In the 19th century novel Uncle Tom's Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe portrays Uncle Tom, a black slave, as a heroic figure . Written shortly before the American Civil War, the novel attempts to change negative moral attitudes toward black people. To achieve this, however, Stowe calls Uncle Tom on the Southern Plantation owners, who would otherwise dismiss the book as abolitionist nonsense. Stowe appeals to both Northerners and Southerners about Uncle Tom by portraying him not as a typical slave, but rather as a devout Christian with a "white moral code." Similarly, Aphra Behn's 17th-century composition Oroonoko was written in response to the growing African slave trade. Like Stowe, Behn makes her black hero appeal to a wider audience, which she accomplishes by portraying Oroonoko as having European and royal attributes. One of Behn's main goals is to clearly distinguish Orinoco from the rest of her race, as in: "a beauty that so transcends all those of her dark race" (2174). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay She can do this with relative ease for two reasons: 1) she is writing reporting, in the first person, and 2) she is aware of herself as a writer (i.e. -say “This prince, as I described him” (2175)). Oroonoko's physical description is the simplest and most effective way to emphasize how he is superior to the rest of his race. Behn writes: The most famous statuary could not form the figure of a man more admirably turned from head to toe. His face was not the rusty brown black that most people in this nation are, but a perfect ebony or polished jet. His eyes were the most horrible that could be seen, and very piercing, their intelligence being like snow, just like his teeth. His nose was raised and Roman, instead of African and flat (2175). The juxtaposition of the expressions “rising and Roman” and “African and flat” illustrates the distinction that Behn is trying to make. The alliteration of "ascending and Roman" suggests nobility, while the assonance of "African and flat" suggests plebeian and even lower descent. This contrast corresponds well to the oxymoron used to describe Oroonoko: “the royal slave”. Oroonoko is royal in his country, as well as in his character. But at the same time, due to social and historical conditions (namely European colonization and trade), it is enslaved2. E Behn uses the shocking incongruity between “royal” and “slave” to advance his moral purpose. If Stowe gives Uncle Tom a "white moral code", Behn must describe Oroonoko so that the British public will not reject him because of his color. If, as I mentioned, Behn is aware of herself in her writing, she is also aware of her reader. This is evident in his description of Oroonoko (here Caesar) and his people as resembling "our ancient Picts" (2196), whom Norton characterizes as "a northern British people appearing in the histories of England and Scotland.” This is also made clear in his description of the country's geography by saying "about half the length of the mall here" (2199), the "mall" being a "fashionable promenade in St. James's Park in London" (Norton). Indeed, Behn uses expressions sympathetic to a noble British audience, such as “refined notions” of “true honor,” “absolute generosity,” “gentleness,” and “gallantry” (2174) to describe the character of Oroonoko. Throughout the story, the trait on which Behn focuses.