In Joseph Conrad’s novella, Heart of Darkness, much of the action takes place in Africa, and particularly on the
-Brooks, Alex, and Jessie
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Heart of Darkness F Bell- Due Friday, April 15th
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Joseph Conrad's, "Heart of Darkness," depicts the imperialistic craze of the British Empire. Conrad uses rivers to provide the reader with a metaphor of the people living in the same country as the river. To represent London, Conrad uses the Thames river and all of it's "tranquil dignity." He idealizes the, "exquisite brilliance," of the, "old river," and the, "ages of good service, (18)" the river has procured. The image shows the Thames river as a peaceful wonder with a mystical awe coming with age. The people of London are prim and proper, and has one of the longest civilizations recorded on the earth, thus there image is portrayed as a higher status.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast to the peaceful image of the Thames river, the Congo river is given a different image. Located in Africa, the Congo river is seen as dangerous to the English sailors because they, "never see them (26)," after their first visit before their voyage. The river amounted a vast majority of, "rapids," as it bends around mysteriously with a, "rocky slope. (30)" The treacherous river is how society view the African culture, poor and dangerous.
Despite the physical differences between the two rivers, there are similarities. Conrad points out that the Thames, "has been one of the dark places of the earth. (19)" The Thames along with the English people have seen much darkness throughout their history and are not exempt from their wrongdoings. Also in the novel, the Congo river is symbolized as, "the darkness, (21)" making the two river very similar because they both have a sense of "darkness." The African people are mainly viewed as barbaric and unworthy of saving, but the comparison between the darkness of the rivers show that the White men, so often viewed as upper class and deserving, are the same as the African people, who have less opportunity. The English imperialistic society is just as unordered and barbaric because they are willing to sacrifice African lives for the money from "a precious trickle of ivory. (33)" What humans do for a profit is amazing.
The setting of the action within the novella contrasts the place where it is being told from by using the Thames River and Congo River as a way of presenting two different societies that are still linked by their similar underlying problems. The Thames River is characterized as civilized and proper because it flows through London where everything seems to be proper as most English things are while the Congo River is considered to be a savage just like the white men consider the Africans to be savages. The Thames River may seem peaceful but like most things in the English society, there is a false sense of perfection that covers the issues of society and imperialism. This hidden identity is similar to the visible identity of the Congo River. Kurtz may be considered mad throughout the novella but this madness can be associated with the illness that is often connected with Africa in present time and the illness that covered England in the early centuries. While the two rivers run very different courses, both must face the troubles that come around every river bend.
ReplyDeleteA Heart of darkness can lie anywhere. Not just in the boules in the jungle of Africa but also in the jungle of England's streets. Both are inhabited with natives struggling against all forces of nature and fate to survive this world through their own ways of life. In "Heart of Darkness" Joseph Conrad uses detailed and intricate diction and imagery to describe the setting, culture, and people in "Heart of Darkness". He creates a masterpiece by emphasizing and portraying the powerful images in the novella. Through this work Conrad has successfully contrasted but also compared England and Africa's noticablly different cultures and settings.
ReplyDeleteEngland and Africa have obvious differences. Africa remains wild and exotic with the continent still containing a large portion free of human pesitlence. Africa still gives a sense of danger about the omnipresent nature that still powerfully rules, "smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage". The land strikes the heart of all "always mute with an air of whispering" as one feels powerless to mother nature and her jungle laberinth. England, on the other hand, takes on a completly different lifestyle. One is not free and wild like in Africa, people live and breathe by a enforced government, constructed lifestyle, and high demands from society. One is captured and enclosed in England's standards. While someone might feel powerless in England, it is not because of nature and the unknown and deadly, it is because people feel powerless to the higher man in society, not mother nature. England has twisty narrow streets, while Africa has vast lands of untraveled territory with dangerous beasts and natives. One lives under the rule of a few, while the other holds no one ruler and obeys the demands and callings of the land. While the ideas and functions of life greatly differ between the two, these two cultures are actually very similar. Africa contains beasts and natives, but English people are also similar to natives since both live under the demands of the environments around them and retain the idea of survival of the fittest in order to succeed. They both utilize nature to their advantage and struggle to survive but in different situations. One huge similarity Conrad describes is that he sees both Africa and England with gloomy aspects. Africa's presense had "streams of death...whose waters, thickened into slime" and gave the air of " an impotent despair". England, even though does not present the same situations as in Africa, still had " a mournful gloom, brooding motionless" becoming "sombre every minute". With each twist and turn either on the Thames or on the Congo, Marlow and Conrad are trying to convey that each place holds its own dangers and despairs no matter what the scenarios.
In Heart of Darkness the contrasting of dark and light show through the settings. In London it is described as light with the sunset having a "lurid glare under the stars" (Conrad 6). The Thames River is illuminated by the lights of the city. Conrad’s use of light symbolizes knowledge in civilization. Thus in the Congo, where there is little civilization compared to London, there is darkness. Africa is described by Conrad as uncivilized and hostile and is thus portrayed as darkness. Africa is “the heart of darkness” where the deepest evil and primal instincts are brought forth. As the book progresses the darkness spreads out from Africa and into the hearts of the people in Europe. Light is civilization; Darkness is primitive hostile disorderliness.
ReplyDeleteIn "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, London and the Congo are compared and contrasted as Marlow recalls his adventure to the wild and untamed Congo. As he sits in London, getting ready to share his story, he describes the sky looking down on London as having "a brooding gloom of sunshine" and there seems to be a haze, "in the likeness of one of those misty halos" (6-7). While Marlow and even the Earth are not thoroughly impressed with London in its present condition, it is accepted for what it is and goes unquestioned. On the flip side, the Congo is characterized as being a very crude and nasty place. Marlow describes the Congo as having "no joy in the brilliance of sunshine" and depicting a scene of gloom and shadows for as far as the eye could see (55). As Marlow travels further and further down the river, he truly discovers the "heart of darkness" that lies with Africa and its ominous presence.
ReplyDeleteWhile the two regions seem to be portrayed as vastly different regions, Conrad ultimately shows that two also have much in common. The biggest and most obvious similarity is between the ivory hunters like Kurtz and the savages themselves. Near the beginning of Marlow's trek into the wilderness, Kurtz tells Marlow to "Try to be civil," a request that Marlow finds extremely ironic (57). Kurtz is on his way into the jungle to hunt ivory, in a way ridiculing the savages by showing them "how it should be done" and "what they ought to do to be more civilized." The fact that Marlow identifies this irony shows that even he sees that really Kurtz is also a savage, greedy for attention and personal gain. This essentially embodies Marlow's (and probably Conrad's) condescending vision of the "civilized" people from Europe. Kurtz truly represents the corruption of Europe as a whole and is ultimately a hypocrite; a savage ridiculing a savage.
“Heart of Darkness” tells the story of a man on his way and adventures/tials and tribulations in Africa. As established in the questioned, much of the story in the novella “Heart of Darkness” is on “one of the dark[est] places on earth”, the Congo River in Africa. Although the story takes place in Africa, there are many references to the Europeans. This is because they have come to force the “savages” to be civilized people. In Africa the people are uncivilized and crude and “the intruders” feel they need to adapt some of their ways with their technology and education. Their different cultures clash because the Europeans are trying to shove their philosophies at them, “I don’t see what good their extravagant salary could be to them (57)”. The reality, however, as pointed out by Marlow, is the so called “savages” are much more appreciative and grateful and even smarter than the “superior” Europeans. Both have a common ground of wanted the other culture to be different than what is and also for them to adapt some of their own traditions. Europe wishes for the isolated Africa to be more industrialized while Africa hopes to teach Although the U.S. has most likely contributed to the culture of media, Great Britain and Europe were among the first to develop cultural philosophies and ideals. This fact is shown through Joseph Conrade’s “Heart of Darkness”
ReplyDeleteThroughout different countries and continents it is easy to see the many cultural differences and physical differences. This holds true in Joseph Conrad’s novella “ Heart of Darkness” which is centered on the exploration of the depths and unknowns of the African coast and interior, but is told from a shipping vessel on Europe’s Thames River. One of the most evident contrasts that is made is between a civilized society, that of England and Europe, and a somewhat savage and undeveloped society where the native people are still truly living off the land and living self-sufficiently. Africa is consistently described as “the heart of darkness” filled with dark and ominous jungles and inhabited by savagery. Constantly described as darkness, Africa is the exact opposite of the lightness that is Europe. England is described throughout the novella as being a place of lightness. To me this symbolizes enlightenment and civilization, while darkness represents the unknown, unexplored, and uncivilized. Dark and light are two huge differences between the descriptions between Africa and England. Although they are very different, one of the major similarities is the savage nature of human beings. Although the native people of Africa are looked down upon by the European explorers as savages and cannibals, when it comes down to it, the Europeans also have basic human instinct that results in greed and savage behavior. All of the Europeans are incredibly greedy and savage in their treatment of the native people. So behave in the savage way that they accuse the native people of.
ReplyDeleteIt is a well-known fact that every culture holds some stereotypes against other cultures; a theme further explored in "Heart of Darkness." The novella by Joseph Conrad details Londoner Charles Morrow's time on the Congo River in Africa, one of the Earth's "darkest places." While England is seen as a tame, properly bred society, Africa is viewed as primitive, savage, and barbaric. When Morrow arrives in Africa, he hears the "violent babble of uncouth sounds" (84). He is told that there are paths everywhere, from the "empty land" to the "long grass" to the "chilly ravines" (85). While Morrow is by no means a member of the aristocracy, he has been brought up in England, a country known for its stiffness and rigidity. He is not used to the "animalistic" ways of the African people. However, by the end of "Heart of Darkness," he realizes that everyone, African or English, has been called to act in accordance to natural law.
ReplyDelete@Jessica- I think you had wonderful insight to thematic connections and made excellent use of quotations by blending them, Great Job!!!
ReplyDelete@Haley- Interesting perspective on the situation, contrasting to Jessica's but still supported by the context of the novella, Fantastic!
@Lindsay- I love your opening hook, good insight, way to go!
@Virginia- I like your position on the symbolism of light and dark to civilized and uncivilized, great job!!!
@Dan Great job of picking up on the descriptions about the gloom over London and the unforgiving sun in Africa, it picks out the savagery all over.
ReplyDelete@Allison Awesome detail into what motivated the imperialism of the different nations and how they adapted!
@Margaret great detail in the description of the symbolism of light and dark!
@Erin Good job of picking different quotes to support your ideas!
In Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart of Darkness, the story takes place in Europe and Africa, two very different parts of the world and cultures. In the story Marlow experiences and witness's terrible things. Where the company has stationed in Africa up the Congo, the natives are being treated terribly and overworked. The area of the Congo in Africa is clearly part of the heart of darkness versus Europe, which is much more bright and hopeful. The use of nature and more specifically rivers, defines and contrasts the two places. The Thames River in England represents "the luminous space the tanned sails of the barges drifting up with the tide...with gleams of varnished spirits"(17). The Thames along with England and Europe and their culture represents light. In contrast the Darkness and brutality of the Congo represents darkness and represents the hypocrisy of Imperialism. Conrad states, "I assure you that never, never before, did this land, this river, this jungle, the very arch of this blazing sky, appear to me so hopeless and so dark,...so pitiless to human weakness"(72). While England and Europe was seen as proper, Africa was seen as animal-like and brutal. The confrontation and clash between the differing cultures comes to life throughout this novella.
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