"Heart of Darkness"

Book Review # 99909

"Heart of Darkness"

An analysis of one of the key strategies in the representation of the "Other" as seen in Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness".

1,182 words () | 2 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the strategy of "sexual fantasy" in the representation of the "Other" in the making of the modern West. It explores this strategy with reference to its application in Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness". The paper argues that the figure of Kurtz's African lover in the novel is a complex representation of a range of sexual fantasies that are used to reinforce the idea of West as synonymous with civilization.

From the Paper:

"Thus, in this description, the meaning of the analogy created by Conrad is clear. This woman is not simply the incarnation of a sexual fantasy but is also the embodiment of Africa as female, subordinating itself to the dominance of Europe as male. From this perspective, we can see how this aspect of Conrad's Heart of Darkness serves as an excellent illustration of what Hall identifies as the strategy of "sexual fantasy" in which Western exploration, conquest and domination of the non-Western world is allegorized in terms of a male (West/dominant) / female (Other/subordinate) binary."