The Light and Dark Forces in Joseph Conrads Heart of...

The Light and Dark Forces in Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, explores something truer and more fundamental than a mere personal narrative. It is a night journey into the unconscious and a confrontation within the self. Certain circumstances of Marlows voyage, when looked at in these terms, have new importance. Marlow insists on the dreamlike quality of his narrative. It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream - making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream - sensation. Even before leaving Brussels, Marlow felt as though he was about to set off for center of the earth, not the center of a continent. The introspective voyager leaves his familiar rational world, is cut†¦show more content†¦Marlow is the source of our story, but he is also a character within the story we read. Marlow has always followed the sea, as the novel puts it. His voyage up the Congo river, however, is his first experience in freshwater travel. Conrad uses Marlow as a narrator in order to enter t he story himself and tell it from his own philosophical mind. When Marlow arrives at the station, he is shocked and disgusted by the sight of wasted human life and ruined supplies. The managers senseless cruelty and foolishness overwhelm him with anger and disgust. He longs to see Kurtz, a fabulously successful ivory agent who is hated by the company manager. More and more, Marlow turns away from the white people (because of their ruthless brutality) and to the dark jungle (a symbol of reality and truth). He begins to identify more and more with Kurtz- long before he even sees him or talks to him. Kurtz, like Marlow, originally came to the Congo with noble intentions. He thought that each ivory station should stand like a beacon light, offering a better way of life to the natives. Kurtzs mother was half-English and his father was half-French. He was educated in England and speaks English. The culture and civilization of Europe have contributed to the making of Kurtz: he is an orator, writer, poet, musician, artist, politician, ivory procurer, and chief agent of the ivory companys Inner Station at Stanley Falls. In short, he is a universal genius. However, heShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1164 Words   |  5 PagesAs Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness eludes to the inverse interpretation of colors as a motif, Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now not only mimics but also portrays through the Vietnam War, the contrasting misguided crusades of enlightenment that the supreme race forces upon savages. The reversed meanings amongst the col ors and entangled description in Heart of Darkness shows how backwards civilization is through the need to enlighten or civilize the natives is flamboyantly flaunted in both theRead MoreHeart of Darkness: Cruelty Essay1118 Words   |  5 PagesHeart of Darkness: Cruelty David Yu In Joseph Conrads book Heart of Darkness the Europeans are cut off from civilization, overtaken by greed, exploitation, and material interests from his own kind. Conrad develops themes of personal power, individual responsibility, and social justice. His book has all the trappings of the conventional adventure tale - mystery, exotic setting, escape, suspense, unexpected attack. 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As Marlow starts his journey from the city of civilization and enlightenment which creates an atmosphere of light, but his viewpoint changes as on his journey he encounters the African jungles that lead to immense darkness. In Fitzgerald’s May Day, in and out is symbolic of Gordon’s situation. Gordon is out of luck and seeks help, is in a hope that his friend Philip DeanRead More Apocalypse Now vs Heart of Darkness Essay1120 Words   |  5 Pagesthe impact of its inspiration, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. While the basic elements of imperialism and human nature remain intact, the characters of the film bare little resemblance to their literary counterparts. The film serves as a re-interpretation of Conrad’s novella, updated from 19th-century British imperialism in the Congo to a critique of 20th-century U.S. imperialism in Southeast Asia. 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