with the sense of historical guilt. The so-called “White man’s burden” of spreading the light of civilization to people that were never able to evolve beyond the Stone Age, over the course of millennia, is now being referred to as the expression of White people’s innate sense of racial intolerance. However, when we take a closer look at the issue, such suggestions will appear as nothing but the gross distortion of historical truth. It was not the prospect of making quick commercial profits alone, which prompted European adventurers to embark on exploration of unknown lands, but also their utter sense of existential curiosity. Ever since the time of Columbus, European explorers began to make landfalls all over the previously unknown parts of the world, only to find the natives in newly discovered lands leading an utterly primitive mode of existence, with the difference between these natives and animals being practically non-existent. However, given White people’s inborn sense of idealism, they tried their best to think of natives as human beings, despite the fact that these natives hardly qualified for it. Between 17th and 19th centuries, White colonizers would often experience a psychological split in their personalities, because – on one hand, they strived to think of natives as underdeveloped, but still humans (Christianity), but on the other, they had a hard time, while resisting the temptation to use them as slaves. Therefore, it was only natural for the European literature of the time to actually reflect these subconscious longings, on the part of White people. The reading of Jonathan Swift’s “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms” and Aphra Behn’s “Oroonoko”, substantiates the validity of this statement. Whereas, Behn positions herself as spokesman for European imperialism, despite the fact that she tries to promote essentially humanist ideas, Swift disposes of irrational humanism altogether, while adopting a scientific outlook on the objective essence of socio-political realities. At the same time, both authors assume a superiority of White people as self-evident paradigm. In the next part of this paper, we will discuss this thesis at length.
Discussion Part 1
There can be no doubt as to the fact that apparent dramatism of Aphra Behn’s novel was meant to serve purely the purposes of entertainment. In it, Behn relates the story of African king’s son being tricked into the slavery and eventually murdered, without placing any political accents onto story’s actual content. It cannot escape readers attention that, while describing Oroonoko’s misadventures, Behn does not imply the concept of slavery being wicked in its very essence, which greatly differs “Oroonoko” from abolitionist literary pieces, written in later years. We can say that the story of tragic relationship between Oronooko and Imoinda was conceived to provide Behn’s novel with structural integrity, because author clearly appears as not being particularly involved with both characters on emotional level. It is not Oroonoko’s cruel treatment, on the part of White slave owners, which dismays Behn the most, but the fact that turning him into a slave constituted a violation against the laws of nature, because of his royal bloodline (which corresponded to Oroonoko’s noble facial features): “He had an extreme good and graceful mien, and all the civility of a well-bred great man. He had nothing of barbarity in his nature, but in all points addressed himself as if his education had been in some European court… His nose was rising and Roman, instead of African and flat. His mouth the finest shaped that could be seen; far from those great turned lips which are so natural to the rest of the negroes” (Behn). In other words, author considers Oronooko’s blackness as tragic but entertaining oddity. However, the story of Oronooko’s tragedy alone could not keep readers in suspense, which is why, after having provided them with crucial information onto his upbringing and onto the essence of Oronooko’s conflict with the king, author moves on to describe the strange and enticing realities of far away lands: “Tis a continent whose vast extent was never yet known, and may contain more noble earth than all the universe beside; for, they say, it reaches from east to west one way as far as China, and another to Peru: it affords all things both for beauty and use… Cedar is the common firing, and all the houses are built with it. The very meat we eat, when set on the table, if it be native, I mean of the country, perfumes the whole room; especially a little beast called an armadillo, a thing which I can liken to nothing so well as a rhinoceros; ’tis all in white armor, so jointed that it moves as well in it as if it had nothing on: this beast is about the bigness of a pig of six weeks old and tastes the same” (Behn). Even this fragment allows us to conclude that, while talking about exotic settings of New World, Behn assesses them according to the degree of their practical usefulness. Apparently, she is quite incapable of talking about beauty or ugliness of newly encountered realities as “thing in itself”. In its turn, this betrays Behn as typical Brit of the era – the only time when she becomes wholeheartedly fascinated with non-European cultural values, is when she realizes that they can be utilized practically. Therefore, Behn’s referrals to Surinam’s natives as such live in the state of perfect harmony were simply meant to add her novel an exotic sounding. Just like today’s cultural relativists, Behn strives to pose as an open-minded individual, while remaining what she never ceased to be – European imperialist, who subconsciously think of non-Whites as sub-humans.
Discussion Part 2
Ever since the time when a fourth part of Jonathan Swift’s famous novel “Gulliver’s Travels”, “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms” was published, it became a subject of critic attacks, because of its “inhumane” content. In “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”, Swift describes an imaginary land, populated by absolutely rational horse-like creatures Houyhnhnms, and sub-humans Yahoos, driven exclusively by their animalistic instincts, about which author expresses his strong antipathy: “My horror and astonishment are not to be described, when I observed in this abominable animal, a perfect human figure: the face of it indeed was flat and broad, the nose depressed, the lips large, and the mouth wide; but these differences are common to all savage nations… I did not get to some of my own species; for as to those filthy Yahoos, although there were few greater lovers of mankind at that time than myself, yet I confess I never saw any sensitive being so detestable on all accounts” (Swift, Part 2). Yahoos appear to be deprived of any sense of creativity, while being only concerned with looking for food and having sex. However, the most horrible thing about them is the fact that they cannot change – all of their behavioral traits seem to be inherited by Yahoos from the time of their birth. While physically resembling humans (author implies that once they were humans), Yahoos could not possibly act like humans, because they are regressing back into the animal-like state. On the other hand, Houyhnhnms’ sense of rationale allowed them to master the surrounding reality to such an extent that they can even affect physical laws. Swift describes Houyhnhnms being in full control over their destinies, which logically derives out of their ability to operate with highly abstract categories. Thus, we can say that in the fourth part of his novel, Swift was actually able to provide readers with the outlook on basic principles of biological evolution and on its moral implications, well before the times of Charles Darwin. Therefore, it would be wrong to think that Swift was driven by some malicious intent, while working on “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”, as it was being often suggested by his contemporaries – he was simply one among very few European intellectuals that had proven themselves capable of breaking out of Christianity’s intellectual imprisonment. Swift was able to recognize an objective essence of inequality among people – “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms” is nothing but highly allegorical account of such his recognition.
What allows us to talk about Swift’s ideas as truly revolutionary for his time is the fact that he did not only proclaim inequality among people being inheritably predetermined, but that he suggested that even the people who remain at the leading edge of evolution, must continuously strive to rid themselves of the remnants of their animalistic past, as they proceed with their lives. By relating Houyhnhnms’ way of life, Swift points out at the virtues that will eventually replace Christian ones, within a context of White people pursuing their biological destiny: “Friendship and benevolence are the two principal virtues among the Houyhnhnms… They preserve decency and civility in the highest degrees… They have no fondness for their colts or foals, but the care they take in educating them proceeds entirely from the dictates of reason” (Swift, Ch. 8). Well before the end of “white rule” in Africa had reduced African countries back into the area of never-ending tribal warfare, thus proving the validity of the concept of racial inequality once again, Swift was able to point out at Yahoos’ (sub-humans) inability to learn, as the main reason why they would never be able to advance culturally: “They (Yahoos) would approach as near as they durst, and imitate my actions after the manner of monkeys, but ever with great signs of hatred… I could discover, the Yahoos appear to be the most unteachable of all animals: their capacity never reaching higher than to draw or carry burdens” (Swift, Ch. 8). We can only wonder as to why Jonathan Swift’s novel remains a compulsory reading in academic curriculum, given its explicit promotion of racist ideas, when even many seemingly innocent fairy tales, such as “Seven Dwarfs and Snow White” are now being thought to have politically incorrect sounding.
Conclusion
As we have suggested in the introductory part of this paper, the most distinctive trait of British literature between 17th and 19th centuries, is the fact that writers, associated with it, never doubted the superiority of Whites over non-Whites. Such their beliefs cannot be thought of as totally unsubstantiated – after all, by the end of 19th century, White people became undisputed masters of the world. Even today, “Rule Britannia! Britannia rules the waves!” remains one of the most popular songs in UK, despite the fact that today’s Britain is being ruled by Pakistanis. Not even a hint of Behn and Swift being instilled with the notion of “historical guilt” can be found in their works, which is why “Oronooko” and “A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms” can be thought of anything but boring. However, given the hysteria of political correctness, which defines the realities of living in Western countries today, it appears to be only the matter of time, before both books are going to be banned from public libraries.
Bibliography
Austen, Ralph and Smith, Woodruff “The Economic Value of British Colonial Empire in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries”. History Compass 4.1 (2005): 54 – 76.
Behn, Aphra “Oroonoko: or, the Royal Slave”. 2004. The University of Adelaide Library. Web.
Swift, Jonatan “Gulliver’s Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World: Part IV – A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”. 2004. Project Gutenberg Consortia Center. Web.