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The Heart of Darkness
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The Heart of Darkness
The Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe has claimed that Heart of Darkness is an “offensive and deplorable book” that “set[s] Africa up as a foil to Europe, as a place of negations at once remote and vaguely familiar, in comparison with which Europe’s own state of spiritual grace will be manifest.” Achebe says that Conrad does not provide enough of an outside frame of reference to enable the novel to be read as ironic or critical of imperialism. Based on the evidence in the text, argue for or against Achebe’s assertion.
I agree with Chinua Achebe that the book is offensive towards African. First, the book starts with a description of England to be one of the places that was very dark and had not undergone civilization. A good example is where Marlow describes that the “Western Civilization is as barbarous as African civilization” (Conrad 125). The statement opposes the thought that the whites are more civilized than the Africans. Racists use the excuse that Africans are primitive savages so that they can justify their necessity to treat Africans as colonial subjects. Additionally, the use of irony and narrative unreliability is a dominant characteristic throughout the novel, which Conrad uses to provide the outline for reading the Heart of Darkness. At the same time, Conrad uses these features to show that Africa is a backdrop where the whites go and disregard the human rights.
As you read the novel, be aware of how Conrad uses repeated “doubling” patterns of opposition and contrast in Heart of Darkness: light and dark, white and black, “savagery” and “civilization,” outer and inner? What does Conrad accomplish by this contrast, especially of light and dark?
Conrad uses light and dark to show us what truth was and what was falsehood. Basically, there can be no light if there is darkness, and there can be no darkness in presence of light. The two connotations are completely in contrast with each other. Therefore, Conrad employs contrast to create a gap between what people knew before civilization, and how their lives changed after civilization. For instance, he describes that when Romans came to England, it was like light coming out of the river since they brought civilization to England. Before their arrival, Conrad describes England as living in darkness (Conrad 10).
Marlow constantly uses vague and often redundant phrases like “unspeakable secrets” and “inconceivable mystery.” At other times, however, he is capable of powerful imagery and considerable eloquence. Why does Marlow use vague and “inconclusive” language so frequently?
I regard to imperialism and individual’s experience, Heart of Darkness in many instances, is a book about ambiguity. Marlow’s use of vague terminologies is at the least thematic. The book creates an atmosphere of bizarre and equally, fetishistic power. For example, ivory is seen to be almost more important than the elephant itself. The author uses words with meanings that have independent interpretations order to avoid creating paradox with the exact meaning they should convey in reality. Conrad use of vague expression can be seen as a tactic used to mitigate the dual threats of language (Conrad 33).
Why does Heart of Darkness have two competing heroes? Make the case for either Marlow or Kurtz as the true “hero” of the book. How do you define “hero” for this book? Why doesn’t Marlow kill Kurtz?
Both Marlow and Kurtz have different competing grounds against each other. From the Heart of Darkness, the author lets us to see the two characters have strong ideologies, but each one of them act as an intermediary of the extremes of the other. For example, Marlow is in many ways a traditional hero with an independent, honest and capable character. However, he does not saddle well with the fears of the influence of the Western thoughts on the present time. On the other hand, Kurtz is an evil schemer and uses every means to for his grandiose scheming. Nonetheless, Marlow is more sensitive than Kurtz which makes him an outstanding protagonist and a good guide for the reader.
A hero has been described by Conrad as individual whose decisions seem fair to everyone in the book. Marlow’s heroic attribute is shown at the end of the book when decides to operate effectively and make accommodating judgments which he considers were to best interest of everyone. He decides that killing Kurtz could be the best decision since he was in a vulnerable situation.
Think about the framing story that structures Heart of Darkness. Why is it important to narrate Marlow in the act of telling his story? Why is the framing narrator unnamed?
The reason for Conrad use of framing structures is to because his claims about European Imperialism are based on a number of lies. Conrad uses the anonymous narrator who listens to Marlow, so that he can use the character to signify the important changes that are brought by him at the end of the story. Marlow is used to change the narrators’ attitude towards the men of the past and the ship (Conrad 95).
Interpret Kurtz’s dying words (“The horror! The horror!”). What do they mean? What are the possible “horrors” to which he is referring? Why is Marlow the recipient of Kurtz’s last words?
The dying words imply have been used to refer to all the things Kurtz had done and saw throughout his life when he was in Congo. Kurtz downfall was as a result of all the actions he had done when he was working in the company. He was feeling empty in inside after he treated Africans as savages and taking all their freedom for the sake of his success (Conrad 115). Marlow was the recipient of Kurtz’s word since they were in the same boat and, Kurtz realized that he was dying (Conrad 112).
What do women represent in Heart of Darkness? There are three significant women in this story: Kurtz’s Intended, Marlow’s aunt, and the African woman at Kurtz’s station. How are they described? Contrast Kurtz’s African mistress with his Intended. Are both negative portrayals of women? Describe how each functions in the narrative. Does it make any difference in your interpretation to know that Conrad supported the women’s suffrage movement? What does Marlow mean early in Part 1 when he suggests that women are “out of touch with truth” and live in a beautiful world of their own?
Conrad describes that the women function was to act as blank slate, over which the respective societies used them to display their wealth and values. Kurtz’ African woman and his Intended are described as being representatives of great capacity for love and faithfulness. For example, Marlow describes Kurtz Intended as, “she had a mature capacity for fidelity, for belief, for suffering.” Marlow aunt has more influence than the role associated with the other women. She influences her friends to get a job for Marlow. Although both Kurtz Intended and the African mistress loved Kurtz, the native mistress was exposed to social discrimination because of her race. She is described as representing African and its dark mysteries, and who was enthusiastic and hot-blooded. For example, Marlow describes her that, “She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and magnificent” (Conrad 60). Kurtz African mistress is used to play the role of Africa, which the author describes, is savage but gorgeous. In contrast, Kurtz Intended is described as fragile and probably barren. Conrad uses her to represent the legitimate wives who are regarded as being good for the household situations. Marlow’s aunt is also plays an important function in the novel, she represents liberalized women, who are working towards achieving equal opportunities with men. I agree that Conrad was critical to raise the issue of the scornful treatment of women by the male dominance. Conrad shows the damage the Europeans imposed on the African women by making them submissive to their husbands.
Marlow’s words “out of touch with truth” refer to the subordinating attitude of woman towards men by living in the fantasy that they will create peace with men, of which they never succeed.
Describe the use of “darkness” both in the book’s title and as a symbol throughout the text. What does darkness represent? Is its meaning constant or does it change?
From the title, “darkness” means absence of light. As a metaphor, darkness means being cut-off from the rest of the world. Therefore, the Heart of Darkness has been used to describe those attitudes which are not always shown in people’s character, but they come to light when people get an opportunity. Conrad uses the title to reflect English imperialism that brought along discrimination, exploitation and discrimination on the African land. In this book, darkness has various meanings which keeping on changing. For example, darkness has been used to refer to oppression, the state of being uncivilized, exploitation and the prejudice against the African cultures (Conrad 5).
How does physical illness relate to madness? How does one’s environment relate to one’s mental state in this book?
In the book, madness has closely been associated with imperialism. As a result, Africa has been seen as a continent that brings about mental disintegration and physical illness. Madness is used to develop the necessity of social fictions. In the Heart of Darkness, madness is as a result of Marlow and Kurtz of being taken from their social context in England and allowed to rule under their own actions in Africa. For instance, the doctor was curious about the changes in the mental state of Marlow he would undergo when he was in the wilderness. In addition, Marlow describes that Kurtz had become insane since he had been damaged by isolation while he was in Africa, and which his mental breakdown was connected to his physical illness (Conrad 27).
Why does Marlow lie to Kurtz’s fiancée about Kurtz’s last words? Why not tell her the truth, or tell her that Kurtz had no last words, rather than affirming her sentimental and mundane ideas?
Marlow was concerned that Kurtz’s fiancée was mourning and was also greatly upset by Kurtz death. He knew that Kurtz’s fiancée had a total devotion Kurtz. Therefore, her devotion to Kurtz was so deep that he could not afford to tell her that Kurtz had no last words for her when he died (Conrad 197).
If you were, like Francis Ford Coppola (who shifted the setting to late 1960s Viet Nam in his 1979 film Apocalypse Now) to retell Heart of Darkness in another setting, where and when would you set it?
Similar to Francis Ford Coppola film setting, the story Heart of Darkness I would set it in Cambodia where there was Vietnam War. The war which was known as the Apocalypse resembles the Heart of Darkness in the manner that it took place in the jungle. The film featured US Army Special Operations officer who was sent on a mission to kill renegade and assumed to be insane, which is a similar to the madness Marlow and Kurtz encountered when they exploited and colonized Congo (Phillips 148).
Works Cited
Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. New York, NY: Plain Label Books, 1983. Print.
Phillips, Gene D. Godfather: The Intimate Francis Ford Coppola. Lexington: University Press
of Kentucky, 2013. Print.
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