There is something fundamentally cathartic, intrinsically fascinating in the genre of “travel literature” which emerged at the end of the 17th and beginning of the 18th century. The lands visited have never been accurately represented; instead, the author would embellish details and local cultures to take the reader into unexplored territories. This allowed the audience to read the material safely – their own moral guidelines would be imbued into the story to fit within the cultural spectrum, and therefore would make these lands challenging, but not too foreign. Literary scholar Dianna Tillotson argues that there is something quintessentially human about the genre, saying: "Ultimately, [readers] can also search for [their] own origins and try to connect [their] culture and their customs to a feeling of belonging” (Tillotson). So it makes sense that the author's own cultural biases translate so clearly into a text that attempts to be different. As seen in "The Mask of Darkness", "Oroonoko, the Royal Slave", and "Gulliver's Travels", local cultures are both examined with wonder and condemned for their cultural differences. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay It's clear that Ben Johnson's "The Mask of Blackness" would have been performed for a white audience, even though its main subjects are black. The mask of the Jacobean era was based on the idea of ​​ladies from other cultures traveling to the English court to be "purified" of their darkness by King James (McDermont). Written at the request of Queen Anne, who performed in the play in blackface, the stark disparity between the two cultures in the mask shows a classic depiction of “others” as they were often seen in travel literature – exotics , but always subject to constraints. the same ideals and the same morals as Europe. The depiction is never overtly racist or negative; rather, it is an almost condescending compliment from the first lines. In describing the daughters of Niger, Jonson writes: "From the fixed color of their curly hair/(which is the highest grace of fairest ladies)/no care, no age can change, nor show itself there/Since death itself…/May never change their truest hue” (1329, 45-50). Here, Jonson describes the girls as exotic and magnificent beings, beautiful because their skin color never fades or pales, even in death. However, the opening song, the preceding lines, seems to almost completely contradict any sort of false positivity this sentiment conveys. It reads: “With all the beautiful race [of Niger]/Who, although black in face/Yet, they are brilliant/And full of life and light/to prove that the best beauty/which is not the color, but the line..." (1328 6-13). Here, Jonson says that girls are beautiful despite their skin color, not because of it. The juxtaposition of placing "but black in face / Yet they are bright ” not only implies this idea, but ultimately implies a white supremacy or ideal, as their ultimate beauty is always described as brilliant. The second half of the quote reinforces this notion. of certain physical attributes, despite their darkness cannot be considered a positive aspect of beauty; instead, their complexion is the part of their physical characteristics that should be neglected (“not the color, but the; characteristic…”). As the mask progresses, their complexion is the only one.something that hinders their overall beauty and makes it the conflict of the mask. Jonson writes: “…the Ethiops…were now black with black despair…and believing [the poets], they wept…[and] it has hitherto overflowed upon his shore” (1330 63-71). The British influence and introduction of Petrarchan poetry into Ethiopian culture, although tragic for the girls of Niger, is ultimately seen as a very positive thing. Girls are recognized as having beautiful physical qualities, and even but earlier – while Jonson specifically said that the tone of their skin did not detract from their beauty – light skin came to be the social ideal. Jonson's work ultimately serves as an excellent reference point for the conventions of travel literature. Audiences surely enjoy exploring foreign countries, and in some cases the author may be complimentary of the natural cultures of the area, but ultimately other cultures are still held to the same ideals and standards than those of Europe. This pattern fosters a harmful “us versus them” mentality. Before discussing Oroonoko himself, Aphra Behn conforms to the classic constructions of travel literature by describing in detail the settlement and lands from which the ancient prince came. Listing species after species, from exotic birds to exotic wildlife, the opening paragraphs serve as a springboard that transports the reader to a glamorous, unscientific, but very adventurous land. The inhabitants of this colony already embody many European ideals: modesty, classic romantic relationships and Christian virtue. “[T]hese people represented to me,” says the narrator, “an absolute idea of ​​the first state of innocence, before man knew how to sin,” an obvious reference both to the Garden of Eden and to Adam and Eve - which, given the description of the surroundings and its inhabitants in general, is hardly surprising (2184). The description of some of the clothing that the natives exchanged as resembling the way “Adam and Eve [wore a similar style of dress] with fig leaves,” once again points to a biblical allusion (2184). Additionally, when discussing their affinity for nudity, the narrator says, “No indecent action or gaze is seen; and being continually accustomed to seeing ourselves so stripped, so similar to our first parents before the fall” (2184). This statement goes beyond the same reference to Adam and Eve – at the end of this statement is a broader human statement, that these strangers, despite their different habits and customs, are still sons and daughters of the same Christian father. It is the perfect example of the "travel notebook" genre as it notes the exotic nature of the world and portrays the natives in a somewhat positive light, while at the same time applying to another culture the same standards and ideals that it are clean. This pattern is also evident in the narrator's own depiction of Oroonoko. The narrator says that the prince has "so much humanity... refined notions of true honor... absolute generosity... true greatness and true soul... [and] was capable of the highest passions" (2186). Clearly, Oroonoko is portrayed as the pinnacle of human ideals, a man who embodies many of the principles many Europeans strive for. The following line, however, is quite revealing: "...we can attribute [part of it] to the care of a Frenchman...the royal tutor of this young black...and the perceived ready to teach him morals, language and science" ( 2186). Oroonoko's success was therefore effectively debauched. He is not responsible for his exceptional moral character or his great intelligence – a French tutor "perceived him as ready", meaning that Oroonoko is not> .