Background info:
HOD was originally published as a three-part series in a British magazine. It was published as a novel in 1902. Conrad clearly drew from his own experiences in writing the novel; he lived in the Congo for more than eight years and captained a steamer ship for a Belgian ivory trading company. While more recent critics of the novel (Chinua Achebe) have criticized Conrad for his unapologetic descriptions of the brutality that the natives were subjected to, the novel did expose the effects of colonialism and ignited the formation of the Congo Reform Associated, a labor rights group.
The novella Heart of Darkness follows the adventures of a sailor named Marlow. Marlow is the captain of a steamship who is taking a journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz; an ivory trader that is said to have great abilities and be very respectable and intelligent. Marlow becomes extremely interested in Kurtz as he awaits parts for his steamship. While traveling up the Congo, Marlow witnesses first hand the brutal and inhuman treatment of native inhabitants of the region that have been forced to work on the ship.
Main characters:
Marlow is the protagonist of the novel even though he does not directly narrate it. It is his highly detailed stories from the Congo that drive the plot. While Marlow is very intelligent and thoughtful, he is drawn to Kurtz and the ivory trade mostly because of their exotic and exiting nature. While he never openly criticizes the white man and their treatment of the natives, his observations clearly hold disdain for the inhumanities that imperialism generates.
Kurtz is the highly charismatic and almost manacle character whom Marlow is inexplicably drawn to. His eloquence and cool confidence make him a powerful leader amongst the men. Even Marlow admits that Kurtz is not a person that should be admired, and yet he is a highly sought after and envied man who lives in unprecedented infamy.
The General Manager was not a huge character in the novel (he doesn't even get a name), but he is probably the next in line for significant characters. The manager is the main man in the ivory company and even though he is described as an "unremarkable man" because of his nondescript appearance and abrupt personality, he holds a significant amount of power and the respect of the men within the company. Even though he is technically Kurtz' boss, he seems to lack control of that aspect of the company.
Minor characters:
The Helmsman who steers Marlow's steamship is killed unexpectedly by an attack on the ship by natives. Marlow surprises himself in his sorrow over the Helmsman's death because the worker would usually be seen as another tool on the ship-- not necessarily a human being.
Kurtz' native mistress is a beautiful and powerful African woman. She seems to have significant status in the native community and is pointed out as "someone to fear." While her personality does not play a role in the book, she is definitely a symbol of beauty and mystery for the natives and for Marlow.
Setting:
The narrator relays the stories that Marlow tells the men on a ship on the Thames in England. It is obviously a few years after Marlow has visited the congo and the boat stirs old memories from the time on the steamship. The passengers on the commercial ship listen with quiet respect as Marlow speaks.
The events of Marlow's stories take place deep in the African Congo. Some scenes are in the dark, mysterious jungle. Other scenes, like when the African mistress is introduced, take place in small, colorful villages.
Group Discussions:
Our first discussion focused on our fascination with Conrad’s descriptive style. We found the story to be thick, dense, almost overwhelmingly detailed. The possible outcomes of the story were discussed, yet by then we were well aware of the importance of Kurtz.
Later discussions centered more on the shocking conditions of Africa and the river; the absurdity of the situation. The slow pace at the center chapters clearly reflects the slow pace of the boat moving upstream along the Congo. The ending was a bit of a let down for us, but Conrad’s message about the horrors of imperialism was clear.
Questions
Why are most of the novel’s characters not named but rather given a description?
How is the actual encounter with Kurtz ironic?
While ironically simple, what does Kurtz’s domain say about his character?
Discuss the irony of Kurtz’s idolatry.
What is “the horror” and “heart of darkness?”
Important Quotations:
“‘The population had cleared out a long time ago. Well, if a lot of mysterious niggers armed with all kinds of fearful weapons suddenly took to traveling the road between Deal and Gravesend…I fancy every farm and cottage thereabouts would get empty very soon’” (Conrad 16).
“‘…the blade had gone in out of sight, after making a frightful gash; my shoes were full; a pool of blood lay very still, gleaming dark-red under the wheel; his eyes shone with an amazing luster’” (Conrad 42).
“‘They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom’” (Conrad 14).
“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz’s life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time’” (Conrad 62).
Overall themes:
Darkness
Imperialism
Dialogue
Pilgrimage
Lesser of Two Evils
Motifs & Symbols
Darkness (motif)- Marlow describes Africa, England and Brussels all as "dark". Darkness is the inability to see, which seems simple of enought but when thinking of the inability to "see" and individual, the severe consequences of this can be seen. Failing to see a human being results in a failure to understand that individual and establish any sort of sympathetic communication.
Fog (symbol)- Fog not only makes it hard to see things, but also distorts things. It allows us to see enough that we begin to make decisions but does not give us enough information to judge the accuracy of these decisions. Marlow is constantly caught in this type of fog. in his steamship he is unable to see if there is trouble lurking ahead or if there is trouble behind. Even with Kurtz he knows enough about him to be interested but does not by any means know everything about this strange man.
Prompt: How do character deaths support thematic elements in Heart of Darkness?
Forest of Death: rampant starvation, disease, and despair at hands of the whites
Helmsman: displays Marlow’s admiration of the native peoples
Kurtz: symbolic of demise/madness of leaders of enslavement/imperialism
Style and Effect of Style on novel's Meaning:
Joseph Conrad uses distinct, extremely descriptive imagery. Readers can easily visualize the different settings. This forces readers to interpret several things on their own, since the imagery only goes so far. Joseph Conrad's tone throughout the book is ambivalent and understanding of the events that occur around Marlow.
Hey group-
There are 12 parts to this assignment so hows about we split it up by fours?
I'll take the first four, Lindsey take 5-8, Josh 9-12? If this doesn't work for you, let me know. I'll post my
shizz tonight probably.
Lindsey:
One paragraph plot outline—be sure to note breaks, shifts or transitions.
Two symbols, references, or motifs:
Two or three sentences on style and effect of style on the novel’s meaning:
One or two sentences on dominant philosophy, themes, or ideas:
Josh:
Summary of some discussions your group had about the novel:
5-10 unanswered questions from our class discussions (ambiguity, irony, open questions)
Four short quotations typical/important for the work:
Overall themes and mini-outlines for possible prompts.Have at least two. ( See overall questions handout for sample open response questions.)
Heart of Darkness
written by Joseph ConradOutside links: http://faculty.pittstate.edu/~knichols/colonial3d.html
Background info:
HOD was originally published as a three-part series in a British magazine. It was published as a novel in 1902. Conrad clearly drew from his own experiences in writing the novel; he lived in the Congo for more than eight years and captained a steamer ship for a Belgian ivory trading company. While more recent critics of the novel (Chinua Achebe) have criticized Conrad for his unapologetic descriptions of the brutality that the natives were subjected to, the novel did expose the effects of colonialism and ignited the formation of the Congo Reform Associated, a labor rights group.
The novella Heart of Darkness follows the adventures of a sailor named Marlow. Marlow is the captain of a steamship who is taking a journey up the Congo River to meet Kurtz; an ivory trader that is said to have great abilities and be very respectable and intelligent. Marlow becomes extremely interested in Kurtz as he awaits parts for his steamship. While traveling up the Congo, Marlow witnesses first hand the brutal and inhuman treatment of native inhabitants of the region that have been forced to work on the ship.
Main characters:
Marlow is the protagonist of the novel even though he does not directly narrate it. It is his highly detailed stories from the Congo that drive the plot. While Marlow is very intelligent and thoughtful, he is drawn to Kurtz and the ivory trade mostly because of their exotic and exiting nature. While he never openly criticizes the white man and their treatment of the natives, his observations clearly hold disdain for the inhumanities that imperialism generates.
Kurtz is the highly charismatic and almost manacle character whom Marlow is inexplicably drawn to. His eloquence and cool confidence make him a powerful leader amongst the men. Even Marlow admits that Kurtz is not a person that should be admired, and yet he is a highly sought after and envied man who lives in unprecedented infamy.
The General Manager was not a huge character in the novel (he doesn't even get a name), but he is probably the next in line for significant characters. The manager is the main man in the ivory company and even though he is described as an "unremarkable man" because of his nondescript appearance and abrupt personality, he holds a significant amount of power and the respect of the men within the company. Even though he is technically Kurtz' boss, he seems to lack control of that aspect of the company.
Minor characters:
The Helmsman who steers Marlow's steamship is killed unexpectedly by an attack on the ship by natives. Marlow surprises himself in his sorrow over the Helmsman's death because the worker would usually be seen as another tool on the ship-- not necessarily a human being.
Kurtz' native mistress is a beautiful and powerful African woman. She seems to have significant status in the native community and is pointed out as "someone to fear." While her personality does not play a role in the book, she is definitely a symbol of beauty and mystery for the natives and for Marlow.
Setting:
The narrator relays the stories that Marlow tells the men on a ship on the Thames in England. It is obviously a few years after Marlow has visited the congo and the boat stirs old memories from the time on the steamship. The passengers on the commercial ship listen with quiet respect as Marlow speaks.
The events of Marlow's stories take place deep in the African Congo. Some scenes are in the dark, mysterious jungle. Other scenes, like when the African mistress is introduced, take place in small, colorful villages.
Group Discussions:
Our first discussion focused on our fascination with Conrad’s descriptive style. We found the story to be thick, dense, almost overwhelmingly detailed. The possible outcomes of the story were discussed, yet by then we were well aware of the importance of Kurtz.
Later discussions centered more on the shocking conditions of Africa and the river; the absurdity of the situation. The slow pace at the center chapters clearly reflects the slow pace of the boat moving upstream along the Congo. The ending was a bit of a let down for us, but Conrad’s message about the horrors of imperialism was clear.
Questions
Why are most of the novel’s characters not named but rather given a description?
How is the actual encounter with Kurtz ironic?
While ironically simple, what does Kurtz’s domain say about his character?
Discuss the irony of Kurtz’s idolatry.
What is “the horror” and “heart of darkness?”
Important Quotations:
“‘The population had cleared out a long time ago. Well, if a lot of mysterious niggers armed with all kinds of fearful weapons suddenly took to traveling the road between Deal and Gravesend…I fancy every farm and cottage thereabouts would get empty very soon’” (Conrad 16).
“‘…the blade had gone in out of sight, after making a frightful gash; my shoes were full; a pool of blood lay very still, gleaming dark-red under the wheel; his eyes shone with an amazing luster’” (Conrad 42).
“‘They were dying slowly—it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom’” (Conrad 14).
“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz’s life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time’” (Conrad 62).
Overall themes:
Darkness
Imperialism
Dialogue
Pilgrimage
Lesser of Two Evils
Motifs & Symbols
Darkness (motif)- Marlow describes Africa, England and Brussels all as "dark". Darkness is the inability to see, which seems simple of enought but when thinking of the inability to "see" and individual, the severe consequences of this can be seen. Failing to see a human being results in a failure to understand that individual and establish any sort of sympathetic communication.
Fog (symbol)- Fog not only makes it hard to see things, but also distorts things. It allows us to see enough that we begin to make decisions but does not give us enough information to judge the accuracy of these decisions. Marlow is constantly caught in this type of fog. in his steamship he is unable to see if there is trouble lurking ahead or if there is trouble behind. Even with Kurtz he knows enough about him to be interested but does not by any means know everything about this strange man.
Prompt: How do character deaths support thematic elements in Heart of Darkness?
Forest of Death: rampant starvation, disease, and despair at hands of the whites
Helmsman: displays Marlow’s admiration of the native peoples
Kurtz: symbolic of demise/madness of leaders of enslavement/imperialism
Style and Effect of Style on novel's Meaning:
Joseph Conrad uses distinct, extremely descriptive imagery. Readers can easily visualize the different settings. This forces readers to interpret several things on their own, since the imagery only goes so far. Joseph Conrad's tone throughout the book is ambivalent and understanding of the events that occur around Marlow.
Hey group-
There are 12 parts to this assignment so hows about we split it up by fours?
I'll take the first four, Lindsey take 5-8, Josh 9-12? If this doesn't work for you, let me know. I'll post my
shizz tonight probably.
Lindsey:
One paragraph plot outline—be sure to note breaks, shifts or transitions.
Two symbols, references, or motifs:
Two or three sentences on style and effect of style on the novel’s meaning:
One or two sentences on dominant philosophy, themes, or ideas:
Josh:
Summary of some discussions your group had about the novel:
5-10 unanswered questions from our class discussions (ambiguity, irony, open questions)
Four short quotations typical/important for the work:
Overall themes and mini-outlines for possible prompts.Have at least two. ( See overall questions handout for sample open response questions.)