Sir Parnell Stevenson
HIST 344
Professor Curtis
November 19, 2014 Heart of Darkness Paper The novel Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad has an overwhelming condemnation of imperialism. The beginning of the book describes the journey of Charles Marlow which takes him into the interior of the African continent and the fact that he was asked by the trading company to find Mr. Kurtz, who is the Inner Station Chief who is dominating the region as well as putting the natives of the Congo in economic slavery. The psychological power that Kurtz has on the natives which allow him to be the best in the ivory trade as well as being the most economically savvy. As Marlow goes through the story, he is now aware of the darkness that is surrounding him is not caused by the natives nor the native culture. It is being caused by those who the natives had trusted under false pretenses to capture the life and wealth of the undiscovered continent as well as those involved in the Scramble for Africa. Marlow is describing Africa as the big blank space and a white patch for a boy to gloriously dream about” 1. When Marlow was a child, he had thought that the continent of Africa was a mystical place that needed to be explored and discovered and by the time he was able to travel there though “it had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery”2. The rise of imperialism in Africa had begun to change its meaning to Marlow and to Conrad himself. Europe had used the exact same reason why imperialism and the forced colonization of the “uncivilized” natives for years with the claim that Europeans were going to bring in civilization in lands that were considered to be savage. In the beginning of the novel, Conrad himself includes a powerful description of imperialism in which he states “The conquest of the earth is not a pretty thing when its looked at too much. What redeems it is the idea only an idea at the back of it and not as sentimental pretense, but as an idea as well as being an unselfish idea” 3. Conrad also explains the real reason why Europeans were very aggressive with imperialism because of the “economic rape” of African countries that had a lot of resources economically. In this case, it’s the ivory that is in the Congo. Marlow is traveling in this boyish daze that was longing to travel down the river that “fascinated him like a snake would a bird – a silly bird”4. When Marlow arrives, he is submerged deep into the ivory trade that was taking place at the time and when he gets to the station base, he meets the accountant and bookkeeper of the trading post. What remains to be seen in this is that imperialism also required the conversion to Christianity for the savages, yet Conrad does not include one in the novel. Marlow also spends time with the accountant to get an understanding and getting to know Kurtz and he is told that Kurtz is a “first class agent” who brings in the most ivory amongst all the agents who are also in the Congo by way of intimidation tactics as well as harsh conditions for the women 5. He also states that Kurtz is idolized for his economic value and that he is nothing more than a man and because he was able to bring in the most profit, Kurtz is considered to be above most men, even the ones who were with him. While at the base station, Marlow is forced to see the realities that the natives are being treated harshly at the hands of Kurtz while describing how he was able to see “every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope”6. He tries to move away from the image of seeing the atrocities that were committed by going somewhere else, but sees more natives who were “clinging to the earth in all attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair” 7. He is aware that the atrocities that happened to the natives because they were being brought to land that was unfamiliar to them and fed food that was also unfamiliar, which were factors in believing that the natives were dying slowly. Marlow also
107376 Mrs. Ingersoll English 12 AP 1 May 2013 Option Three The physical journey Joseph Conrad takes the reader in the Heart of Darkness contributes to the plot, but also parallels to a journey through Man’s inner self. The points in the physical journey in which Conrad uses to emphasize the plot are the small sailing craft, the steamboat, and the jungle. Conrad begins the journey with the narrator describing the setting of a small sailing craft. This point in the journey foreshadows…
Guilt, disappointment and the fear behind Kurtz’s death Jordan Davis Mr. Allin ENG 4U March 3rd, 2012 Verbal statements may have multiple interpretations depending on one's perspective. In the novel, Heart of Darkness, Conrad makes the reader use his/her own knowledge to generate themes and emotions. Consistently, the theme of the horrific reality is mentioned throughout the novel. Joseph’s character, Kurtz, cries out, “The horror! The horror” (Conrad 86) during his last moments; however…
“Heart of Darkness” written by Joseph Conrad is a tale of a man named Marlow who ventures into Africa. Having always had a yearning to explore this dark country, he takes us on his journey along the Congo River and through the trials and tribulations of imperialism in the late 19th century. Not only does Marlow get an insight to his own self but he learns how imperialism affects other people as well. From the beginning the work Darkness doesn’t just appear in the title but also in much of Marlow’s…
Savannah Hurley Mrs. Wright World Literature 9 May 2014 Soul of Darkness Some of the traits of well-adjusted humans are that they empathize and identify with people around them. At the point when people lose this ability, they start to lessen their relations to humanity and increase their degree of savagery. In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Conrad demonstrates that humans enclose some form of bitterness within his or her heart. This bitterness becomes evident when people strip themselves of…
desire to move up the corporate ladder so that we too can intimidate someone with power one day. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Kurtz had a power over the jungle and its people that was inexplicable. Kurtz is one of many men sent into the jungle to rid the land and its people of its natural resources. Many men have journeyed into the jungle also refereed as the heart of darkness never to return. Kurtz goes into the jungle and becomes obsessed with the people and the land. Though Kurtz has…
of the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, it appears much easier to be lost rather than found. Heart of Darkness follows Marlow, a wondering seaman who embarks on a journey to Africa under a fake identity which he established through his politically connected Aunt. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness may be interpreted in various ways, as it tells many different stories which relate to stories of its time, and also stories that still appear to resonate at the present time. On one level, Heart of Darkness…
Heart of Darkness-ISP By: Robert Pittelli You can argue that nearly everyone on this planet has at least one desire within that is so dark and evil that they would do anything to achieve that goal. However, most individuals are capable of controlling and taming their greedy desires for personal gain such as wealth, power, and fame, to the point where they are concealed, leaving their sanity untouched by the extreme darkness of their sinful wishes. Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, provides…
Heart of Darkness seems to blur the line between the so-called "advanced" society of Europe and the "primitive" society of Africa. What makes one culture "civilized" and another "savage" in the eyes of the world? Are these distinctions valid? Do you think that the culture you live in is "advanced" or "civilized"? Why? In my viewpoint, the line people divided whether one culture “civilized” or “savage” is how the culture’s technology develops. Marlow said in the book: “Once, I remember, we came upon…
“The Heart of Darkness” Response paper By Daniel Sands Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” is a fictional tale of a man (Marlow) who sails from London to the heart of Belgian Congo in the end of the 19th century. Conrad depicts the motives of European Imperialism for political, economic, and ideological reasons thru his characters and the way he uses words to describe the scenes and how they appear throughout the book. The description by “Marlow (one of the stories narrators)”of the accountant…
The novel heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad conveys that a physical journey is essential in allowing an individual to gain a better understanding of themselves. In the first chapter, Marlow is described as seated in a manner that implies the posture characteristic of a Buddha. Marlow is also depicted as having “sunken cheeks” with a “yellow complexion”, indicating that his wise nature is a result of his physical journeys and grueling experiences. Thus, Conrad portrays Marlow’s inner journey through…