Women In The Odyssey

Women in the Odyssey
Women form an important part of each society, however their role and importance to its function are
often times overlooked. Society is/was organized and directed by men. All of the most important
positions and purposes within it`s routine were filled by males. This societal organization is often
times reflected in many pieces of literature of various time periods, however there are texts in which
contrary to the patriarchal society models, women are given substantial importance within the plot.
Homer`s The Odyssey, Heart of Darnkness by Joseph Conrad and Aeschylus`s Oresteia each
demonstrate or conceal female importance in a given society. The Odyssey was written in a time
when men played the dominant role. In ancient Greece, women ... Show more content on
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Athena, once again, is shown as having power over men and mortals, the citizens feel "sheltered
under Athene`s wings" (3.1000–02) she brings justice and leads the tragic trilogy to a conclusion ,
just as she helps conclude Odysseus` nostos to Ithaca. Clytaemestra, whose infidelity and
Agamemnon`s murder create a domino effect, which in turn brings a reign of chaos and killing
begins as conspiracies and family secrets are reveled. Clytaemestra can be viewed as the unethical,
evil character, nevertheless, her independed will and ability to murder, translate into strength and
intellect. Clytaemestra drives the plot into "the complicated" which forms the majority of the
tragedy itself. In contrast with The Odyssey and Oresteia, a much more recent work, Heart of
Darkness by Joseph Conrad, women serve as supplements to men`s actions and they are passive
characters at mercy of the leading males. Females in Heart of Darkness can be similarly divided into
three categories parallel to The Odyssey, yet with major differences. Marlow`s aunt " a dear
enthusiastic soul...ready to do anything, anything for [Marlow] " (pg.72) could be identified as the
"goddess" who is willing to help in any way possible, she is the higher class white civilized woman
who lives in a surreal world, nonertheless she does not possess any power of Marlow like Athena
does over men of The Odyssey. Kurtz`s native mistress is the "seductress/whore". Instead of
seducing Kurtz however, she is seduced by
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Essay on Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness is a dark and haunting tale about the search for a substantial
and mysteriously powerful man named Mr. Kurtz. Heart of Darkness centers around Marlow, a
sailor and also narrator of the novella. Throughout the work, Conrad uses an array of literary
devices to suggest his style of writing.
The title of the work itself, The Heart of Darkness, is an example of the use of metaphor. Darkness
is a significant part of the book's title conceptually. However, it is difficult to discern exactly what it
might mean, given that absolutely everything in the book takes place in darkness. Africa, England,
and Brussels are all described as gloomy and somehow dark, even if the sun is shining brightly.
Darkness thus ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Conrad uses repetition in a manner that allows the reader to fully see what he is attempting to
emphasize..
The irony of the work lies within the title and the central theme– darkness versus light. The irony
within the work is based on the fact that one must travel through the darkness to get to the light.
Conrad's ability to manipulate the language and it's literary elements, makes the work quite
interesting and intriguing to engage. The use of these literary elements creates an aura within the
work both complex and suspenseful.
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, to civilize means to raise
from barbarism to an enlightened stage of development; bring out of a primitive or savage state, or
to educate in matters of culture and refinement; make more polished or sophisticated.
In Heart of Darkness, the sense of the definition is dependent upon Mr. Kurtz's mission to promote
his ideas as to what it means to be civilized. Mr. Kurtz was a well–known man who has achieved a
distinguished reputation for maintaining the ivory trade."Kurtz is a prodigy . . . He is an emissary of
pity and science and progress, and devil knows what else" (47).He could live a life of luxury by
selling his ivory in Europe. The company's Chief Accountant remarks, "He will be a somebody in
the Administration before long. They, above –– the

An Analysis of Conrad's Heart of Darkness Essay
An Analysis of Conrad's Heart of Darkness In the twentieth century, nihilistic themes, such as moral
degeneration, man's bestial instincts at the core of the soul, and cosmic purposelessness, have
preoccupied many works of literature and philosophy. Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is no
exception. In his novel, Conrad uses a unique writing style to explore man's fundamental fallibility
and moral confusion in an existential world through ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Finally, in the book's resolution, Marlow visits Kurtz's Intended and not having the heart to tell her
the awful truth of man's dark soul, lies to her about Kurtz's last words.
Running throughout the book is the theme of the heart of darkness, which is in man. Though at first
darkness is referred to superficial ideas such as the undiscovered and mysterious lands at the heart
of Africa or the African¡¯s dark skin, it is soon made clear that the true darkness is the evil in
man¡¯s heart, beneath all of society¡¯s expectations of him. If left to his own devices, as the
Company employee was, man would run wild and evil. To be left unaccountable to any superior
authority is more than any man can bear, and eventually his own evil will drive him mad. This is
what happened with Kurtz. Renowned at first for his ingenious ideas of bringing education and
civilization to the dark continent of Africa, Kurtz eventually degrades himself as Marlow soon finds
out when he finds Kurtz wasted away physically and morally. Consumed by the monster that lies
dormant at the bottom of every man's soul, Kurtz is openly brutal in his repression of the natives and
even allows

Biography Of Joseph Conrad 's Life
Background: Writer Joseph Conrad was born on December 3, 1857 in Berdichev (now Berdychiv),
Ukraine. His parents, Apollo and Evelina Korzeniowski, were members of the Polish noble class. At
the time, the country suffered under the oppressive Russian rule. Joseph's parents were Polish
patriots, but were caught and arrested, then sent to live in the Russian province of Vologda with their
4–year–old son. When Conrad 's parents died several years later, he was raised by an uncle in
Poland. As a young child, Joseph was tutored by his literate father, and later attended a school in
Krakow to receive private schooling. At the age of 16, Conrad left Poland to meet a merchant who
was a friend of his uncle. Traveling to the port city of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Retiring from his life of sea travel, Conrad married and had two sons in England. He began writing
short stories and novels like Lord Jim, Heart of Darkness, and The Secret Agent, which combined
his experiences in foreign places with a focus on moral conflict and the dark side of human nature.
He began writing just as England entered a period of international decline. In stark contrast to the
Romanticism and Modernism dominating the literary field at the time Conrad focused on Marxist
values. Strangely, his books were controversial when he wrote them for being too forward thinking
and negatively portraying slavery, and in modern times are controversial for his protagonist's
negative feelings towards blacks and women. Conrad left his mark by using writing styles such as
faraway settings, dramatic conflicts between human characters and brutal forces of nature, themes
of individualism, the violent side of human nature, and racial prejudice. Conrad was interested in
using the effects of oppressing leaders in remote situations to draw parallels between the inner lives
of single characters and a more general message of human history. He died of a heart attack in
England on August 3, 1924. Synopsis: Exposition–Set in the later part of the 19th century, Heart of
Darkness opens on the Thames River near London, England. An un–named narrator informs readers
he is traveling with three other men besides the captain: a lawyer, an accountant, and Marlow.
Through his

Heart of Darkness, Hollow Men, and Apocalypse Now Essay
Similarities between Heart of Darkness, Hollow Men, and Apocalypse Now
In today's literary world there are many different texts that have interlocking literary meaning
through their references to one another and to other works. I am going to compare and draw
similarities between T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men, Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and Francis
Ford Coppola's Apocalypse Now. These three sources have many different references to one another
in different ways.
In T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men, he begins the poem with the title and underneath the title he uses
the famous line "Mistah Kurtz– he dead" from Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. This famous line
is said by one of the servants about Mr. Kurtz who dies and all ... Show more content on
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In Heart of Darkness Kurtz is this European man who leaves Europe with an empty idealism which
collapsed under the force of the savage and barbaric darkness. He visits the Congo and is
transformed into this man of the jungle. The character of Kurtz is similar in Apocalypse Now; he is
a highly decorated general in the vietnam war and Kurtz goes into the jungle leading him to turn
into a man of the jungle. Mr. Kurtz one day loses it and goes crazy. He goes off into the jungles of
Vietnam and starts terrorizing villages with his crazy actions and beliefs. In Coppola's Apocalypse
Now there is a scene where Mr. Kurtz is reading T.S. Eliot's The Hollow Men. Coppola has Kurtz's
character read this poem because it is basically saying that his society of the jungle is not turning out
the way he wanted it to. Shortly after he reads the poem, Kurtz asks Captain Willard to kill him
because of the failure of his society. Kurtz reads the opening stanza of Eliot's poem. In this stanza it
is talking about the hollow men and how they are stuffed with straw. Coppola uses this significant
stanza because KurtzÕs followers are very similar to these hollow men. In the first stanza it says
that the hollow men are "shape without form, shade without colour, paralysed force, gesture without
motion." It is also true with Kurtz's people; they are basically nothing and have no direction. Kurtz's
followers are very similar to the hollow

Essay on the downfall of kurtz
The Downfall of Kurtz
Enveloped within Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Kurtz fails for many reasons and in many
ways. Kurtz's failure is especially tragic because he once had the potential for great success. He was
an eloquent, powerful, and persuasive speaker who at one point was adored by all the inhabitants of
the heart of darkness, the great and mysterious jungle. Everyone from the innocent natives to the
administration of his corrupt company was in awe of him. Why then, did someone with such
amazing promise fail?
Even from the beginning, Kurtz was made out to be an icon, an idol. To Marlow, he was the only
thing that made sense in the company, on a journey, in a wilderness full of confusion. The ... Show
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The manager was continuously described as nothing more than ordinary, thus it was not shocking to
learn of the corruption that he encouraged in the company.
Mr. Kurtz was the "chief of the inner station" (Conrad, pg. 28). He was "in charge
of a trading post, a very important one, in the true ivory country." Kurtz sent in "as
much ivory as all the others put together" (Conrad, pg. 22). The company described him as the
"best agent, an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to the company" (Conrad,
pg. 25). Kurtz went to the jungle for many reasons, but mostly to make money to return to Europe
and marry his intended. Marlow "heard that her engagement with Kurtz had been disapproved
by her people. He wasn't rich enough or something." He had given Marlow "some
reason to infer that it was his impatience of comparative poverty that drove him out there"
(Conrad, pg. 74). He had been driven into the jungle to procure money for the company and for
himself and for his life with his intended. Greed is what kept him out there so long and clouded his
mind regarding thoughts of nobility.
Spending so much time in the savage jungle dehumanized Kurtz. He lost sight of the thin line
between goodness and corruption, as did many others before him. Kurtz ended up raiding the
country on his frequent ivory expeditions. He had a tendency to become cruel, once even
threatening to kill his friend, the Russian. This makes the reader

Glorified Colonialism and Imperialism in Heart of...
Imperialism Glorified in Heart of Darkness
Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" is, as Edward Said states a story about European "acts of imperial
mastery" (1503)–its methods, and the effects it has on human nature. Furthermore I hold the
presumption that Conrad incorporates much of his own experience in the Congo and his opinions
about imperialism. Another recent critic also suggests: "he seems to approve of Marlow," the
narrator (Achebe 1492). These revelations of the author are conveyed to the reader through
Marlow's observations, descriptions, reactions, and statements.
Whilst "Heart of Darkness" is at times very critical of European imperialism, that criticism for the
most part is directed at the false idealistic claims made ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
When Marlow first receives his appointment with the company, he thinks that the Belgians are "full
of it," full of the excitement of "running an over–sea empire" strictly for the profit from trade
(1433). Our current use of the phrase "full of it" could also be applied, in that Marlow does not
condone the way the Belgians are approaching imperialism. His judgment of the Belgians may be
partly due to the fact that most of his confidence in imperialism lies within the red part of the map,
England, where the "real work is being done." Moreover he is even more disappointed in the
Belgians' approach to trade when he sees the overturned truck, decaying machinery, the natives
chained together, and the natives dying in the shade (1437). The natives of the Congo cannot even
comprehend what is happening to them: "the outraged law had come to them, an insoluble mystery
from the sea." This unexplainable force came into their land, taking ivory in return for cheap
manufactured goods such as cotton, beads, and brass wire. As Marlow says, the only way they could
profit from these inexpensive goods would be to "swallow the wire itself, or make loops out of it to
snare fish with".(1457) In reality the trade business is doing nothing for the people of the land, and
all it appears to be doing is supplying a false consciousness of fairness and trade.
Furthermore, not only are the methods of the Belgians unfair, but they are also inefficient. This

Abuse of Power in Heart of Darkness and in Frankenstein
How is the abuse of power shown in two works that you have studied?
The works I have studied and will be exploring in this essay are Mary Shelly's 'Frankenstein' and
Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'. In 'Frankenstein' the abuse of power is most clearly exhibited
by the protagonist of the story Frankenstein himself, his abuse of power results in his isolation and
could serve as a warning to people, telling them not to play with forces that they can not control. In
'Heart of Darkness', Conrad abuses his power as the author to distance himself from the novella and
in a sense absolve himself from any racist criticism the book may induce. The abuse of power is also
a key theme in the novella itself. Firstly there is a sense of hypocrisy in ... Show more content on
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King Leopold was abusing his position of power to exploit the Congo for it's raw materials, it can be
said that the vivid cruel and gruesome images Conrad conveys in the book are merely mirroring the
harsh reality of the brutalisation in Africa. One could therefore conclude that due to Conrad's own
experiences in the Congo he has to tell his story through a framed narrative, as it may be too
difficult for him to share his story in the first person. Whether this was the case or not, it is clear
than in 'Heart of Darkness' Conrad reveals the abuse of power to be ever present in the colonial age
that Conrad lived in, and he demonstrates the abuse of power as something to be wary of and to fear,
as it can result in madness.
Finally the abuse of power in the Congo also demonstrates the hypocrisy of Imperialism through the
corruption observed in 'the company'. Before Marlow travels to the Congo itself he reveals that it
was very difficult for him to ascertain a job, which would result in his exploration of the river which
had charmed and fascinated him from childhood. It is at this point that Marlow decides to ask his
aunt for help, and she manages to get him a job, which will take him where he desires to go. This
clearly demonstrates that Marlow's abuse of power right at the beginning of the book. He then
proceeds to judge others who are abusing power when he is in the Congo. For

Importance of the Natives in Joseph Conrad's Heart of...
The Importance of the Natives in Heart Of Darkness
Conrad has been accused of racism because of the way he portrays the natives in his novel, Heart of
Darkness. It has been argued that the natives cannot be an essential part of Heart of Darkness due to
the manner in which they are depicted. However, a careful reading reveals that the story would be
incomplete without the natives. Marlow develops a relationship with one of the natives – perhaps
the first time in his life that Marlow creates a bond with someone outside of his own race.
Without the natives, there could be no Kurtz. The natives are his "people" and his followers:
Suddenly round the corner of the house a group of men appeared, as though they had ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
He describes the natives as "ants" which are decomposers. Marlow is describing the natives as
creatures that do nothing but break down and destroy the land. When Marlow tries to get away from
this scene of natives he steps "into a gloomy circle of some Inferno...Black shapes crouched, lay, sat
between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced
within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair...They were dying
slowly...they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying
confusedly in the greenish gloom." (Conrad 20) Marlow characterizes the natives as "unearthly
creatures" that have been abandoned from society. It has been accepted that they do not deserve to
live like regular human beings. They must live in "abandonment and despair" because they are
criminals. Marlow depicts them as slowly rising out of the earth as if they were horrid creatures that
only come out in the darkness because no one can bear to see them in the daytime. Marlow also
describes the natives as "bundles of acute angles sat with their legs drawn up...one of these creatures
rose to his hands and knees and went off on all–fours towards the river to drink. He lapped out of his
hand, then sat up in the sunlight crossing his shins in front of him, and after a time let his woolly
head fall on his breastbone." (Conrad 21) This is utter degradation of a human being. At

Joseph Conrad 's Heart Of Darkness
In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad shows his readers the presence of colonialism during that time
period. Conrad shows the reader the horrors of colonialism in a pretty straight forward way during
the entire novel. He uses his main two characters to accomplish this. Kurtz whom i find to be
mysteries as we don 't get much information about him only how Marlow sees him, and Marlow
who spend the majority of the novel judging those around him, but still participating on the same
time of actions which is to kill those who in their way. The main purpose and the benefits from all
the torture of natives have stayed the same. Conrad shows his view of colonialism during that time
and the their capitalist ways through Marlow's journey up the Congo. Conrad shows that one of the
purposes of colonialism is the suppression of the native's beliefs and traditional ways of life. Conrad
focuses on the actions of others and not on his own, making him more human then the rest of the
company, they all have the same goal to tame the natives.
The Europeans are trying to change the natives of the Congo to the way of life they believe is better
and correct as their slaves. The Europeans force the natives to work on getting ivory they need to
export back to Europe. The native people are more like property to them, making them leave their
homes to go to work for the them, and in the process take away all the freedom they had. The
natives have been forced to give up their former way of life to

Joseph Conrad 's Heart Of Darkness
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, published in 1899, is a
novella (a short novel or long short story) that is a good representation of the genre of colonial
literature; it is about Marlow, who is a sailor, and his voyage up the Congo River. His top priority is
to meet Kurtz, a man who is known for his success of collecting ivory and his other captivating
potentials. Marlow's journey begins once he accepts a job with the Company, a Belgian organization
concerned with trade within the Congo area (Conrad 9). However, Marlow is surprised by the
widespread suffering and inhumanity of the natives when he arrives at his designated areas in Africa
near the Congo. Marlow soon realizes that the Company's intentions of "helping" the natives may
not be as optimistic as it first seemed when he acquired the job as the steamboat sailor. Marlow's
urge to meet the fascinating Kurtz is what keeps him motivated in the midst of all the horror. Heart
of Darkness is written as a frame story, which is a story–within–a–story. The novel begins with
Marlow and a few of his companions aboard a boat known as the Nellie in the Thames River in
London. Marlow eases into his story about when he first began his sailing career; the story is told by
him, but the unnamed narrator is the one recalling what Marlow says while he shares his earlier
sailing days with the others. As a child, Marlow had an extreme fascination with blank spaces on
maps. The Congo River and all

Essay about Gunsmoke Synthesis
Gunsmoke Synthesis
Between the years 1952 to 1961, the series Gunsmoke was broadcasted across the nation. The show
gave people insight into a past life of men who carried guns, fought for what was theirs, and showed
that even the hardest people could be tamed.
It was a time when the heroes of the old west started settling down, and in doing so they were either
good guys like sheriffs, or they were bad guys that robbed people or places. From the stories of
Gunsmoke the central character was a U.S. Marshall named Matt Dillon. He was calm, steady, and
easy to talk with. In Gunsmoke we see a man that takes his job seriously, from helping those in need
to catching the wanted. The thing about Matt Dillon that catches you is that even ... Show more
As a Marshall in a town the size of Dodge, Dillon would have to just about everything needed to be
done, as in "Bloody Hands" when he walks into a bar that you new was about to have a gun fight,
and breaks it up. Marshall Dillon was willing to do whatever needed to be done no matter how
dangerous. When Marshall Dillon knew that the widow Hordbee had a bounty on him, he still sat on
the porch showing no fear. Dillon had learned to depend on himself and he trusted very few others
people.
When the bad guys got out of hand it seemed like Marshall Dillon always had a gun in hand for in
this place almost all men wore guns. In "Bloody Hands" we hear that Marshall Dillon hit one man in
the head and knocked him out cold with his six gun handle. In the same way, the story "Skid Row"
Dillon shoots and kills the young boy, the drunk, and all of the rest of the men that tried to get the
thousand dollar bounty. To be a Marshall, he needed to be quick and very good with his gun as well
as his mind. It seems like Dillon had a shoot first, then also questions later attitude, when it came
bringing bad guys to justice.
The thing that we need to remember is that the west was different then it is now, for the Marshall
was more then just a law ma; he was the person that you needed to see to know what was allowed.
One thing that Dillon said about himself is that he was "The first man [people] look for and the last

Uncertainty in Heart of Darkness and The Stranger Essay
In The Stranger, Albert Camus establishes uncertainty to diffuse the tension surrounding Meursault
while in Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad creates uncertainty to intensify the tension around
Marlow. Both authors use a first person narrator, which limits the information the reader receives.
Also both lead characters miss information though Meursault does so intentionally while Marlow
does so unintentionally. Camus enforces the correlation of uncertainty and tension in The Stranger
when Meursault gains certainty and the tension that then flows from the book. While the correlation
in show in Heart of Darkness when Marlow is uncertain and the tension around him heightens. In
both The Stranger and Heart of Darkness, the authors choose a ... Show more content on
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In The Stranger, Meursault voluntarily misses information to alleviate tension while in Heart of
Darkness, Marlow misses information unintentionally, which only heightens the tension of his
surroundings. These uses of ambiguity lead the readers' emotions to the desired feeling. When
Meursault becomes bored with a conversation he loses focus and the reader loses information. In
one conversation with the director, Meursault note, "The director spoke to me again. But I wasn't
really listening anymore"(Camus 5). Because of Meursault's lack of focus much information is lost,
but with which tension is relieved because, if Meursault does not care the reader also does not. This
absence occurs again during the trial's closing arguments when Meursault sates, "I stopped listening
to the prosecutor" (Camus 100). The closing arguments can be some of the tensest times of a trial
but Meursault just dismisses them, which ameliorates the tension of the trial. In Heart of Darkness,
Marlow misses information because of circumstances out of his control. When Marlow first sees
Kurtz, Marlow hears from a distance, "A deep voice (that) reached me faintly"(Conrad 130).
Marlow was unable to know what Kurtz was yelling but the idea of his yelling is much more intense
than the words that were actually coming out of his mouth. Similarly when awoken by a nearby
conversation Marlow only hears, "bits of absurd sentences that got the better of my drowsiness"
(Conrad 91).

The Reality Of Evil Within Us
Agata Czawa
Ms. Walker
ENG 3U1–01
November 20, 2015
The Reality of Evil Within Us In the novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Marlow, the
Lawyer, the Doctor and the Accountant voyage down to Africa from London to assist the Europeans
with their mission to rule the Natives and discover ivory. This roots one to assume to being in a day
dream where it 's amazing as if you were having the time of your life than all of a sudden hell drops
and you die resulting in a constant one 's life. The complexity of inadequate regularity results in a
fading reality, in which deaths and complications arise and cause evil to take root within humans.
The lack of deviation in the novel Heart of Darkness results in a reality fading for Marlow. "I felt
often its mysterious stillness watching me at my monkey tricks, just as it watches you fellows
performing on your respective tight–ropes for––what is it? Half a crown a tumble–––– try to be
civil, Marlow"(Conrad 42). Marlow is forgetting his old regularity in London because he is being
taken over by Africa 's constant which is dark, and violent, and is referred to as the "heart of
darkness". As a result, Marlow becomes attached to the heart of darkness, which can cause a
dilemma when he returns to London because it will constantly remind him of horrors that he
witnessed. Marlow was aware that his gasp on reality was weakening and thus, felt the need to
remind himself to be civil. "They would have been more impressive; those heads on the

Essay about Joseph Conrad's The Women of Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad's The Women of Heart of Darkness
The novella Heart of Darkness illustrates readers with three different types of depictions that men
had of women during the late 1800's; also known as the imperialistic era. These depictions were as
follows; the naive woman, the mistress, and the wealthy widow. The naïve woman was personified
by Kurtz intended. The mistress was personified by the native African woman. The wealthy widow
is personified by Marlow's aunt. This assumption can be made on various levels. The most obvious
level is how Joseph Conrad never gave these characters names. Also when they are mentioned it is
very brief.
Kurtz's intended is the naïve character. She is alone and waiting for Kurtz for as long ... Show more
The small part that she has in this novella she manages to sound like a naïve woman.
The second character that we are introduced to is Kurtz's African mistress. The mistress is a
beautiful woman who seems to evoke some sort of control over the men. Whenever she is
mentioned the men just stand there as if in awe. She never speaks in the novella. During the late
1800's it was acceptable for men to have mistress', I believe that is what Conrad tried to show. That's
why Kurtz's intended never questioned why he was taking so long. She probably knew he had a
mistress and couldn't really say anything against it. The mistress managed to gain some type of
control over Kurtz, and that is why he hadn't left yet. Even Marlow was in awe when he saw the
beautiful native woman with jewelry on. Perhaps she was a wealthy woman, and that's why the
people respected her.
The last female character that I will examine is Marlow's aunt. She is perhaps a wealthy widow, who
also has nothing better to do with her money. She believes strongly on the topic of imperialism. She
thinks that it helps people progress. She was the one who got Marlow this opportunity. Marlow's
aunt is the combination of both characters. She was naïve and controlling at the same time. Conrad
probably used this character to show readers how older women were in the past.
Its amazing to see how men stereotyped women in the past it hasn't

Essay about Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness by Joseph...
In the book, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, all the characters are pulled into a well of black
despair. Conrad uses the darkness of the situation contrasted to the light of society to show man's
dependence on western morals, and how when these morals are challenged by the darkness, the light
crumbles under its newly weakened foundation. The contrast between light and dark is most stark in
the themes of setting, the changes in Europeans as they drive farther into the Congo, and the white
man's collapse under the ultimate darkness of the Innermost Congo.
The setting of Heart of Darkness is a very critical part of the book, and Conrad goes to extreme
lengths to highlight the evil radiating from the region in which he sets his ... Show more content on
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However I wasn't going into any of these. I was going into the yellow. Dead in the centre. And the
river was there–fascinating–deadly–like a snake."
The description shows the bleakness of the Congo compared to the outside world, is one of the first
representations of the civilized (or outside) world contrasted to the Congo. The uncivilized/civilized
comparison and the descriptions of darkness heighten when Conrad increases the contrast by
moving Marlow into an oasis of civilization, the Main Station, a port outpost on the coast of Africa,
owned and commanded by white Europeans, but kept alive by the slave work of black natives. Upon
setting foot on shore,
Marlow begins to see glimpses of the darkness that awaits him, the natives along the path are
described, in a manner closer to animal than human:
"Near the same tree two more bundles of acute angles sat with their legs drawn up. One, with his
chin propped on his knees stared at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner... others were
scattered about in every pose of contorted collapse, as in some picture of massacre or pestilence."
The scene disturbs Marlow a great deal and he hastens to reach the camp, where he is removed from
this reality he finds unpleasant when he comes upon another man like himself, dressed in pure
white, such that Marlow "took him for a sort of vision", and is temporarily rescued from the setting
Conrad has created. Conrad continues to create a setting that is described as

Essay on Feminist Theory in Heart of Darkness
Angels and Monsters in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad's varying depiction of women in his novel
Heart of Darkness provides feminist literary theory with ample opportunity to explore the overlying
societal dictation of women's gender roles and expectations in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
century. The majority of feminist theorists claim that Conrad perpetuates patriarchal ideology, yet
there are a few that argue the novel is gendered feminine. Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar claim
"Conrad's Heart of Darkness...penetrates more ironically and thus more inquiringly into the dark
core of otherness that had so disturbed the patriarchal, the imperialist, and the psychoanalytic
imaginations...Conrad designs for Marlow a pilgrimage whose ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
This need to separate the angelic qualities of women into a totally separate world might come from
the desire to protect one's mother, and plays into the idea of the eternal feminine that must be
preserved. "She has no story of her own but gives 'advice and consolation' to others, listens, smiles,
sympathizes..." (Gilbert and Gubar 815). The aunt is a perfect example of such feminine qualities
and represents the untainted light of civilization. Marlow then encounters two women who represent
the gatekeepers of Darkness, which puts Marlow in an uneasy mood. Conrad uses these women to
symbolize both the angelic and the monstrous aspects of the female gender; they welcome the
newcomers and guide them to the next step of their journey, yet knit black wool which symbolizes
death, to which they are escorting their guests. This dichotomy echoes throughout Marlow's journey,
"Often far away there I thought of these two, guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as
for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing continuously to the unknown, the other scrutinizing
the cheery and foolish faces with unconcerned old eyes" (Conrad 12). The two women further the
theme of light into darkness, the fall of one's humanity from civilized to savage. While the story
starts with an illustration of the angelic feminine in the form of Marlow's aunt, Conrad presents the
first step into darkness by representing the two female

Essay on Another Heart of Darkness
Ignorance and Racism
Joseph Conrad develops themes of personal power, individual responsibility, and social justice in his
book Heart of Darkness. His book has all the trappings of the conventional adventure tale – mystery,
exotic setting, escape, suspense, unexpected attack. Chinua Achebe concluded,
"Conrad, on the other hand, is undoubtedly one of the great stylists of modern fiction and a
good story–teller into the bargain" (Achebe 252). Yet, despite Conrad's great story telling, he
has also been viewed as a racist by some of his critics. Achebe, Singh, and Sarvan, although their
criticisim differ, are a few to name. Normal readers usually are good at detecting racism in a book.
Achebe acknowledges
Conrad camouflaged racism ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Marlow felt pity toward the natives, yet when he met the station's book keeper he changed his views
of the natives. "Moreover I respected the fellow. Yes. I respected his collars, his vast cuffs, his
brushed hair. His appearance was certainly great demoralization of the land he kept up his
appearance"
(Conrad 21). Marlow praised the book keeper as if he felt it's the natives' fault for living in such
waste. the bureaucracy only cared about how he looked and felt. The bookeeper did not care for the
natives who were suffering less than fifty feet from him. He stated the natives weren't criminals but
were being treated as if they were, but at the same time he respected the book keeper on his looks
instead of despising him for his indifference. Conrad considered the Africans inferior and doomed
people. Frances B. Singh, author of
The Colonialistic Bias of Heart of Darkness said "The
African natives, victims of Belgian exploitation, are described as 'shapes,' 'shadows,' and 'bundles of
acute angles,' so as to show the dehumanizing effect of colonialist rule on the ruled" (269–
270). Another similar incident of
"double speak" appeared on the death of Marlow's helmsman. Marlow respected the
helmsman, yet when the native's blood poured into Marlow's shoes, "To tell you the truth, I
was morbidity anxious to change my shoes and socks" (Conrad 47). How can someone
respect yet feel disgusted towards

Degeneration of Kurtz, Colonialism, and Imperialism in...
Degeneration of Kurtz and Colonialism in Heart of Darkness
Kurtz was a personal embodiment, a dramatization, of all that Conrad felt of futility, degradation,
and horror in what the Europeans in the Congo called 'progress,' which meant the exploitation of the
natives by every variety of cruelty and treachery known to greedy man. Kurtz was to Marlow,
penetrating this country, a name, constantly recurring in people's talk, for cleverness and enterprise.
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is a portrait of the degeneration of the ideal of Kurtz
symbolizing the degeneration of the ideal of colonialism as 'civilizing work'.
The fading of the idealist mirage of 'civilizing work' in Africa has to be one of the central ... Show
Marlow also spoke to Kurtz's journalist colleague, who remembered about Kurtz: "Heavens! how
that man could talk! He electrified large meetings. He had the faith – don't you see – he had the
faith. He could get himself to believe anything – anything" (Conrad 71). The other thing Kurtz met
in the Congo was silence. The dialogue became a monologue, because the other side of the
conversation is only wilderness.
Kurtz's whole orientation in the Congo was based on the quest for ever–increasing quantities of
ivory. In this lay the weakness of Kurtz, for he wanted something, unlike his Russian companion.
Kurtz's intelligence, his ideas, and his plans, were captive to his status as ivory gatherer. Kurtz's
rejection of the validity of the 'unsound method' was not the problem. The problem with Kurtz,
which Marlow does not realize, is not that Kurtz went native, but that he did not go native enough.
In other words, Kurtz did not abandon the ivory–fetish. Kurtz's link with colonialism is therefore his
undoing, even in the individual decay he undergoes.
Kurtz, more than anyone, was a signal of human potential to Marlow, the 'universal genius', the
'extraordinary man' found the limits of his potential much more easily in his isolation: "Believe me
or not, his intelligence was perfectly clear – concentrated, it is true, upon himself with a horrible
intensity, yet clear..."(Conrad 65). Kurtz's abilities had nothing to work on

Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Essay
It is hard to find a more profound description of the colonialist ideal of the 19th century, than how it
is illustrated in Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness. The story revolves around Marlowe, a
steamboat captain in Belgian Congo, who is assigned to find Kurtz, an ivory trader, who has
distanced himself from the rest of the trading company and gone into the deeper parts of Africa.
In spite of the fact that Joseph Conrad is not a native English–speaker, his the book has an very
sophisticated and complex plot and text structure. The most interesting is not illustrating purpose of
the book, it is what kind of message, the book is trying to bring forth, because there is many.
An essential theme of Joseph Conrad's book is the critique ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net
...
One more interesting element in Joseph Conrad's novel is how the characters develop and how the
other characters describe each other, especially how other characters describe Kurtz to Marlowe. A
closer look at the character would reveal a man almost free from prejudices and he meets the book's
other characters with some incredulity. Even when he talks with his aunt, when he tells about his
new job, he finds her quite ignorant and naive. "She talked about 'weaning those ignorant from their
horrid ways,' till, upon my word, she made me quite uncomfortable. I ventured to hint that the
company was run for profit.(p.6)" Marlowe can struck as bit odd, for joining the trading station,
when he knows that it does not have an assistive purpose and in the same time, have an very
antagonistic attitude towards prejudices and narrow–mindedness. An argument for Marlowe's
indifference would be that he do not know how the state is in Congo. Which could explain he
becomes aware of when he arrives at the outer trading station and it is what he finds there that
makes him to oppose the whole idea of colonialism

Exposing Colonialism and Imperialism in Joseph Conrad’s...
The Evil of Colonialism Exposed in Heart of Darkness
Marlow was an average European man with average European beliefs. Like most Europeans of his
time, Marlow believed in colonialism; that is, until he met Kurtz. Kurtz forces Marlow to rethink his
current beliefs after Marlow learns the effects of colonialism deep in the African Congo. In Joseph
Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Marlow learns that he has lived his entire life believing in a sugar–
coated evil. Marlow's understanding of Kurtz's experiences show him the effects colonialism can
have on a man's soul.
In Europe, colonialism was emphasized as a great and noble cause. It was
seen as, the white mans mission to help civilize and improve a savage ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
He says
the Romans were conquers and not colonialists, and explains that what saves
the colonialist is "the devotion to efficiency" and "the unselfish belief in
the idea"(Conrad 65–66). Yet throughout the novel Marlow's experiences show
how colonialism was just that, the robbing of Africa for ivory and profit by
Europeans. He says there was no improvement in Africa like the Europeans
claimed, "unless the body of a middle–aged negro, with a bullet hole in the
forehead...may be considered improvement" (Conrad 81). I think Marlow feels
this is what colonialism really brought to Africa. Some Europeans may have
genuinely believed in the idea of colonialism as being noble, but this
"belief in the idea" cannot save the horrible actions of colonialism or make

them acceptable.
Also during this time, around the 1800's, exploration was seen as a
wonderful adventure and the period of mapping out the world was under way.
Europeans saw Africa as a black place on the map waiting to be discovered.
When Marlow was young "[he] had a passion for maps. [He] would look for
hours at South America, or Africa, or Australia and lose [him–self] in all
the glories of exploration" (Conrad 66). Marlow now says, "The glamour's
off"(Conrad 67). I

The Light and Dark Forces in Joseph Conrad's 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 Marlow's 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 on Helpwriting.net ...
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 the 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 manager's 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. Kurtz's 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 company's Inner
Station at Stanley Falls. In short, he is a "universal genius". However, he

Comparison of Paton's Cry, The Beloved Country and...
In Cry, the beloved country, Alan Paton tells the story of his journey across Africa, his experiences
with the colonized Africa, and the destruction of the beautiful, pre–colonialism native land of
Africa. Heart of Darkness also tells the story of a man and his experiences with colonialism, but a
man who comes from a different time period and a very different background than Alan Paton's
Stephen Kumalo. Although, both Joseph Conrad and Alan Paton portray the colonized areas as very
negative, death filled, and sinful places, it is when one analyzes the descriptions of the native lands
of Africa that the authors reasons for their disapproval of colonialism are truly revealed. When
comparing the writing styles of Alan Paton and Joseph Conrad, ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Conrad revealed his ideas through his character, Marlow, when we read his experiences traveling
down the Congo when he sees the natives and their land that has been untouched by colonialism.
Conrad's lack of concern for the natives may have been a result of his experiences with them during
his journey in Africa. Assuming Heart of Darkness' character Marlow is a representation of Conrad
himself, he did saw the native people in both conditions. He experienced them in the Belgium
Congo, beaten and broken from the harshness of the colonists and he saw them in their natural state
before the effects of colonialism had reached them. One may argue that his lack of concern for the
natives was because he had seen them in their homeland and before their home had been changed,
and maybe he chose to believe that there was hope left in Africa for its tribal tradition. This
statement is simply not true; Marlow fully experienced the devastation left by colonialism in Africa,
yet his animosity towards colonialism was still due to the concern for his own people, the white
colonists.
Another major contributor to the different attitudes of Paton and Conrad is the places they grew up.
Joseph Conrad was born in Poland, a predominantly white area, whereas Paton was born in South
Africa. As opposed to the selfish, fearful concern that Conrad felt for his own people, Paton had true
concern for the native tribes of Africa. Alan

American Beauty: Appearance Versus Reality
American Beauty Things Aren't Always, As They Seem American beauty (1999, Sam Mendes) is a
very unique film with many different themes. The main characters in the film, Lester (Kevin
Spacey) and Carolyn Burnham (Annette Bening) prove that there is a big difference in appearance
versus reality. With the help of Colonel Frank Fitts, (Wes Bentley) we learn that people cannot just
be judged by their outer appearance, but rather by what's inside, because people are not always what
they seem. Lester Burnham serves as the films narrator. He is an almost middle–aged father,
husband and advertising executive. Obviously, his marriage with his uptight wife Carolyn is barely
hanging on. Their sixteen–year–old daughter Jane (Thora Bucch) is a ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
His actions are so unexpected from what we as an audience would have thought. In one scene Lester
pulls up to a drive through line at Mr. Smileys and orders the big barn burger, smiley fries and an
orange soda. Besides orderly a rather childish meal, the odd thing was that when he pulled up to the
window he asked for a job application. The woman at the window responds with, "there's no job for
manager, it's just for counter," because based on Lester's appearance he doesn't seem like the type to
work at a fast food restaurant. While Lester is happily flipping burgers as an employee at Mr.
Smileys, he hears a voice of a couple customers over the intercom and realizes that one of the voices
is his wife Carolyn's, but he doesn't know who the mans is yet. In the car, Carolyn says to Buddy,
another real estate agent that she is clearly having an affair with, "I think we deserve a little junk
food after the workout we had this morning." Buddy leans over and kisses Carolyn's neck just as
they are pulling up to get their food. Lester says cheerfully, "Smile, you're at Mr. Smiley's!" Carolyn
is stunned and replies, "uh, buddy, this is my..." Lester interrupts with "Her husband, we've met
before, but something tells me you're going to remember me this time." This is my favorite scene
because Lester's reaction is so out of the ordinary. A person in his same situation would have reacted
by yelling, screaming or hitting, but Lester appears

Heart of Darkness Essay
The Visions of Light Vs Darkness
When Joseph Conrad composed Heart of Darkness he created a literary masterpiece which
embodied the essence of light contrasting with darkness. Throughout the novel Conrad constantly
utilizes the images of light and dark and uses them to mold a vision, which the reader is then able to
use to decipher the literal and metaphorical meanings of the novel. As Conrad said, " my task which
I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word to make you hear, to make you feel– it is,
before all, to make you see." (Crankshaw 34) In Heart of Darkness Conrad makes the reader "see"
by absorbing into every aspect possible of the book images of lightness and darkness. The light and
dark images of the novel ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
(Telegan 98)
In the above mentioned quote Diane Telegan sums up the theme of light and darkness and even goes
on farther to discuss the effects of it to a human. She suggests that it is the setting of the Congo that
causes Kurtz to go insane. The setting causes many of the characters to go insane, " The sun was too
much for him, or the country perhaps" (Conrad 80). Marlow says this as he views the body left
hanging on the limb of a tree after the native took his own life. Marlow assumes that the native
killed himself because he could not deal with life in as harsh as a setting as the Congo is. This is at
the beginning of the novel before Marlow has begun on his journey within his heart. Perhaps if his
journey had already begun, Marlow would have assumed that it was the darkness that he could not
live with. Shortly after this scene Marlow begins his journey to the inner station.
Once on the journey into the Congo it is very important to notice the transformation of the jungle
itself as Marlow travels closer to Kurtz. When Marlow first enters the Congo it is not that dense
with forest. The sun flows heavily through the trees causing great discomfort. Once Marlow is
aboard the ship and on his passage down the river the forest becomes more and more impenetrable.
The river is dark brown and just barely

Colonialism and Imperialism in Joseph Conrad's Heart of...
Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart of Darkness, describes a life–altering journey that the protagonist,
Marlow, experiences in the African Congo. The story explores the historical period of colonialism in
Africa to exemplify Marlow's struggles. Marlow, like other Europeans of his time, is brought up to
believe certain things about colonialism, but his views change as he experiences colonialism first
hand. This essay will explore Marlow's view of colonialism, which is shaped through his
experiences and also from his relation to Kurtz. Marlow's understanding of Kurtz's experiences
show him the effects colonialism can have on a man's soul.
In Europe, colonialism was emphasized as being a great and noble cause. It was seen as, the ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
He says the Romans were conquerors and not colonialists, and explains that what saves the
colonialist is "the devotion to efficiency" and "the unselfish belief in the idea"(pg.65–66). Yet
throughout the novel, Marlow's personal experiences show how colonialism was just that, the
robbing of Africa for ivory and profit by Europeans. He ascertains that there were no improvement
in Africa like the Europeans claimed, "unless the body of a middle–aged negro, with a bullet hole in
the forehead...may be considered improvement" (pg.81). This notion of extreme physical violence is
something that threads its way through the novella.
The above epitomizes what Marlow thinks about what colonialism really brought to Africa. Some
Europeans may have genuinely believed in the idea of colonialism as being noble, but this "belief in
the idea" cannot save the horrible actions of colonialism or make them acceptable. Indeed this false
belief in an idea, rather then the practicalities of colonialism only aids to brutality of such actions.
Furthermore at the time of the writing of this novella, approximately within the 1800's, exploration
was seen as a wonderful adventure and the period of mapping out the world was well under way.
Europeans saw Africa as a black place on the map waiting to be discovered. When Marlow was
young "[he] had a passion for maps. [He] would look for hours at South

Analysis Of Chinua Achebe 's ' An Image Of Africa '
Nathaniel Oehl
4/4/2016
In Defense of Conrad: A Response to Achebe's "An Image of Africa" In "An Image of Africa",
Chinua Achebe comes to the bold conclusion that Joseph Conrad "was a bloody racist" (788), with
his discussion centering primarily on Conrad's Heart of Darkness as a racist text. Achebe's reasoning
for this branding rests on the claims that Conrad depicts Africa 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" (783), that Africans in Heart of Darkness are dehumanized through both the
characterization of individual Africans and the Congo as a setting, and finally that Marlow is no
more than a mouthpiece for Conrad's personal views on race and imperialism. However, Achebe
makes critical oversights and contradictions in the development of each of these argumentative
pillars, which prove fatal to the validity of his overarching contention. This should not be construed,
though, as a yes–or–no assessment of whether Conrad was a racist outside of what his written work
suggests–Achebe himself has "neither the desire nor, indeed, the competence to do so with the tools
of the social and biological sciences" (783)–but as an assessment of claims specific to Heart of
Darkness and their implications for Conrad's views and attitudes. Achebe's first allegation is that
Conrad, and Western society in general, develops Africa "as a foil to Europe" in order to draw
attention to

Chinua Achebe 's Things Fall Apart And Joseph Conrad 's...
Where They Looked There are millions of varying perspectives in the world on many different
topics. Sometimes two different mindsets clash and disagree with one another. This is apparent in
the work of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness. Achebe
gives a personal account of African life, culture, and customs in his book. He grew up in Nigeria,
solidifying the reality that his take on their culture is the most natural, the one that will hit home.
Also, since Achebe grew up surrounded by the culture so it is something intimately familiar to him.
On the other hand, Joseph Conrad's book Heart of Darkness makes Africa into a wild and savage
place that needs to be 'tamed' by the white men and their ways. ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Achebe includes many literary devices like personifications, hyperboles, and imagery. He writes
with liveness reminiscing the old times as "the sun rose slowly to the center of the sky, and the dry,
sandy footway began to throw up the heat that lay buried in it"(Achebe). He creates this tone in his
writing by describing his experiences, like sudden flashbacks. This causes the readers sympathetic
and more open to looking through the African native perspective. This conveys a message to
foreigners that there is more to Africa than land and natural resources. It has divine culture and
ancient civilizations. Joseph Conrad, on the other hand, writes his excerpt with prodigious detail,
unique tone, and creative alliteration. Conrad has a surprised, and foreign tone when he portrays
parts of Africa. He presents his mindset of Africa as if he were a child entering the alien territory,
innocent with mixed emotions of fear, nervousness, and tension. The mood in the excerpt is gloomy
and forlorn, as he says there was, "no joy in the brilliance of sunshine...amongst the overwhelming
realities of this strange world of plants, and water, and silence," (Conrad, 102). Most people view
the sun as a positive object, but Conrad contradicts that and pictures it in a negative way. Conrad
also uses alliteration to emphasize his thoughts, feelings, and emotions about Africa, " silvery
sandboxes... inscrutable intention.. whether it meant

Isolation in The Metamorphosis by Kafka and Heart of...
It is said that no man is an island, and no man stands alone. Hence, true human existence can not
prevail positively or productively without the dynamics of society. Yet, this concept is very much a
double–edged sword . Just as much as man needs to exist in society and needs the support and sense
of belonging, too much social pressures can also become a stifling cocoon of fantasies and
stereotypes that surround him. He becomes confined to the prototype of who or what he is expected
to be. Thus, because society is often blinded by the realms of the world, its impositions in turn
cripples humanity. If he does not conform, he becomes a social out cast, excluded and
excommunicated from the fabric of life. The theme alienation in a small ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
On the contrary, in Heart of Darkness, Conrad focuses on the isolation of "Kurtz" the, main man of
the "Congo". Conrad's medium of the river plays a focal point in the setting as a boundary that
separates Kurtz from civilization. The river "resembles an immense snake uncoiled, with its head in
the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of the land"
(10). The expanse of the "snake–like" river embodies a negative connotation of something sinister
and stealthily lurking. While the Congo had been described as being "one of the darkest places of
the earth" (6). This creates feelings of darkness, despair and desolation. Again in Metamorphosis,
forces alienation which reveals the cruelty of man, which forces him to question the purpose of his
own life. In instances when, "Gregor had absolutely no intentions of opening the door... locking all
the doors" (6). This impacts Gregor by leading him to lock himself away and retreat to his room.
What began as imposed isolated, is now becoming self imposed. As a result, he starts to "feel
abandoned in the empty room" where "he had been used to his furniture for so long" (Kafka 33). As
man continues to live his life according to what society wants rather for his desires. He finds himself
settling and conforming, to that which makes him lack individuality and clones him in this single
celled world. Even Gregor conforms to his new life as a bug, "...totally

Light and Dark in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness Essay
Light and Dark in Heart of Darkness
Joseph Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, was written to explore the soul of man. If the book is
viewed only superficially, a tragic story of the African jungle is seen, but when examined closely, a
deeper meaning arises. Through his narrator Marlow, Conrad uses the theme of light and dark to
contrast the civilized with the savage.
Through the individual characters, Conrad creates the division between dark and light and black and
white created by colonialism. Marlow and Kurtz can be as two halves of one soul. Throughout the
tale, Marlow is disgusted with what he sees during his employment with the ivory company. He is
shocked and angered at the horrible treatment of the ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Marlow also witnesses black workers in chain–gangs throughout his journey up the river, along with
a black man shot dead in the middle of the road and the beating of another black man accused of
setting a fire in the supplies shed. Later, the manager orders the willful starvation of the cannibals of
the crew. The meat the cannibals brought with them rotted and, although they were paid enough to
buy food, the manager refused to stop along the way up the river for the cannibals to buy anything
to eat. Finally, once they reach Kurtz, the manager sends men toward the compound heavily armed.
He is solely concerned with the safe confiscation of the ivory and not at all with Kurtz' life.
Subsequently, the manager goes to great lengths to guard the ivory while Kurtz is not: a makeshift
curtain is all that separates Kurtz from the rest of the crew. Though all of these acts, the character of
the manager displays the absolute darkness of the ivory company.
Further atrocities committed by colonizing companies are shown through the Eldorado Exploring
Expedition, based on an actual expedition – the Katanga Expedition of 1890. The expedition
exposes more materialistic stupidity of such missions and also represents the reckless pirating
colonizers, "greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage (Conrad, 27)." Just as in the

The Imperial Aspect of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness...
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is the tale of Charlie Marlow, a sailor whose journey is through
the African Congo in search of ivory; however, the story is told on a boat at the mouth of the
Thames River. The protagonist in Heart of Darkness not only tells the story of his journey through
the African Congo, but also personifies the European imperial attitude at the time of the novella's
release in 1902. Conrad uses Marlow, Kurtz and the listeners aboard the Nellie as 'advocates'; of a
free and independent world while he uses the villainous manager and the immaculately– dressed,
workaholic accountant to represent the majority of Europeans who, at the time, favored overseas
expansionism. Imperialism is the central focus of the novella ... Show more content on
Helpwriting.net ...
Marlow thinks that 'conquering'; the jungle for all its ivory is an arduous task after seeing a
battleship fire its guns at the civilians. It was as if the tiny battleship was firing at the vast continent
of Africa rather than the people. Conrad uses this metaphor to associate European thinking with
imperialism. Unfortunately, Europeans, with the exception of Marlow, Kurtz and perhaps a few
others, were primarily concerned with getting land– survival of the civilians was expendable on the
continent. In Part II, a group of explorers called the Eldorado Exploring Exposition led by the
manager's uncle come to the Congo. Marlow expresses his thoughts on the mission's evil intention
by saying that these 'sordid buccaneers'; were only after the riches of the continent and not
concerned with the natives: '&#8230; it was reckless without hardihood, greedy without
audacity, and cruel without courage; there was not an atom of foresight or of serious intention in the
whole batch of them, and they did not seem aware these things are wanted for the work of the
world. To tear treasure out of the bowels of the land was their desire, with no more moral purpose at
the back of it than there is in burglars breaking into a safe. Who paid the expenses of the noble
enterprise I don't know; but the uncle of our manager was the leader of

A Love Story : Boy Meets Boy
It's a simple story: boy meets boy. It's not a love story though, Isak would say. No, he would argue
with everything that he has that it's not a love story because those always end in pain and misery.
This one is a complex story not of "the only one" and not of "the one that got away", it's not even a
cliché "more than friends, less than lovers". The truth is Isak hasn't figured it out yet. Even pretends
so hard to not know either, but he's smarter than that. He still indulges into lying to himself and to
Isak because of one simple reason.
This will be the end of him.
***
They met in a tiny crowded bar downtown where Isak was celebrating the beginning of a new
chapter in his life. He just started his first year in university a couple of weeks ago. And in an
attempt to make some new friends he even joined some societies and sport clubs. That is why he
wasn't at a usual freshers' dorm party right now but in a snazzy bar with some people from a society
he didn't remember the name or the purpose of.
Also, if he was to pay more attention to his drink and not his newly found friends, he wouldn't have
gulped three beers by now and Mika wouldn't have sent him to get them another round.
As he was approaching a bar, he noticed a lanky figure sitting alone on a stool and a free space next
to him where Isak was determined to squeeze in to get bartender's attention. This didn't turn out to
be as easy as Isak hoped for because a small blonde girl behind the bar was furiously flirting

The Metaphors of Conrad's Heart of Darkness Essay
The Metaphors of Heart of Darkness
Within the text of Heart of Darkness, the reader is presented with many metaphors. Those that recur,
and are most arresting and notable, are light and dark, nature and Kurtz and Marlow. The repeated
use of light and dark imagery represents civilization and primitiveness, and of course the eternal
meaning of good and evil. However, the more in depth the reader goes the more complex it
becomes. Complex also are the meanings behind the metaphors of nature included within the text. It
represents a challenge for the colonists, often also signifying decay and degeneration. Finally Kurtz
and Marlow represent imperialism and the colonists. All these metaphors come together and
contribute not only to ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
They weren't 'dark' until the coming of the 'light'. The reader is presented with conflicting and
complex meanings, and is affected accordingly. They become sympathetic toward the natives,
despite the fact that they are supposed to be evil and uncivilized. Similarly, the metaphor of light
representing the white man's nature of civility and goodness is flawed. The white man is civilized,
but is that really a good thing? The reader can see that although the white men are civilized, they are
brutes that are interested only in capital gain. The ivory that they hoard is white too. Again, the
contradictory nature of these metaphors produces interesting effects on the reader. They pity that
which is dark, which is only in darkness because of the light. They pity that which they are not
really supposed to pity, and they are being asked to all throughout the text. It can be seen then, that
the darkness and lightness as metaphors in regards to the natives and the white men, creates effects
for the reader that are only strengthened, as they get further through the text.
Darkness is also an important metaphor for disaster and misery. The old women knitting are using
black wool. Marlow even mentions his uneasiness in regards to them, and how the older of the two
"seemed uncanny and fateful", how they were "guarding the door of Darkness" (Conrad 14). They
were an omen for the dark months ahead, warning him of

Thucydides : The Characteristic Style Of Journalism
Thucydides, who was known as one of the first journalists this world has ever seen and the man who
recorded in a very detailed style around 25–30 years of war between Sparta and Athens, had a very
unique method of reporting. Thucydides showed a very strong interest in reporting real life human
situations to the world. He set tremendous high expectations in the truth and accuracy in his
reporting's. When Rosenstiel notes the "real questions" when confronting reporters, Rosenstiel says
"What religion are your journalists practicing? Are they journalists who distinguish business? Or are
they business people who understand journalism?". These questions can distinguish between a loyal
reporter, compared to a fake one. "Journalism" can be defined as the act of writing stories to prepare
websites or newspapers to broadcast any important situation. Journalism takes real life events and
informs the public for their benefit which happens to be very different from entertainment,
propaganda, fiction, and art. Journalism provides real life events to the public in order for the public
to benefit and make better decisions after. Entertainment is the act of amusing or making the
readers/crowd feel a sense of enjoyment. Although Journalism can be similar to fiction and art, they
are both very different. The thing that separates journalism from fiction and art is grounded on the
fact that journalism thrives off real life and true situations, rather then fiction and art. Propaganda
can be

Essay about Racism Exposed in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of...
Joseph Conrad's novella, Heart of Darkness, effectively exposed the racism that was common
during his lifetime. Through the harsh behavior and word choice of the characters and narrator,
Conrad displays the uncivilized treatment of nonwhites that occurred during the period of
colonization. Edward Garnett, an English writer and critic, summarized the plot of Heart of
Darkness as being "an impression... of the civilizing methods of a certain great European Trading
Company face to face with the "nigger" (145 Heart of darkness backgrounds and Criticisms).
Conrad use of harsh language and terrifying situations, which were based off of his own
experiences, capture the audience's attention and helps them see the cruelty of the European ... Show
This similar description reveals the fact that Marlow did not see much of a difference between the
Africans and the savage beasts of Africa. A famous criticism of Conrad's novella is called An Image
of Africa, which was written by an African native named Chinua Achebe. In Achebe's criticisms of
Heart of Darkness, he points out the difference between descriptions of the European woman and
the African woman, who was Kurtz's mistress. The narrator describes the European woman as being
calm and mature, and the African woman as being "savage" (341 Norton). Even though many
writers claim that Marlow is kind to the Africans by bringing light to their situation, the real
problem does not lie in his description of their situations, but his descriptions of the people
themselves (30 Heart of darkness Interpretations). Throughout the novella, it seems as if the narrator
is describing the Africans as being almost human, but not quite. There seems to be a line drawn
between African and European that is much thicker than country borders. In a description of a sick
boy, the narrator says, "the man seemed young–almost a boy–but you know with them it's hard to
tell" (17 Norton). This statement may seem harmless, but it is completely unnecessary. It reveals
how few interactions Marlow had with the Africans, and his use of the word "them" creates a
ethnical barrier. Along with negative descriptions of Africans, Marlow also uses a great amount of
racial slurs when speaking

Heart Of Darkness By Joseph Conrad
Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad is a well–known writer from the late 19th century mostly known
for writing short novels. In his most praised work, Heart of Darkness, he creates a story based
around his own personal adventure on the African continent told by a fictional character: Marlow.
Marlow's aunt got him a job with a corporation only referred to in the book as "The Company". He
soon is packed and is on a ship to West Africa. He is assigned to operate a ferry running up and
down a river carrying goods and people where they need to be. As Marlow travels the river he hears
greater and more retched things about a man named Kurtz, whom he eventually meets. He becomes
fascinated by this Kurtz character and becomes obsessed with finding out as much as he can about
him.
A character in a story "sticks with us long after we have forgotten the details of what, where, and
how" (Mays 123). In Heart of Darkness the reader has the rare opportunity to get to know a
character who is only explored through the eyes of other characters in the story so that when we do
finally meet Kurtz in the final pages of the story, the reader has preconceived ideas about who this
man is and what he represents. Characterization of Kurtz can be explored through the words of
characters like the bricklayer and the Russian, the thoughts of Kurtz developed in the mind of
Marlow, and after his death, the conversation between Kurtz's intended and Marlow about his
impact on those around him. When Marlow

Comparison Heart of Darkness to Road Not Taken Essay
"Journeys, planned and unplanned, are an inevitable part of life. Their consequences, foreseen or
unforeseen, play an important part in a person's growth."
Life is the journey, the inevitable journey, and the experiences thoughout life, the journeys within
the journey, are the planned and unplanned experiences that change people and are a huge part of a
person's moral and personal growth. In the novella "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad, the
physical journey through the Congo is parallel to the inner journey of the main character Marlow.
Similarly, the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, relates on both a literal and metaphoric
level to the concept of a journey. The individuals' creation of their own direction on a journey is ...
Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Unsettling as it is to him, Marlow identifies with this notion, and it undoubtedly causes him to
contemplate who he is and rethink his place in the world, and change his overall perseption. Conrad
conveys clear ideas of how the creation of their one's direction on a journey leads to strong inner
growth.
Just as Conrad conveys the creation of one's own path subconsciously in Marlow, the poem "Road
not taken" by Robert Frost explores this idea, represented my literal paths and an alternate,
unspoken third path. The metaphor of the physical journey shows the moral growth in the
protagonist. The poem is written in first person, giving it a very personal and reflective tone,
expressing a pivotal moment in the persona's life. The use of andante, the flowing rhythm
establishes a conversational tone. The rhyme scheme is simple and effective throughout the poem,
however, it changes in the final stanza. By implementing a new scheme here, the final thought of
reflection is emphasized. The "less traveled" road is symbolic of the gamble of choosing a more
individual path in life, the protagonist's own road. This can be compared to the quote by Antonio
Machado, "Travelers, there is no path, paths are made by walking." This quote exemplifies the fact
that walking the path is more important than

Analysis Of Joseph Conrad 's Heart Of Darkness
As Steven Patrick Morrissey said "Racism is beyond common sense and has no place in our
society." Tragedies in African nations have been glossed over or omitted throughout history. The
Congolese genocide, prompted by King Leopold II's acquisition of the Congo Free State, killed an
estimated 10 million people. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, can be criticised through many
different lenses. Though Natives are a large part of Conrad's narrative of European atrocities in the
Congo, his treatment of Congolese Natives throughout the book show them to be nothing more than
props. Conrad skews Natives language, culture and intelligence to fit Europeans schema for Africa
and Africans. Conrad's Heart of Darkness is placed in a colonized Congo. "...despite Heart of
Darkness 's (Joseph Conrad) obvious anti–colonist agenda, the novel points to the colonized
population as the standard of savagery to which Europeans are contrasted" (Tyson 375). He tries to
showcase the evils of these Europeans, but sacrificed showing the effects on the people most
affected. The Natives. Nearly 50 years after Conrad's death, Chinua Achebe wrote a criticism of the
role of Africans in Heart of Darkness. Achebe writes most about Conrad using Africa as an
antithesis to Europe, by illustrating Africa as uncivilized and primitive. Tony C. Brown speaks about
Marlow's changed view of the West through a more 'primitive image'. Throughout the book Conrad
demonstrates and inconsistent and disparaging portrayal

Essay about Point of View and Theme in Heart of Darkness
Point of View and Theme in Heart of Darkness
In Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness the story of Marlow, an Englishman travelling
physically up an unnamed river in Africa and psychologically into the human possibility, is related
to the reader through several narrational voices. The primary first–person narrator is an Englishman
aboard the yawl, the 'Nellie', who relates the story as it is told to him by Marlow. Within Marlow's
narrative are several instances when Marlow relies upon others, such as the Russian, the brickmaker
and the Manager at the central station, for information. Therefore, through complicated narrational
structure resulting from the polyphonous account, Conrad can already represent to the reader the
theme ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
This is evident when the first narrator finally sees London as not "the biggest and greatest town on
earth" but a "monstruous town ... marked ominously on the sky, a broading gloom in sunshine..."
This change in attitude is due to Marlow's account of the atrocities he witnesses in the 'heart of
darkness', such as the 'Grove of Death' and the corruption and inefficiency of the company, which
represents itself as civilising and educating, whilst its rapacious and fetishistic desire for ivory milks
the land of its livelyhood and enslaves its people.
Marlow uses his language to represent his beliefs, and thus demonstrate this 'theme' to the reader.
Conrad,through Marlow, cleverly problematises the use of 'white', a traditional symbol of purity and
enlightenment, by describing the European city, in which the headquarters of the company is
located, as a 'whited sepulchre', conjuring forth images of corruption and deceit hiding behind a
moral facade. However, significantly, although he inverts this traditional symbolism, Conrad does
not problematise the notion of black as evil and corrupt.
Marlow, then continues to represent the Africans and Africa in terms of 'blackness' as 'black limbs',
'black bodies', a 'black and incomprehensible frenzy', so that by absentingly unconsciously any re–
evaluation of the Africans or Africa as 'evil', 'dark' and 'other', Marow's

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