This paper discusses the role that images of nature play in three novels of clashing cultures: Tayeb Salih's 'Seasons of Migrations to the North', David Malouf's 'Remembering Babylon', and Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'.
Abstract This essay discusses the following three novels: Tayeb Salih's 'Seasons of Migrations to the North', David Malouf's 'Remembering Babylon', and Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' . All of these novels reveal the shadow side of the human soul, the dark, forbidden side that most of us don?t want to admit exists and show how it manifests in relationship to the unknown. When humans come into contact with something other than that which they know well, they often react out of fear which springs from the depths of their own hidden inner selves. Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness is the classic on this theme to which the other two are compared. In these novels human life is represented as a duality hovering between light and darkness. All three writers use nature extensively to symbolize this duality. In these books most often nature is evil and dark, though now and then we catch a glimpse of beauty and light.
From the Paper "This study will explore the role that images of nature play in three novels of cultural conflict. Tayeb Salih's Seasons of Migrations to the North, and David Malouf's Remembering Babylon, will be discussed using Conrad's Heart of Darkness as the standard by which all such works are measured.In addition to being about clashing cultures, these novels are about the shadow side of the human soul, the dark, forbidden side that most of us don?t want to admit exists and how it manifests in relationship to the unknown. When humans come into contact with something other than that which they know well, they often react out of fear which springs from the depths of their own hidden inner selves. Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness is the classic on this theme. In these novels human life is represented as a duality hovering between light and darkness. All three writers use nature extensively to symbolize this duality. In these books most often nature is evil and dark, though now and then we catch a glimpse of beauty and light."
Abstract This paper briefly summarizes the plot of "Heart of Darkness" and then delves into the more complicated aspects of the main characters in the story. The paper discusses the portrayal of Marlow as one who sees himself as superior to both the Congo natives and to Kurtz, the man he sets out to save. It also looks at the irony in this perspective. Also examined is the characterization of Kurtz as a man who has set himself up like a god for those whom he rules over. Additionally, the paper includes a review of the critique of "Heart of Darkness" by African author, Chinua Achebe, and a look at the different opinions on whether Conrad was or was not a racist. The paper concludes with a discussion on the similarity between both characters, which is demonstrated by their feelings of superiority, whether it is cultural superiority or personal superiority.
From the Paper "Joseph Conrad's short novel Heart of Darkness is superficially a story about one man, named Kurtz, who devolves into a savage-like king during his residence in the Congo. However, the novella is really about the evolving relationship between the first-person narrator, a man named Marlow, and his point of view of Kurtz. The novella is truly a novel of shifting perceptions of these two men's different characters, rather than a series of direct contrasts between good and evil. Marlow's perceptions of the supposedly barbaric Kurtz shift and change, as to the reader's own perceptions of Marlow as a reliable narrator."
Abstract The paper describes Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness;" a famous short story that tells the story of a sailor recounting what happened years before, on a trip into the Congo in Africa. This paper looks at the narrative style of the story-within-a-story and how it is used, as well as the overall meaning of the story and the relationship between darkness and madness.
From the Paper "Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" is a tale within a tale, one for dark nights and lost souls. The story is remarkable in a number of ways, but the two that will be focused on are the narrative structure and meaning imparted in the story, which are closely entwined with each other and the imagery used. The fact that this is a narrative within a narrative is significant because it leads the reader to question the validity of one of these "yarns of seamen" which the exterior tale's narrator alludes to, but mostly forces us to look more closely at how the story is told (Conrad 68.)"
Abstract This paper anaylzes the central passage in Joseph Conrad's novella, "Heart of Darkness", from the scene between Marlow and Kurtz that takes place on the river-boat just prior to Kurtz's death. It is a highly dramatic scene, and one that is open to differing interpretations. The paper attempts to analyze what Marlow believed drove Kurtz to cry out the words, "The horror! The horror! ".
Abstract This paper discusses how Conrad's plot revolves around the disintegration of Marlowe's high flung theories about colonialism when he sees the cruelty his government has imparted on the African people. In 'Heart of Darkness', the colonial objectives of the British are also thematic through these insular points of view. Conrad writes on how the English perceive the African in their travels to Africa.
From the Paper " In this literary analysis of the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad the basis of British perspectives on colonialism will be brought forth in Africa. The theme of this novel reflects the horror of colonialism, and the ruthless nature of governments that are presented through a British point of view. In relation to this the theme of colonialism, the character of Marlow in the novel reflect youthful and naive rejection of British imperial design. In essence, the theme of colonialism and Marlowe's rebellion against colonial principles will be analyzed within this study. For the author Joseph Conrad, the character Marlow is a young man that must learn that high ideals are colonial principles through experience, not through politically correct ideologies and literary propaganda. "
Abstract This paper will discuss the book "Other Side of Dark" by Joan Nixon and seek to understand the characters that play a part within this tale. By revealing the nature of the author through her style of writing, we can see how she uses the premise of darkness to illuminate her story. By revealing the plot and the characters, a better understanding of this novel can be made.
Abstract The author states that there have been few artists more dark and introspective than Goya. "Saturn Devouring His Children" is an image of great power and is the most representative of his Black Pictures. The author describes the painting in detail. The life of Goya especially his deafness is review and analyzed in terms of his art.
From the Paper "This blurring of the lines between the real and the ideal is shown in Goya's construction of the painting. The thick, heavy lines that outline Saturn's fingers as he grasps his child serve to underscore the detachment between the two figures. The god is wholly distinct from his offspring. Yet the lines between his own fingers are blurred. They compress together like mittens, inhuman paws tearing into the flesh of the headless figure. Line too in most of the rest of the picture is faint, all except for the thick, black circle of the creature's mouth."
Abstract This paper discusses the surrealist techniques that Jonathan Safran Foer uses in his novel, "Everything is Illuminated." The paper contends that, through several writing methods, including dialogue usage, the print in the book itself, and Alex's italicized letters to Jonathan, Foer is employing the process of automatic writing, and he does so for two reasons: to exemplify surrealism and to strengthen the many different tones and moods of "Everything is Illuminated". Furthermore, the paper examines how these tones and moods reinforce his overall themes of journey and self-discovery for the characters.
From the Paper "The year 1924 marked the beginning of the surrealist movement. Aimed at tapping into the subconscious, surrealism became a growing art form that still influences artists and writers to this day. According to Andre Breton, author of The Surrealist Manifesto, surrealism is, "psychic automatism in its pure state, by which one proposes to express - verbally, by means of the written word, or in any other manner - the actual functioning of thought" (Breton). Building on this idea is the concept of automatic writing, a tool that surrealists were very fond of using in order to tap into this "actual functioning of thought" that Breton mentions. Automatic writing is a method of writing without thinking (Automatic). Surrealists utilize this method because they view it as a way to break down the mental barrier between the conscious and subconscious, thus providing a clearer vision of the thought process (Automatic)."
This paper charts the background of the medieval bestseller, the illuminated and illustrated "Book of Hours" and measures its worth as social status indicators.
Abstract This paper explores the phenomena of perhaps the first European best sellers. The medieval "Book of Hours" was the first book to reach the bookcases of the people. Fundamentally a religious primer, the sumptuously illustrated and illuminated "Book of Hours" served to both reinforce the spiritual wealth of the noble classes and to act as an indicator of personal wealth. This paper examines how the demise of the "Book of Hours" was tolled by the automated printing press, thus giving weight to the idea that the Middle Ages laid great store in the opulent, the visual and the aesthetically precious.
From the Paper "Modern man lives in a world where the word is king. Information, both fiction and non-fiction reaches its audience in a growing number of formats. Our libraries are full of printed, cloth-bound books which share space with paperbacks and jostle for attention with computer monitors offering the wealth of the internet to interested surfers. People read paperbacks on the train, plane and in their lunch breaks. Our newspapers bristle with world events, humor, fashion, religion and "How-To" articles. Information is there for the taking. Medieval man, however, had far fewer media options with which to avail himself. His sources were scarce. He may have learnt news and skills from his neighbor. He may have gained an insight into religious expectations from sculpted Tympana and church friezes. Middle Age man's options were limited due to the scarcity and cost of the written word. For these were the days before the printing press, when books were handmade; each one painstakingly lettered by a calligraphist, with possible illustrations, marginalia and ?illuminations.? These were the days when books were the province of the wealthy. It was into this arena that the Books of Hours was born. For the noble classes, the ownership of such a volume satisfied not only a laity desire for spiritual fulfillment, but also an opportunity to display conspicuous proof of the owner's social status."
Abstract This paper examines British writer Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" as well as the novel's primary theme of darkness, which the author maintains that each person contains within himself. This well-written paper clearly details the setting of the novel, which originally appeared in serial form in "Blackwood's Magazine" in 1899, as well as the plot and main characters. This paper analyzes Conrad's placement of his characters in the face of European imperialism and the colonization of Africa which results in giving even more depth to the concept of darkness. The author suggests that darkness is hidden deep within every person, yet he does not make an overt attack on the business of imperialism itself that acts as a catalyst for that darkness, as depicted in this particular novel.
From the Paper "The trip up the Congo when the ship is finally repaired further evinces a criticism of the company. Natives are employed and "educated" for menial tasks and no native receives any respect or much attention at all in Marlow's story. Marlow considers the humanity of the native voices he hears along the shore and he thinks about "principles" and "acquisitions," but then concludes "Fine sentiments be hanged! I had no time...There was surface-truth enough in these things to save a wiser man." Work and duty saved Marlow from letting his sanity be compromised by the forces at work in the Congo. A sinister fear is attached to the sightings of natives along the shore which culminates in the attack of Marlow's boat when it has nearly arrived at its destination: the ivory outpost where the legendary Mr. Kurtz is the lone person in charge."
Abstract This paper discusses the novel "Everything is Illuminated" by Jonathan Safran Foer and looks at how there are several different stories inside this single novel. It examines how the main story is set in modern day Ukraine and is recorded as the main character, Alex's own memoir. Another character, named after the author of the novel himself, also is in the midst of writing a story. It examines how the story takes place over several generations and how toward the end of the novel Alex's grandfather reveals insight into himself through the story of his youth during World War II.
From the Paper "In Jonathan's letters to Alex he also includes chapters from his novel. Jonathan's book is written to depict his family's history using the little facts he has uncovered about the generations preceding him, as well as his own creative imagination, which fill in the missing pieces. Jonathan's novel beings with the story of Brod, his great great-great-great-great grandmother, who as a newborn was the only survivor as her family's carriage plunged into the river of an unnamed village. This accident becomes the backbone of the village, which celebrates the anniversary of that mysterious accident with an annual festival and soon takes the name "Trachimbrod" after the river at the center of everything. Brod herself is named after the river she was "born" from and is adopted by Yankel who she believes is her real father until the day of his death. "
Abstract The paper looks at James Joyce's short story "Araby" and Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" and the important role of light and dark imagery in both texts. The paper shows how, while the authors of "Araby" and "Heart of Darkness" use this imagery to very different effects, in both works images of light and dark are central devices employed to convey meaning and illustrate themes.
From the Paper "As the title of Conrad's novel would suggest, imagery of light and darkness is of great importance in this narrative. From the opening of the novel, the text and its characters seem to exist in a permanent twilight. The narrative of Heart of Darkness is a tale told by Marlow to a number of listeners aboard a boat on the river Thames around sunset: "The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed in a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth" (Conrad 7). The imagery of darkness is thus employed to establish a reflective mood from the outset of Conrad's narrative. Clearly, the imagery of twilight - at the close of the day, and when the promise of the day has been realized or not - is conducive to reflection."
Abstract In this article, the writer points out that Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness' draws a parallel between the physical journey of the main character, Marlow, and his mental or spiritual journey as he travels more deeply into the physical darkness of the African continent. The writer notes that the physical journey is then indicative as he becomes increasingly aware of the darkness in the human soul, which culminates in the character of Kurtz. Further the writer notes that when Kurtz dies, the darkness reaches its ultimate level, and for Marlow, there is no return. The writer discusses that in terms of point of view, the novel is structured in an interesting way.
From the Paper "This indicates a gradual shift of viewpoint from the Western, or civilized, to the uncivilized. In this, Marlow's viewpoint shift foreshadows his meeting with Kurtz. The latter is iconic of the completion of this viewpoint. The reader is therefore prepared for an increased contact with darkness as Marlow travels deeper into the physical darkness of Africa towards the ultimate heart of the matter personified in Kurtz. The decay of Kurtz's station indicates not only his absence, but also his lingering influence during the time when he was present at the station. It is central to the novel to note that the barbarian nature of the natives influenced the Western-born Kurtz and Marlow to a greater degree than their civilization. The novel closes with the indication that barbarism waits just beneath the surface of even the highest civilization. In this, Conrad makes his point regarding the true nature of humanity."
Abstract This paper explains that the darkness in Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" represents an illusion in which certain people are not able to grasp the understanding of life and other human beings. The author points out that it is this inability that makes civilization and the development of society evil. The paper relates that, from this novel, the evil atrocities committed during the white European businessmen's enslavement of native Africans in their search for ivory , are results of being smothered in "the darkness". The author uses the thoughts in Friedrich Nietzsche's "Beyond Good and Evil", to understand the experiences of the character Kurtz to create nothing more and nothing less. The paper concludes that the darkness can be seen as the ultimate origin of evil.
From the Paper "Kurtz is a man that started as the best trading post manager the Europeans had. He was determined and took control to get the job done better than anyone else, which led him to bring in as much ivory as all the others combined. When Marlow reaches him, Kurtz is no longer affiliated with not only the conquest, but European thought and values altogether. He takes control of a local tribe and in the eyes of the Europeans turns into a savage. Kurtz abandons the values and ideals of European colonial conduct because he is starting to figuratively see the light in the darkness."
Explores the two main themes of Joseph Conrad's novel "Heart of Darkness" which concern British imperialism in Africa and the effect of Africa on Conrad's characters.
1,744 words (approx. 7 pages), 9 sources, 2000, $ 56.95
Abstract This paper takes a look at the theme of British imperialism in Africa in "Heart of Darkness" as well as how Africa affects the main characters in the novel. The paper looks at Conrad's use of the symbol of darkness to represent the corruption of British Imperialism and the dark side of human nature. Also discussed in the paper is how the characters Kurtz and Marlow are corrupted by their experiences in Africa.
From the Paper "Historian Walter Phelps Hall states that Africa was known to British Imperialists as the Dark Continent (Phelps 748). Phelps says that reporter Henry M. Stanley used this phrase in his 1878 biography Through the Dark Continent to describe Africa's dense, unexplored jungles that were a mystery to Europeans until the 19th century (Phelps 750). Author Joseph Conrad experienced the Dark Continent in the Fall of 1889 when he adventured on the African Congo (Kimbrough ix). His book Heart of Darkness was motivated by his experiences on his Congo trip. He witnessed first hand the effects of English Imperialism on Africa and on the Europeans who visited Africa."
