The Importance of Economy in The Widdow Ranter
Aphra Behn, 1688 Aphra Behn’s late-1600s play, The Widdow Ranter explores and critiques the dynamics of the colony of Jamestown through a retelling of Nathanial Bacon’s relationship with the colonists and the indigenous people, but also through the scope of a mysterious widow whose motives support the colony under their nose. Apart from Widdow’s masterful sidestepping within the colony, the most interesting aspect of the play lies in the colonial economy. The acceptable and unacceptable in early Jamestown society can be seen in the background of the story, and one does not always pay in money. It is recorded that Behn herself traveled to the American colonies before or while writing The Widdow Ranter , adding an interesting layer to the underlying forces at work in her play (McInnis and Salzman). Her travels indicate a narrative paradox to readers who know of them. She introduces both an outside view as an English visitor, but also a bias toward her home country and the comparatively ...