Examine the two cartoons depicting King Leopold II and his influence on the Congo. How does this affect the "darkness" of the region into which Marlowe is about to embark?
The rubber coils have two meanings. The literal description of the coils of the snake and the figurative bondage that King Leopald II brings to Africa in the search of rubber. The second matches the trends of isolation and insanity found in the book. Leopald II is shown alone with nothing but his money as a constant reminder of the atrocities committed in Africa as a result of his command. He is shown as clawing at the money as if he is struggling to cling onto the one thing tying him to reality.These cartoons essentially show a population suffering from the oppression and brutal treatment of a foreign body and the stress taking part in these inhumane actions can place on the conscience of the oppressor. The cartoons allude to the power and temptation of the corruption/ "darkness" that Marlowe is about to surround himself with.
Jacob, I really liked how you thought that King Leopold's only hold to sanity seems to be the money that he is gaining from exploiting the Congolese people. I find it interesting how the darkness that has engulfed so many travelers that have lived in the Congo, has also affected King Leopold considering he never set foot in the Congo. Perhaps that is a testament to the very omnipotent nature of "darkness?"
Both cartoons depict King Leopold II’s acts of torture against the Congolese, all for the sake of acquiring some sort of wealth or mass-produced commodity. The first image, with the description “in the rubber coils” shows Leopold II’s exploitation of the Congo, forcing the population to meet production quotas for rubber—an explicit form of enslavement. In the picture, a snake, constricting the body of a man from the Congo, represents the king himself, his twisted nature, and his corruption of the land and population. Furthermore, in this battle between man and beast, it seems that the beast is winning—the snake has an upper-hand and shows no sign of releasing its victim; all of this takes place in front of an otherwise scenic and refreshing island background. This allusion to history not only furthers the hold of darkness on the region of the Congo that Marlow is journeying to, but it seems to engulf an otherwise stunning landscape in gloom; the presence of death and human-on-human warfare is foreshadowed within the great jungle, giving rather gruesome substance to the darkness but plunging the environment and its people, eventually Marlow, deeper into a horrifying chasm that chooses ivory over humanity. The second cartoon, featuring a greedy Leopold II, shows his back turned towards the image of a Congolese man who is about to get beaten. This image furthers the idea of the land’s corruption for the acquisition of wealth, but it also shows how people are likely to turn a blind eye towards the neglect of morality behind the horrors shrouded in the darkness—the mistreatment of the population—and consequently, the horrors that seemingly define normalcy in the Congo region. It shows that where Marlow is journeying to, there is a main source of darkness—a main man in this case—and it gives an almost dangerous and empowering role to this singular individual, which for riches and duration of activity, he seemingly cannot show restraint. Marlow will eventually have to come to terms that there is no turning back; he has seen the plague of his own people upon the sorrow of the Congolese and the ultimate blurring of the dichotomy between humane and inhumane—the presence of an explicit animalistic, primitive nature exposing itself in all parts of the environment that only calls for survival. He can only dig infinitely deeper into the chasm of darkness—the course upriver—before him.
The first cartoon shows how all of Africa was controlled (not JUST the Congolese) by this higher power that was ruled by "the lord of everything bad". They are held captive by a snake. He is represented as a snake for a reason; he is the epitome of everything that a snake is meant to mean in the biblical sense in a way. Yet, the background shows the beauty of the land even in the midst of corruption. The second cartoon shows the greed that the King has so he turns a blind eye to the corruption he knows he's causing, Simply, he doesn't care because as long as he has the money he wants ( not necessarily needs) he thinks everything is fine. He doesn't have to deal with the oppression the Congolese people do under his rule so he'll never understand that they are dehumanized and treated without respect, but his greed allows him to deal with it.
I really like how you made the connection between the Congolese's suffering to the sufferings of almost all Africans during the imperialistic era. Also, your connection to the snake as not just the restraint of rubber-exploits on the natives but also as a snake in the biblical sense really shows that you understand the meaning of the cartoon and the relevance to the "darkness" found in the story. Do you think that religion holds importance in this novella? Or should we see it through a more objective lens and focus on pain brought on by the colonists and not a higher power?
Each cartoon emphasizes Leopold's absolute control over the Congo and its people which brings this sense of darkness (death, despair, unhappiness). Cartoon 1- The cartoon depicts Leopold as a snake wrapped around a frightened African. This snake is constricting the life (natural resources,culture, etc.) out of the Congo, literally and figuratively. All of the Africans suffer as seen with other African running away from the venomous snake. The control Leopold has leads to the darkness as those in HoD laying by the trees to die have endured. Cartoon 2- This cartoon shows that money is the root to all evil. We see Leopold turning a blind eye with bags of coinage surrounding him, while his men are abusing power and ultimately killing the Africans. This desire for riches leads to the destruction of the Congo and its people as it does throughout history when it comes to colonization. Marlowe states that all the men truly care about "was a desire to get appointed to a trading post where ivory was to be had, so they could earn percentages".(82) Leopold only cares about the money rather than the death and destruction he leaves in his wake. Each cartoon leaves a sense foreboding of what's to come for Marlowe. Clearly, soon we will delve deeper and deeper into the true darkness as the novella goes on.
I like how you mentioned that "money is the root to all evil".Money is usually seen as a good thing, as if you're doing something right because you work hard to obtain the money in the first place. It's a symbol of your success. But, in this case, the people that have the money are the people that are exploiting others in order to get it. The trophy of wealth is what draws them in enough to abet these inhumane acts and do whatever they need to do in order to get it. I wouldn't call that success. Good point! :)
The darkness of the region is in reference to the white conquerors. Like a snake, they coil around their victims (whether it be the African people or Africa itself), control their victims by injecting them with fangs tainted with the poison of colonization and wrap themselves around the African people constricting their bodies until these conquerors have taken every gram of profitable life- rubber, gold, manual labor- out of the people and the land. The second cartoon shows the acceptance of the cruelty that plagued the African people so long as the conquerors continued to profit from the cruel exploitation.
I like that you included that not only the Africans were being exploited but the land was exploited as well. "Poison of colonization" -- what a wicked way to phrase that, I agree very much. Poison effects every part of your body, including the mind. We see how their minds are poisoned by their self restraint. Reminds me of BNW when the world controllers would shun and look down upon books because they are a sense of freedom but in H.o.D we see the Congolese inhibiting themselves on their own because it is ingrained in them.
It's interesting that you bring up the idea of "coiling" around its victims. Is this indicative of the nature of human beings in any way? What do you think the reason was for conveying the "darkness" in this way?
We first see a Congolese man suffering from and restricted by the "rubber coils" of King Leopold II himself. Africa, a place thought to have natural beauty, and its people are depicted as being coiled down by the rubber grip of the greedy Leopold who is using their strength for profit. The beauty seems overcome by darkness as seen in the horror in the man's face and the frightened mother running away with her child firmly pressed to her chest. In addition to this, birds, who often flee before the coming of a storm or disaster, are shown to be flying away from the impending darkness of oppression. Marlowe is about to embark on a journey to this very place and the effects of the darkness foreshadow the impending troubles Marlowe will face. Also foreshadowed by the doctor's measuring of Marlowe's head, the darkness caused by Leopold will likely take some mental and physical toll on Marlowe as he embarks on his journey. In the other cartoon we see the miserly Leopold hunching over his prized stacks of wealth and corruption trying to shove the images of darkness in Africa from his peripheral. The darkness he created is shown to haunt some part of his "humanity", but at the same time he appears to make any attempt to ignore the things that he has done. With this, it Marlowe is going to take on this same darkness and witness the same people being beaten; ultimately, he will face the same decision as Leopold: turn a blind eye or act. The region has been covered in a dark sheet that Leopold tries to kick off the bed, but nevertheless remains present tainting the people and region that Marlowe will be left to take on.
Both cartoons depict this common theme of suffrage. We see in the first one a man African being strangled by a snake a snake being symbolic of the white man.We see in these cartoons the Africans being more civilized then the white knights who came to save them. King Leopold in the second cartoon holds onto the bag of money for dear life as if he lets it go he could lose everything its like a life line reminding him that what he is doing comes with benefits and reassures him he isn't a monster. There is a hierarchy of money and profit from exploiting these weaker countries as we see in cartoon number two. This is where we see the darkness in the hearts of the people who come in and wreck lives its the darkness of the soul that ruin these men.
Both of these cartoons show the conditions that were imposed upon the Congolese by King Leopold II. The first image here depicts a snake entwined around a Congolese man, where the snake represents King Leopold II. King Leopold II, or the snake, is constricting the Congolese man; this can be interpreted as the King squeezing the life out of the Congo. He abuses his control to advantage of their labor and resources. The image also depicts the struggle that the Congolese man puts up against the snake, but he is no match for the head snake. Helplessness among the Congolese is further depicted from the woman running in terror; instead of trying to help this man in trouble, she flees; this correlates to the part in the book where the people in the village fled after they killed Fresleven. They thought it better to flee, instead of dealing with the repercussions. This image related to the darkness within the Congo, in that the imperialism over the Congolese has caused a shroud of darkness to descend over the Congo. An area where gloom is just around the corner, and people treat death as a commonality. It essentially talks of crippling a once thriving civilization. The next image again goes to depict the greed of the King; King Leopold II has his hands all over a bag full of money, and he has his back turned to the atrocities that are being inflicted upon the Congolese. While these missions into the Congo were seen as a good thing for the Congolese, there were actually selfish reasons for these missions. This cartoon also shows the affect that the Congo was having on the "white" people; the image shows King Leopold II hunched as if he were an animal. Greed has turned him from a civilized man into this savage; the King shirks his duties towards humanity for his own personal gain. As the story progresses, Marlow heads further in the heart of the "darkness." He will continue to see this darkness that has spread to the far reaches of the Congo, where the struggle of the Congolese has become a normalcy and the primitive nature of man drives the urges of many.
The Europeans viewed Africa as a “blank space of a delightful mystery- a white patch”. Throughout the novella, Conrad uses this comparison and reverse symbolism of the traditionally used white v black…light v darkness. The darkness is brought over by the Europeans, who ironically are White. They darken Africa through greed, power, and corruption. Pure naïve goodness lied in Africa, which before any exploitation was a completely “white” continent. The imagery and symbolism of exploitation of Africa and its people is seen throughout our reading thus far. The first cartoon can be seen through a post-colonial lens where the “bigger country”- Belgium is overtaking the “smaller, weaker country” of Africa. Belgium…specifically King Leopold is the snake and interesting to note is not just “coils”, but “rubber coils”. All of these countries came to Africa for the interest of gaining wealth through rubber and ivory. Without these things, there is no use for them to be there and their power is diminished. This snake is made up of rubber depicting that the power King Leopold holds is through his fortunes from the rubber and ivory industry. Without that, he is powerless. The snake is strangling the man in a way that is seen commonly through the novella. Labor and the negative effects of forced labor is a theme seen widely spread in HoD. Relating the cartoon to in the novel- Marlow sees the “iron collar on his neck” of the workers in the Congo. This type of back-breaking labor is causing the death of thousands. Just like in Brave New World the Africans are as disposable to the Europeans as the lower class systems were. A recurring motif, the snake- is seen as the Congo River- representing temptation, danger, and swallowing up their prey. This could be foreshadowing for what danger Marlow will come up against due to this overwhelming presence of darkness. The second cartoon shows a similar theme of the Whites reaping the benefits of the workers. This can be seen from a Marxist lens where the proletariat suffers while the upper class socialites sit back and count their money. We see this in the novella with the chief accountant wants to “go get a breath of fresh air” from sitting inside counting money all day and turns his back because he does not wish to see the dying men in the shade. It is hard to think of how the man could truly turn his back and be so hardened to this death that he could just act like nothing is wrong. Relating this to our capitalist society, and ourselves we thrive on wealth and our “wants”. We do not stop to think of “how was this laptop I am typing on right now- how much did the laborers in China or Vietnam make while spending countless hours on it?” Marlow is just starting to realize the depths of the dark region he is about to enter. He realizes the extent of the cruelty, morbid death, and madness he is about to encounter. Going back up to a previous point- The Whites are coming over to Africa- a place currently inhabited by predominantly Black people. Yet, Conrad flips these normally set in stone black and white symbols and has the White men carry with them darkness and the African American’s- pure goodness.
The two cartoons exhibit King Leopold II's atrocities against the Congolese people in Africa. The first picture shows an evil snake (King Leopold II) coiled around by rubber coils and suffocating a Congolese man. This shows that the king is using these people to make a profit out of them. He doesn't care what means it takes (even inhumane), just as long as he gets a profit. The Congolese people are suffering under him and want to run away. The second cartoon shows King Leopold II hovering over a big pile of money and in a air bubble showing the tortures the Congolese people are dealing with. It depicts that the king didn't care about the exploitation of how he got his profits or what the Congo people had to go through. His greed for money was his top priority even if that means the killings and atrocities of the Congo people. He turns a blind eye on them and keeps his eyes on the prize, which is money. Marlowe is going to embark on a similar journey when he travels to the Congo himself and has to decide if he will be like Leopold or not.
In the first cartoon we see the snake as King Leopold strangling a Congolese man. Though the Congolese man is trying to fight back, the snake wraps its body around nearly every limb of the man and prevents him from doing so. This cartoon embodies Leopold's control over the Congolese people. Despite attempts to achieve freedom, King Leopold strangled all opportunities for a better life. In the second cartoon, the King is hunched over money to illustrate his greed and selfishness. In the thought bubble are King Leopold's thoughts of the Congolese people. He knew what he did was wrong, but making a profit was so much more important to him. With every profit the King earned, he remembered every feeling of pain he inflicted on the Congolese people. Unfortunately, however, sometimes the feeling of power that comes with success and wealth creates an overwhelming darkness that takes over a person's ability to choose virtue over domination. These cartoons clearly exist as somewhat of foreshadowing for what Marlow will embark upon in the region. He will be amongst people at their most vulnerable stages. Once being in association with this, he could either represent the congolese man being strangled by the snake as he is overcome by the control that exists in the region, or he could represent the King with his money if Marlow falls into the temptation of power and greed.
I agree with you. I also see that the snake's head, the king, shows how authority is constricting the Congonese people from their liberties and their freedoms. We can also see the terrified expressions on the Congonese people's faces as the king's head stares down at one of them.They are seen as less and looked down at by the Europeans.
I also agree with how the second cartoon represented the nature of greed within the European men. They only worry about making profit and care about nothing else. In this society, the congonese people are seen as "black ants." They are easily replaceable and are used as servants to serve the king and their masters.
I agree with you as well. I like how you mentioned that the "the feeling of power that comes with success and wealth creates an overwhelming darkness that takes over a person's ability to choose virtue over domination." When a person is really high in society, or anything, all of the riches and glory that comes along with being in that position tends to persuade them to do anything it takes in order to stay in their position or strive for even higher, even if it's at the expense of innocent people. Very insightful!
The two cartoons each take a different perspective of Leopold's involvement in the Congo and together present a complete picture of his dominion over the region. The first cartoon depicts Leopold as a presence in Africa. Having never set foot in the country himself, the king is obviously not physically in the Congo, but his influence there is nonetheless immense. In this cartoon, he is twisted, distorted, coming to the Congolese in the form of sharp, biting coils that will squeeze all of the life and vitality of the region into profit from rubber. In scarring and constricting the body of the man in the image, so does Leopold constrict the freedom of the man and all of his people. Every lash from the coiled whip is another instance of a family separated, of a wife forced to flee with her child as she watches her husband die. It is Leopold who forces this mass-production of death. In the second cartoon, Leopold is characterized not by his connection to the Congo but by his separation. He sits at a desk counting his money, completely detached from the suffering of the Congolese people. In fact, the only thought which he seems to give to the Congo concerns its ability to produce profit. Though his relationship with the Congo is largely parasitic, it lacks the total dependency of the parasite on the host. Rather, Leopold is able to prey upon the Congo without experiencing the negative ramifications of his actions. In corrupting the Congo, Leopold has made it a region of darkness. It is a land of death and destruction, a wasteland of careless greed. Over time, the manifestation of this darkness serves to turn the country into a sort of living Hell that traps men in its clutches. Like the snakelike figure of Leopold in the first cartoon, the region waits to swallow Marlow whole.
*****THIS IS MADDIE'S. SHE COULDN'T GET IT TO POST*********** The image of exploitation of people for another group's benefit is woven throughout the first section of this novella. The first cartoon shows the strangulation of a man, by a snake and the head of the snake is a European king. Marlow accounts for this suffering of the people in the Congo when he states, "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it from those who have different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty think when you look into it too much"(Conrad 50). As a human race, it is easier for us to just ignore how we are making other suffer, than to do the work ourselves. This quotation shows that this exploitation is going to be a common theme seen throughout the story. This same strangulation of the snake around the neck of the African is seen quite literally when Marlow sees the "iron collar on his neck" of this workers in the Congo. The work these people have to endure is literally killing and starving the natives. Also in cartoon 1, we see this image of a snake, which seems to be a reoccurring motif in relation to things in the Congo. We see the Congo River and the paths in the land depicted as snake-like, "fascinating - deadly." However, in this cartoon the snake is Belgium and its desire to make money, even at the price of the Congolese people. The second cartoon shows this same theme: The white Europeans reaping the benefits of the suffering Congolese. This picture instantly brought a quote to my mind. Marlow recounts, "...but in the great demoralization of the land he kept up his appearance. That's backbone." As a reader, we shrivel in disgust at this chief accountant. How can a person who is surrounded with so much suffering, starvation, death, and gloom, continue like nothing is wrong? Cartoon 2 serves as an answer to this question. When piles of money surround the Europeans it is not hard, for us to remember the people who had to sacrifice for us to get it. On Christmas Day when you unwrap that new iPhone, you do not think of all the underpaid factory workers in China that had to slave away to create that one device. We are too busy paying Candy Crush to care. In this section, we see Marlow understanding this dark world he is about to enter. He sees the madness of men in the land that are enchanted by ivory and the terrible conditions of the Congolese. "What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!...The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires"(Conrad 47). We see here that white people are coming into this place of darkness and people of darker skin. However, they seem to bring the true darkness with them through their exploitation and endeavors.
First of all, I did not know strangulation was a word but I like your use of it. I enjoyed how you related Heart of Darkness back to us when saying how it is easier to not notice the suffering around us. I think it is very easy for us to turn a blind eye to tragedies that are happening all over the world. More attention is paid to things around us that do not matter than things far away from us that do matter. I find it interesting how well this cartoon related to H.o.D, your comment about the snake strangling him around his neck made me remember the quotation in the book describing the white string that he tied around his neck showing european influence and control.
The first cartoon depicts a snake with the face of a king constricting a man's entire body. This gruesome scene is representative of how King Leopold oppressed the people of the Congo in exchange for commercial goods. In stark contrast to this, is the otherwise tranquil background which seems to imply that evil can exist even within the most peaceful of places. Marlowe's initial romantic views of the Congo region will likely shift radically as he discovers that the area is not as glorious as he envisioned. The second cartoon illustrates a greedy King Leopold hunched over bags of money as he is possibly thinking of a man being beaten by a soldier. The callous expression on the king's face shows how uncaring he was about the suffering the Congolese had to suffer so that he could have riches. In a way, Marlowe is also going into the Congo for "riches" or the sense of discovery and adventure. However, Marlowe is going to discover the true "darkness" of humanity as he possibly will witness many atrocities being committed by European colonizers towards the native people. As Marlowe meanders his way through the Congo River, he will likely discover that humanity is much darker than he thought.
I like the point you made that the background is so tranquil and serene and yet such brutal acts are being committed. I believe that Marlow's views of the Congo may have already started to shift after seeing the "phantoms of darkness." Perhaps Marlow too will become desensitized by the violence around him like the Chief Accountant has. If so, how much violence do you think he has to be subject to before this can occur?
Hasit Dewan! I like that you bring up the tranquil background and the contrast between that and the chaos that is occuring in the forefront. Very astute of you, Mr. Dewan. What do you think this is saying about the nature of the Congo? The Europeans? People in general?
The cartoon with the rubber snake with the head of King Leopold II signifies the hold Kind Leopold had on the Congo. He attempted to control every aspect of the Congo in an effort to gain more power and money. The snake is also symbolic of evil and sin; King Leopold and his men committed horrendous crimes against the people of the Congo, staying true to his snake like temperament. It was common for settlers to gain the trust of the natives, before taking over completely. This too, exemplifies the tricky nature of snakes. The snake can also signify the Congo River; in Heart of Darkness, the river is described as a winding snake that takes you deep through the Congo. Furthermore, the snake is made of rubber. The two main commodities that Kind Leopold sought were ivory and rubber. The rubber was created by exploiting human souls; but the ivory was obtained through brutality as well. Elephant tusks were ripped from the poor creature to create simple items such as dominoes. The darkness has a deep sense of violence and torture. In Heart of Darkness, the phantoms of darkness are born from the violence inflicted upon them. The second carton shows King Leopold counting his money, in the back we can see a white man controlling the African slaves. The cartoon comments on how all of the money King Leopold is now receiving is the direct result of the pain and suffering of human lives. Their blood stains each coin that King Leopold is counting. The greed and thirst found within this cartoon add to the darkness within the book. When Kurtz is thought to be dead, people immediately began to plot how they can improve their position within the colonial society. This power lust will continue to be seen throughout the novella.
I really liked how you covered so many details! When I saw the first cartoon, I just recognized the snake around the man, but I didn't see the writing under the cartoon, which said something about rubber coils. I must have missed it because like you wrote in your response, rubber itself was important in the Congo. It was nice to see a lot of details in your paragraph that were not in my paragraph! :)
In the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses similar themes portrayed in the King Leopold cartoons. The first cartoon shows of a snake, with the head of King Leopold, squeezing an African victim. This symbolizes Leopold enslaving the Africans, “squeezing the life out of them” in order to increase productivity of valuable goods, such as rubber or ivory. The second cartoon shows King Leopold greedily counting his money, knowing full well of the maltreatment of the laborers behind the golden coins. This “greed” motivates Leopold to infiltrate Africa, as Conrad mentions multiple times in his novel. When Marlowe’s aunts rambles about bringing the “light” to the “ignorant millions from their horrid ways,” he mentions that “the Company runs for profit” (Conrad 58). The snake in the first cartoon also symbolizes this greed, since, in the bible, the snake tempted Eve with the greediness of knowledge, which leads to power (which money also leads to). Marlowe notes that the “devil of violence,” the “devil of greed,” and the “devil of hot desire” drove men to the extremes (Conrad 63). Thus, King Leopold and the Company are willingly to discard their sentiment and sympathy in order to gain this power, even if their slaves are begging for mercy (as shown in the cartoon), starving, and dying. By the time Marlowe shows up, the Africans seem to lost the will to live. “ Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth….all in attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair” (Conrad 63). It also helps that King Leopold is removed from these societies, as he doesn’t have to think about the consequences of his actions as he lives out his comfortable life in Belgium. One only thinks of the despair he causes upon the “black shadows of disease and starvation” once he witness it, like Marlowe, who is beginning to realize that the darkness of the region, the savagery that he has been condition to believe in the civilized London, may be there to hid the ruthlessness and inhumanity of the European ways. (Conrad 64).
The first cartoon with the rubber snake strangling the African symbolizes a sense of deprivation that we have encountered thus far into the novella. The cartoon sheds a clear light on the cause of this despair--King Leopold. Although he is not directly involved in the securing of interests in Africa, his goals are meant to be met, as commensurate with the suffering of the Africans. Noticeably, many conditions require sacrifices, such as the procuring of rubber at the cost of African exploitation.
In Cartoon II, a different King Leopold is pictured. We do see an uninhibited desire to further his own profits from Africa, but at least he has the image of African brutality in the back of his mind. This cartoon actually caused me to reminisce to a quote by President Abraham Lincoln, in which he remarked on the ultimate test of character: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." King Leopold, before all of the fame and the riches, was presented with an opportunity to lead with the position of King. He corrupted that position when he chose to exploit an innocent, persevering people. Thus, King Leopold's response to power in the form of corruption is but one path possible when journeying in the Heart of Darkness. Marlow must make the decision to either play the part of the oppressed African or the part of a selfish royalty. Of course, there is also the option of being neutral and not letting the cruel events occurring around him inundate his mind. That, however, requires a depth of enlightenment that a "normal" visitor could not begin to comprehend.
David, I loved how you tied back this novel to someone whom we are all familiar with-Lincoln. It is so true that once a person receives power (in this instance, in the form of money and resources), he will show his true self. Leopold is willingly to sacrifice everything, including his humanity, in order to gain more and more power.
The two cartoons reveal the barbaric approaches to civilization used by King Leopold II and how these methods affected the Congolese people, bringing them into darkness and a grim atmosphere. The first cartoon depicts King Leopold as a snake, strangling a horrified Congolese man. The man is struggling to gain control and not let the "snake" strangle him to death, much like the Congolese in Heart of Darkness are doing their best to survive near-death conditions: They became "nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation" and were "scattered in every pose of contorted collapse" (Conrad 24). Through this cartoon, we see that not only is the snake suffocating the life out of the man, but out of the Congo itself, its beauty, light, and freedom. Even the luscious green jungle fringed with white surf was dampened by the "blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist" (Conrad 18). The white men are infringing on the happiness and pure nature of the Congo, infiltrating it with darkness, hopelessness and despair. All that the high-standing men leave for the Congolese is a land of "cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death-death skulking in the air..." (Conrad 7). The white man's powerful grip on the Congolese is killing them off, slowly and painfully. Greed comes into play in the second cartoon showing a white high-standing business man hoarding a stack of coins, knowing that the Congolese are beaten for the money. By taking one glance at the picture, it's clear that the white man has the power and authority over the Congolese man. However, the business man doesn't care about the people beaten for the money, all he cares about is the profit he receives from his company no matter what means he has to take to receive the gold. This picture of the white man's greed is painted clearly by Marlow as he witnesses that the cost of the white man's happiness comes at the black man's demise. The Congolese people are "beaten nearby" and "mercilessly" to the point where they need to sit "in the shade looking very sick and trying to recover..." while the upper-crust white men only care about the Ivory trade to the point "You would think they were praying to it" (Conrad 33). The white men bring darkness with them to the Congo through their greed of business and trade and the power and authority they hold over the Congolese with their punishments that result in slow death.
Cartoon one depicts a Congolese man being tightly wound by a snake-like figure, with the head of King Leopold II. In the back, a Congolese woman can be seen running away, while holding a baby in her arms. This contributes to the "darkness" of the region because it shows a sense of corruption that is going on in the Congo. The Congolese people are implied to be under the tight reign of Leopold II, and with it comes the weakness of the people. The people (as depicted by the woman) are not willing to help each other and instead run away from the central problem, which contributes to the darkness of the region of that one will not be helped when in danger at the Congo. The second cartoon has King Leopold clinging on to bags of money while imagining the Congolese getting beaten by an armed man. Many interpretations can be made and one is that the king, in a narrowed view of greed and money, is essentially turning his back on what he should do to help the people of the Congo and instead is focused on the earnings he made of the Congo state. This depicts the darkness and of what Marlow is soon to experience later in his visit to the Congo. Marlow might be given a choice to help the Congolese or ignore them due to greed, and if choosing the former he will be able to break away from King Leopold II's example, or if he chooses the latter, will further demonstrate the corruption of society that money brings.
Christina, I like how you pointed out the Congolese woman running away with the baby because I barely noticed the baby in the cartoon. I also didn't see that you are right, people aren't really wiling to help each other, but rather run away from the problem causing the Congo people to suffer. Your comment was really insightful!
Both pictures show King Leopold as a corrupt being but the way that he is portrayed is different. In the first picture, King Leopold II is portrayed as a snake (snakes represent evil and corruptness) and is seen strangling a Congolese man while the man is trying to hold him back just like how in Heart of Darkness the Congolese try their best to prevent the European's advances but fail to do so. Portraying King Leopold II as a snake in this picture dehumanizes him to where he is just a symbol of evil and greed.
In the second picture, King Leopold is shown as a mere man, scrapping for gold and huddling over it as if protecting it. He seems to have some guilt because he is pondering over the mistreatment of the Congolese. He is still a man of corruptness because he knew fully well what he was doing to the Congolese but unlike the first picture, King Leopold II seems more human because of the guilt that he feels. These two pictures affect the "darkness" of the region into which Marlowe is about to embark by showing the evil and greed that holds the region. In Heart of Darkness, Africa is initially referred to as a white patch which represents how the Europeans saw Africa: an area of pure goodness that is yet to be explored. The "darkness" that comes over the region is when the Europeans come and take over the region for money and power.
The first cartoon portrays Leopold as a vicious serpent strangling a "helper" into working for him. The "rubber" comes from the fact that rubber was one of the main materials that Leopold sought to harvest. While the snake could have been labeled "tyranny" or something, it is labeled rubber because the unrelenting yet flexible rubber can strangle/entangle a man in it's coils yet not hurt the man "too much". The strangulating snake brings new meaning to the word "every last drop" in terms of the rubber that he is seeking. To me, the second cartoon's portrayal of Leopold is extremely cruel. In the first cartoon, at least Leopold was acknowledging the suffering that he was causing to the "helpers" due to his greed. In this cartoon, Leopold is seen embracing his pile of "bloodmoney" while ignoring the suffering in the corner of his eye. This last part might just be me but it's another way of looking at it... it seems like theres a shadow figure behind his thought cloud... It seems like Leopold is hanging on to his money as his one sense of stability in the tumultuous darkness that he has created. The reason being that the shadow figure "the darkness of the Congo" is coming to get retribution for all the suffering that Leopold caused. Overall, both cartoons seem to represent the iron grip that Leopold has upon "his" kingdom and the amount of neglect that he gave towards the people there. Going along with the theme of traditional black/white, Africa's original whiteness was destroyed by Leopold's darkness;as a result, Marlow is embarking into what he believes is civilization, but in reality is the terrorizer of a people. This is where the play of black/white good/evil is important. Words such as "whited sepulchre" create this imagery of white being evil; a white tomb (commonly filled with dead decomposing bodies) is representative of colonization according to Marlow.
Both cartoons reveal the true nature of King Leopold II's reign; however, they also show a slight variation of his rule. Cartoon one, "In The Rubber Coils," shows Leopold as a long snake that is tightly wound around a Congolese man. The head of the snake shows obvious cruelty and anger as it looms over the man menacingly. This is much like the way he actually treated the people, because he abused his power to tower over everyone. One key theme in Heart of Darkness that I noticed was the backbone. Marlow describes the inhabitants of the land as creatures, and ultimately dehumanizes them whilst describing how their head slumped on their chests, which is caused by a lack of strength in their back to support their body. He then contrasts it to the accountant that he encounters. Marlow raises the accountant on a pedestal and looks at him in awe of how he can compose himself in such surroundings. He remarks, "That's backbone." In cartoon one, King Leopold II is coiled mostly around the man's back, crushing him so that he falls backwards. All this identifies the darkness of the region by showing the helplessness of the majority of the population under a disdainful ruler.
In the second cartoon, King Leopold II is portrayed with a suspicious look about him. His eyes are slyly peering at the left, where we can see an image of Congolese men seconds from being slayed by one of Leopold's men. It's evident that Leopold knows the horrors going on outside, but he chooses to ignore them and instead harbors his wealth under both arms. In contrast to the first cartoon, he is not personally going out of his way to shower the Congolese with death, rather, he simply chooses to stay in the background and remain the controller of it all. Either way, this also reveals darkness because of the death that plagues the country that Leopold has no intention of changing. The second cartoon largely signifies the greed that overcomes the King and many more, so that the lives of others are put on jeopardy.
While both cartoons depict King Leopold II's influence in African colonization, the first cartoon maintains that the Belgian king directly influenced events in the Congo. As a malignant snake he stifles human freedom. In the cartoon the king uses his coils to strangle an African. In a symbolic sense the snake represents a continual European drive for resources, profits, and power - even at the expense of personal freedoms, liberty, and humanity as a whole. The cartoonist’s intent is not only to depict this abuse of power, but also to delineate that it is both deliberate and conscious; King Leopold II is aware of the ramifications of his actions. The second cartoon suggests that, while King Leopold II does have an influence on the Congo, his actions only consist of turning a blind eye to abuses of power. His only fault is his desire more wealth and more resources. Although, his wanton desires lead to abuse and the immoral exploitation of Congolese peoples, he is, in part, detached from the human rights infringed upon in Africa. Throughout Heart of Darkness author Joseph Conrad contrasts the notion of enlightenment with suffering. Although, the king of Belgium may claim he is bringing education and knowledge to the Congo, his meddling – conscious or unconscious – results in a pall to fall over the society. This morose atmosphere is of the “darkness” that now plagues the African region. A land that was once pure and untarnished, is corrupted by the influence of self-indulgence and greed.
The first cartoon depicts King Leopold II as a snake compressing the man's body. It shows how the king treated the Africans harshly for the wealth and goods for himself. The background of the Africa gives us a feeling that it is peaceful place to live in but in actuality, evilness and darkness exist in it. This applies to Marlow because before he came to the Congo region, he thought of it as a peaceful and beautiful place but this view will likely to change as he explores the region. The second cartoon depicts King Leopold II as opposite of an altruistic person. He selfishly takes control of the regions in Africa and claims all the wealth without thinking about the sufferings and hardships the Africans were going through. This is similar to Marlow in a way that he goes to Africa in order to discover and see the nature he had wanted to see since he was little. However, during his adventure, he will discover the cruel and dark nature of the Europeans through their treatments towards the native people.
From reading just the first portion of the Heart of Darkness, we were able to see the clear differences between the native Africans and the colonizing Europeans. For example, the Company's accountant wore white, clean clothes that made Marlow see this man as a miracle. On the other hand, the native Africans were left to die once they were not needed (because they were unhealthy). The two cartoons also depict the conflicting lives of the Africans and the Europeans, where King Leopold II represents the European group. In the first cartoon, we can see King Leopold II as a snake that is strangling the African man. When a snake kills its prey, it wraps around it to squeeze the life out of its prey. Likewise, the cartoon essentially depicts King Leopold (and the Europeans) strangling the life out of the African people, and this can already be seen in the book where the native Africans sit in the woods with "attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair" (Conrad 53). The second cartoon also shows similar ideas as we can see King Leopold's greed as he holds onto his bag of money that grows as more and more African people are put to work. King Leopold also is not in the thought bubble because he did not actually go to the Congo. He basically sent people out to Africa and did not influence the Africa directly, but the king still got much of the wealth. The cartoon reveals that the king knows about the atrocities in the Congo, but he chooses to ignore them as he chooses wealth. We can also see this depiction of the cartoon in the book yet again. In the book, the characters we see are mainly people who work for the Company, and we do not see the king directly working with the Congo while we can assume that King Leopold II is somewhere in Europe living off the wealth accumulating from the Congo.
In the first cartoon, we see the vicious snake (the king) attacking a congolese man who is obviously working for him. In the background we see what looks to be a women with her baby looking back but hiding from the tyrrant who is abusing his people. The snake is shown to be coiled and tightly wrapped around the man who appears to be falling over in pain and agony. In the same way, the king is causing pain and sufferring to the congolese people for his own selfish reasons. He knows the sufferring the people must go there in order for him to become wealthy and he takes advantage of them anyway. A snake is an animal that most people tend to stay far away from because of its tendencies to attack and bring harm to you. The congolese people want to get away from the king, but have no choice but to obey and follow his rule. In the second picture, we see the king hoarding all of the money that he has made from the slave work the Congolese people were forced into. As he is looking and holding on to his money tightly,he thinks back to the horrid things that are happening back in the Congo. The image that is he dreaming of shows the soldiers that are hitting and abusing the people. The second image shows that the king doesn't have to be in the Congo in order to ruin their lives and control the money supply. This image also reveals the power that the king has over his own people by sending them over to the Congo and demanding and maintaining control over his requests. The king doesn't even have to be in the Congo in order to ruin and damage these people's lives forever. Instead, he is living off of there hardwork and wealth.
Similarly to the, "Heart of Darkness," both cartoons depicts corruption and an overwhelming sense of darkness in the land. Also, counter to the traditional belief of light being good and dark being bad, the white man in the cartoons is the evil one and the dark man is the victim, the ray of hope the land holds. While cartoon I represents Leopold's thirst for conquest as he strangles the man of the family, cartoon II represents his greed. Leopold continues to mull over his riches but still processes the thought of continuing to bring ruin to the rest of the land. He wants all of the power and the wealth the land holds, and he shows his greed not only by the riches in cartoon II but also by his monopoly over the Congolese people. Leopold makes a point of striking the head of the family, the man, rather than the woman or the child, since both have no chance of overpowering him. Therefore, as Leopold continues to wreak havoc on the Congo, he ventures deeper and deeper into darkness. So when Marlowe enters, he doesn't see the hope the land holds, but all of its evils instead.
Yosefa, you mentioned that the cartoons contrast the typical connotations of "light" and "dark" symbolism. How, in both the book and the cartoons, is this reversal ironic? Do you believe the artist made a conscious decision about the shading in his art?
Both cartoons effectively demonstrate the themes of brutality and good vs. evil found in Heart of Darkness. The first cartoon of a white snake strangling the African man shows the reverse representation of dark and light. As snakes are often perceived to be evil which in turn is often perceived to be dark and gloomy. This makes the cartoon ironic in a sense as the snake, which is evil, is actually white whereas the pure victim is darkly colored. In terms of the second cartoon, the theme of greed is shown effectively as we see a white man immediately connect money with slavery. This shows that in the European culture itself, time had molded the thought process of the people into believing that "civilizing" or in other words enslaving these people was the only way to make money. These two cartoons effectively demonstrate the themes of greed and brutality.
Both pictures convey that King Leopold possed an iron grip on the people and the resources of the Congo. In the first picture he, seen as a serpant, is strangling one of the African men. he himself is bringing the darkness. When compared to the African in the background (who could represent free african people) he man looks desperate and it pain. This represents that the colonists are the ones who brought the darkness to the African region, before the "light" people they were fine. Something I think find interesting is the fact that these people in the literal sense can't be called dark until someone lighter comes along. In the second picture Leopold is hoarding the money made off of the Congolese people. In part I believe he introduced the cruelties of imperalism (greed and waste) to a people who never knew it. African tribes unlike the western people, take only what they need from nature and from others. While it is possible that some darkness exsisted before King Leopold, I feel he introduced a great part of the regions darkness, some of which carried all the way to modern times as reflected in the regions many civil wars.
Hey Dierra, I hadn't thought of the concept of Leopold implementing darkness into a region and into the hearts of men in that region. That was really interesting. I feel that when one thinks about it, it is extremely true. Just look at, for ex., the bloody conflict in Congo that continues today as led by Kony and the LRA that utilizes child soldiers and has displaced millions from their homes and killed millions more. I feel that war on this scale would have been difficult had it not been for ethnic conflicts that Europeans disregarded when they drew African country boundaries. (Jenny Park, 4th block)
Dierra, some people claimed that the second cartoon is a harsher depiction of King Leopold II because it shows his indifference to the events occurring in the Congo. Do you agree? Does the knowledge of the extent of one's actions affect our concepts of morality and ethical behavior?
First, they way you write is beautiful. Second, I like how you turned things around. Rather than the white men being the darkness, you said the Congolese "slipped briskly into an infinite darkness". This is so true. Due the colonization, these natives also slip into darkness of death and despair which is quite sad.
Both cartoons depict the cruel nature of Kind Leopold but the first one shows more of the way he treated the Africans and the second represents why he invaded the Congo. The first image shows a snake strangling a black man who is struggling to stay alive. This represents how the process of "colonization" and "teaching civilization" was, in reality, slavery. The title "The Rubber Coils" represents how the greed for resources by the whites surrounded and took over the entire Congolese and essentially drove them to death. The second cartoon shows the King huddled over bags of money while he knowingly ignores the reason he has it in the first place. King Leopold is clearly aware of how the people in the Congo are treated yet it doesn't phase him in his pursuit of wealth and prosperity. All he cares about is gaining what he wants and it doesn't matter who or what (the elephants) he has to kill to get it. The expression on his face in the image directly shows his true character as well as most whites during that time. He deliberately comes in, uninvited, and takes over the lives of these "savages" and manipulates them and wrings them of basically everything they know and leaves them clinging on the whatever life they have left.
I like how you separated the two cartoons between cause-and-effect of Leopold's actions. The first cartoon, like you said, being the effects of Leopold's reign, and the second being the reason behind this malice and indifference towards their well beings. You did a good job of explaining Leopold's motives for entering the Congo and the reasons behind his incessant greed.
Both cartoons depict the effect of imperialism on the Congo. The cartoon titled "Rubber Coils" shows the suffocating grasp that the imperialist have over the Congolese people. The snake is wrapped around his ankles and arms as if they were chains, ins laving the Congolese people. I found it ironic or intentional that the snake is the focal point of the cartoon similar to how the Congo River is central to everything in the book. The river is often times described by using snake like diction, "… a mighty big river… resembling an immense snake uncoiled" (Conrad, 6). The snake/river is causing all the pain in a way foreshadowing how the river will be the cause of the darkness lurking upon Marlow and other passengers of the Nellie. The second cartoon depicts a white imperialist, Leopold essentially hovering over his greed and contemplating how to gain more wealth and labor. This enhances the darkness caused by greed in the Congo. The jungle itself is described as green or a "greenish gloom" (Conrad, 14). Not only because of the obvious wildlife surrounding it but because the exploitation of the people, animals and resources that come from that green jungle. In his thought bubble there is a local Congolese man begging for his life or perhaps the life of others around him. The natives of the land have learned to in a way oppressing themselves by believing that they do not have a stance. This is because they have been taken over and been colonized so frequently they have become brainwashed into know anything other than that.
Sierra, I liked how you pointed out about the jungle and comparing it to the exploitation of the Congolese people. I didn't make the connection until now that besides it representing the wildlife, it was "greenish gloom" because of the exploitation of the Congolese and the resources as well. Your comment was really helpful!
Both cartoons depict the inhumanity of King Leopold II, particularly in his attitude/view of Congo and the Congolese- a blank nation and people to be mistreated and exploited for his own greed and benefit. Leopold, in showing such cruel indifference to the suffering and pain he is inflicting to his fellow human beings, manifests the moral “darkness” that shades Congo. The first cartoon portrays Leopold as a snake that has intertwined itself around, and is strangling, a Congolese man who struggles to free himself, while a Congolese woman holding a baby- his wife and child, perhaps- watch in horror in the background. Leopold as a snake strangling the Congolese man symbolizes Belgium strangling- or sucking out, or absolute and total robbing of,- Congo’s resources, such as its ivory, diamonds, and human labor. Leopold’s open mouth demonstrates his- Belgium’s- desire to eat- or swallow up- all of Congo’s resources, as represented by the Congolese man. The horrified woman and child watching in background symbolize the inevitability of European exploitation to all of Congo. It should be noted that Leopold in this cartoon is the only person not portrayed as a human, but as an animal/creature. This represents the fact that Leopold has ‘surrendered’ his humanity by creating such havoc and destruction on the Congolese and Congo. This forfeit of humanity by Leopold contributes greatly to, or even creates, the moral darkness that falls on Congo. The second cartoon portrays a similar idea to the first cartoon. Here, Leopold scratches at money- coins- while dreaming of either the fact that the method that was utilized to bring in the money, or the fact that the method could be utilized in order to bring in more money. He remains clearly undisturbed by crimes against humanity, of brutality that Belgium is inflicting upon the Congolese people, taking place. This again shows Leopold’s forfeit of humanity- one can no longer call themselves human if they explicitly allow, condone, and even order such atrocities to occur just to bring in profits. This again contributes to and defines the morally dark environment of Congo Marlowe journeys into.
Hey Jenny! I love how you said that the snake's mouth represents King Leopold's hungriness to devour, or take away, all of Congo's resources. I also loved that you symbolized the women and children- I missed that- as well as the snake as Leopold's lack of humanity, and it is this lack of humanity that makes the wilderness of the Congo so dark and dangerous.
The first cartoon depicting the native Congolese man being strangled by a snake made of rubber with Leopold's face offers a precursor as to what Marlowe will face upon venturing into the Congo. The "darkness" found in the book is created by the effects of imperialism on the natives of the land. The rubber snake represents the betrayal of the Congo River (which is described as possessing snake-like characteristics) to the Congolese as it brings in steamboat after steamboat of colonists hoping to make a profit off of the land and the Congolese's sufferings. While Leopold himself is not yet mentioned in the reading, his colonization of the Congo instigated the entire ordeal that has caused the natives so much pain.
The second cartoon targets Leopold slightly more than the first. While the first cartoon emphasized the use of the snaking river to access hidden parts of the Congo and exploit its resources, cartoon 2 focuses of Leopold's greed and lack of remorse for the "crimes against humanity" which he has performed. Much like businessmen today, Leopold's "ambition" gives him an incentive to only care about his profit and put aside the well being of the natives who have been enslaved. This darkness that is the white oppression continually haunts the Congolese as they are incapable of resisting the colonists' power.
The two cartoon show King Leopoldo's negative influence on the Congo. The second cartoon shows his manipulative motive for going into the Congo. The cartoon shows him gathering his money in a very greedy, conniving looking way and thinking about the Congo and obviously the profits he's making there. However, in his thought, you can see the man about to strike the African man which shows that king Leopoldo is not really affected by the suffering of the African people because all he cares about is the money. That thought kind of leads into the first cartoon with the snake of king Leopoldo wrapped around the African man. This also shows how King Leopoldo is harsh towards the Africans and almost desensitized to their suffering. The snake represents his strangling control over the Congo in order to make a profit. I feel like the length of the snake could also represent his control from a long distance since he never even visited Congo yet he had a very tight control over it. All of this adds to the darkness of the region. Ironically, it's the white people bringing the darkness to the region by oppressing the Africans and also abusing them. Marlowe is about to embark into a kind of world that not only is physically different than his home but also a place plagued by the blood of slaving Africans.
The first cartoon depicts an African man being strangled by a snake with King Leopold's head. The snake represents the notion of the King strangling the natural resources/riches out of the Congonese and the land, much like how you strangle a wash cloth to squeeze out the water. The water represents the Congo river, as you filter out the gold and heavier treasures, the dirty water gets squeezed back into the Congo, darkening the once non-murky Congo. What's left behind is the enslavement/abuse of Africans, the dead elephants, the eerie dry desert of dead rubber trees, or the "darkness" of the Congo that Marlowe is about to embark into.
Furthermore, the second cartoon enlightens us on the backstage back in Belgium where King Leopold is greedily hogging his bullion. The way he turns his head shows the viewer the ignorance of Leopold and his "turning a blind eye" of the image behind him: the abuse, murder, and torture of Congo people on behalf of his command. Ironically, the atmosphere in the room is near as black, while the sky in the Congo is white, signifying that the white man is bringing in the darkness of exploitation and suffering to the open skies of the Congo.
Your interpretation of the 1st cartoon was really interesting, particularly because I had never thought about the river in the cartoon at all! (I should have) It was interesting to see that, although we had different interpretations of the river, we still agreed on the basic concepts of the cartoon- that Leopold left Congo morally dark and materially void, or dark. (Jenny Park, 4th block)
The first cartoon depicts the effect that King Leopold had on the Africa and the Congolese. Much like a snake he coils himself around his prey (the Congolese), allows them no means of escape (colonization), and slowly and painfully squeezes the life out of the prey (diminishing the natural resources of the Congo). King Leopold took Africa head on, grasping and holding onto whatever he could instilling his tyranny and blackening Africa. In the second cartoon, he is greedily guarding his profits and glaring in his peripheral vision, possibly because of U.S. and Great Britain’s interest in Belgium’s affairs in Africa. His back is turned away from the scene of the slaves and the slave driver—showing his uncaring and indifferent nature towards the Congolese. This can also be seen as him being voluntarily ignorant because it’s like an everyday situation in the halls; all the conversations are never private and we overhear them; we can probably guess what they’re saying but we choose not to acknowledge them or their conversation. (Linda K, 4)
I like your connection between constricting the person and taking away the natural resources. It emphasizes the damage being done to the African colonies.
Mistreatment. Ignorance. Greed. It's all there. In both of these cartoons we are exposed to the harming of the Africans in the Congo simply for the quick money that can be made by inflicting pain and torture upon the defenseless, otherwise known as "a crime against humanity".
In the first cartoon, King Lear is depicted as a snake, strangling the struggling African. This reminds me of the quote from Heart of Darkness. "It fascinated me as a snake would a bird - a silly little bird." In this quote, Marlow was the bird (may be applied to the Congolese in this context) and the snake was the river (may be applied to the King in this context). In the picture on the quotation analysis, the bird is just minding it's business, just living it's simple life as a naive, gentle, and innocent little bird. And then there's the snake. This snake comes in and without a second thought and snatches away the poor birds life as it were just a small obstacle to get to what that snake really wanted - temporary satisfaction... until the hunger comes back. The hunger is the same hunger that Leopald feels. He's hungry for profit. He's hungry for all the wealth that the continent of Africa has the potential of bringing him, and so he goes about, strangling the innocent Congolese to satisfy his burning desire for the wealth. We consume or make ourselves better by exploiting the ones lower than us. This brings us back to Darwin's idea of natural selection. Only the fittest survive in the wild.
In the second cartoon, King Leopald is depicted as a person greedily clinging onto his wealth, even though he knows that this wealth was earned directly through the exploitation of the Congolese. He looks as if the suffering of the Congolese doesn't matter to him if he gets what he really hungers for - wealth. The wealth brings him so much satisfaction that he still believes that committing these inhumane acts are worth it. In my opinion, I believe that if he actually had seen the torture these people had gone through with his own eyes, he would've reconsidered the extremity of the pure torture. Instead, he has people working for him. Other people beating the Congolese and killing innocent people. He's not the one that does the killing. This reminds me of the whole vegetarian vs non-veg dichotomy. We live in this specialized world, in which only certain specialized people actually do the killing of the animals. Although the common American, bread-earning father may disagree, we don't put our food on the table. We buy it frozen from the grocery store. We are not exposed to the killing and torture implemented on the animals. All we see is good food, and we don't even think about the animals' lives that were sacrificed in order to put that food on our table. Same thing with King Leopald. He doesn't harm the Congolese, he just earns a profit from making others do it. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us. Maybe he was right.
So how does this effect the "darkness" of Marlow's journey? I think that because of all of the evil that is plaguing the island -- greed, exploitation, mistreatment -- it's safe to say that pure, white, and untarnished Africa has now been ruined by the colonizers. It has been darkened by the uninvited people looking to make a profit off the innocent Congolese. The journey that Marlow is about to embark on is not of "faded white flowers" or "grandmother's singing" or "liberty", but rather of hopelessness and despair and wrongdoing.
The first cartoon shows a large rubber snake with the head of King Leopold coiling itself around an innocent Congolese man. This picture is symbolic of Leopold's efforts to purloin any valuable resources from the Congolese without any regard to the ramifications of his behavior on the people. The snake restricts the man similar to the way Leopold restricted the freedom of the people of the Congo when he forced them to harvest his rubber.In order to harvest the rubber the people were forced to place it on their bodies and then peel it off sometimes taking hair and skin and if certain quotas were not met, limbs would be severed as punishments. Leopold's atrocious behavior went not only overlooked but was actually regarded as acts of philanthropy. Through threats and deceit Leopold was able to obtain his piece of "magnificent African cake", cartoon two depicts that of a man with malice intentions as he desperately clings to his bags of money, Leopold showcases his greed and lack of empathy for the Congolese who are suffering in the name of his ill-acquired fortune and his face is that of a guilty man who understands the evil he has committed but continues this immoral behavior.
These cartoons allude to the role of light and dark in HOD. Marlowe is about to explore an area of the world which, before European intervention, was a prime example of a pure unadulterated people. Although darkness has always been associated with evil, wrong doing; in HOD, we see Conrad uses satire to put emphasis on the idea that the evil is associated with the WHITE Europeans as they taint they purity of not only the Congo but the entire continent of Africa with their arrival. The darkness of the Congolese people, on the other hand is identified with the innocence and purity they represent being naive to the deception and evil of Europeans in the beginning.
(CHRISTI LEE) 4th block- Through the 1st cartoon, you can see the irony of the darkness and lightness. Although the man is physically dark, he is being entangled by a snake that is physically light. The affects the darkness that Marlowe is about to see because you can't just judge what is good or bad based on the physical lightness or darkness of something. You can also see that the snake is made out of rubber, which is what King Leopold traded and sold. It's ironic because the man being entangled is actually being tangled by a RUBBER item which he probably helped produce. It's almost as if the king is dominating in many different ways. In the second cartoon, you see the ignorance of the white/light man as he selfishly and greedily holds onto his money. You one again see the irony of the lightness and darkness of the physical characteristics, compared with the lightness and darkness that actually holds within.
I didn't notice the contrasting colors of the snake and victim. That's a good catch. Why does the white man in the second cartoon appear ignorant to you?
In both cartoon we are expose to Leopold's brutality and corruption he created in the Congo. In the first cartoon we see a snake coiled around a African male. As snakes wrap around its prey, they slowly and literally suck they life out of it prey. Slowly restraining its prey and eventually killing it. It was no surprise that the snake head was the head of Leopold because thats exactly what he did to the Congolese. He forced them into slavery, and make products so he could profit. Although forcing them to work for their lives, and if anyone didn't want to work they were killed. Then in the back of the cartoon we a woman running in terror with a baby in the background which I saw as the Congolese trying to escape the terror of Leopold's madness. The second cartoon just shows the affects of Leopold reign in the Congo. It shows how Leopold is fully aware of what he's doing in the Congo, but he doesn't care because of all the wealth he is gaining. At this point he has lost his sense of morality because he is blinded by the money and wealth that he is earning.
Both the cartoons show the brutality Leopold used to get his riches in the Congo. In the first cartoon we see the snake constricting a native African. The snake's head has Leopold on it. Snakes suck the life out of its prey which is exactly what Leopold did to the Congo. He came into the Congo, depleted the land of its rubber and ivory, and left it in shambles. The Congolese had no legitimate form of government, and Leopold didn't care as long as he got what he wanted, which is evidenced in the second cartoon. He is guarding all the profits from his exploitation of the Congo, but in the background the brutality of the white men against the natives is shown. Leopold knew exactly how cruel his exploits were but he didn't care as long as he was able to profit.
The rubber coils have two meanings. The literal description of the coils of the snake and the figurative bondage that King Leopald II brings to Africa in the search of rubber. The second matches the trends of isolation and insanity found in the book. Leopald II is shown alone with nothing but his money as a constant reminder of the atrocities committed in Africa as a result of his command. He is shown as clawing at the money as if he is struggling to cling onto the one thing tying him to reality.These cartoons essentially show a population suffering from the oppression and brutal treatment of a foreign body and the stress taking part in these inhumane actions can place on the conscience of the oppressor. The cartoons allude to the power and temptation of the corruption/ "darkness" that Marlowe is about to surround himself with.
ReplyDeleteJacob, I really liked how you thought that King Leopold's only hold to sanity seems to be the money that he is gaining from exploiting the Congolese people. I find it interesting how the darkness that has engulfed so many travelers that have lived in the Congo, has also affected King Leopold considering he never set foot in the Congo. Perhaps that is a testament to the very omnipotent nature of "darkness?"
DeleteBoth cartoons depict King Leopold II’s acts of torture against the Congolese, all for the sake of acquiring some sort of wealth or mass-produced commodity. The first image, with the description “in the rubber coils” shows Leopold II’s exploitation of the Congo, forcing the population to meet production quotas for rubber—an explicit form of enslavement. In the picture, a snake, constricting the body of a man from the Congo, represents the king himself, his twisted nature, and his corruption of the land and population. Furthermore, in this battle between man and beast, it seems that the beast is winning—the snake has an upper-hand and shows no sign of releasing its victim; all of this takes place in front of an otherwise scenic and refreshing island background. This allusion to history not only furthers the hold of darkness on the region of the Congo that Marlow is journeying to, but it seems to engulf an otherwise stunning landscape in gloom; the presence of death and human-on-human warfare is foreshadowed within the great jungle, giving rather gruesome substance to the darkness but plunging the environment and its people, eventually Marlow, deeper into a horrifying chasm that chooses ivory over humanity.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon, featuring a greedy Leopold II, shows his back turned towards the image of a Congolese man who is about to get beaten. This image furthers the idea of the land’s corruption for the acquisition of wealth, but it also shows how people are likely to turn a blind eye towards the neglect of morality behind the horrors shrouded in the darkness—the mistreatment of the population—and consequently, the horrors that seemingly define normalcy in the Congo region. It shows that where Marlow is journeying to, there is a main source of darkness—a main man in this case—and it gives an almost dangerous and empowering role to this singular individual, which for riches and duration of activity, he seemingly cannot show restraint. Marlow will eventually have to come to terms that there is no turning back; he has seen the plague of his own people upon the sorrow of the Congolese and the ultimate blurring of the dichotomy between humane and inhumane—the presence of an explicit animalistic, primitive nature exposing itself in all parts of the environment that only calls for survival. He can only dig infinitely deeper into the chasm of darkness—the course upriver—before him.
The first cartoon shows how all of Africa was controlled (not JUST the Congolese) by this higher power that was ruled by "the lord of everything bad". They are held captive by a snake. He is represented as a snake for a reason; he is the epitome of everything that a snake is meant to mean in the biblical sense in a way. Yet, the background shows the beauty of the land even in the midst of corruption.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon shows the greed that the King has so he turns a blind eye to the corruption he knows he's causing, Simply, he doesn't care because as long as he has the money he wants ( not necessarily needs) he thinks everything is fine. He doesn't have to deal with the oppression the Congolese people do under his rule so he'll never understand that they are dehumanized and treated without respect, but his greed allows him to deal with it.
Anissa,
DeleteI really like how you made the connection between the Congolese's suffering to the sufferings of almost all Africans during the imperialistic era. Also, your connection to the snake as not just the restraint of rubber-exploits on the natives but also as a snake in the biblical sense really shows that you understand the meaning of the cartoon and the relevance to the "darkness" found in the story. Do you think that religion holds importance in this novella? Or should we see it through a more objective lens and focus on pain brought on by the colonists and not a higher power?
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ReplyDeleteEach cartoon emphasizes Leopold's absolute control over the Congo and its people which brings this sense of darkness (death, despair, unhappiness).
ReplyDeleteCartoon 1- The cartoon depicts Leopold as a snake wrapped around a frightened African. This snake is constricting the life (natural resources,culture, etc.) out of the Congo, literally and figuratively. All of the Africans suffer as seen with other African running away from the venomous snake. The control Leopold has leads to the darkness as those in HoD laying by the trees to die have endured.
Cartoon 2- This cartoon shows that money is the root to all evil. We see Leopold turning a blind eye with bags of coinage surrounding him, while his men are abusing power and ultimately killing the Africans. This desire for riches leads to the destruction of the Congo and its people as it does throughout history when it comes to colonization. Marlowe states that all the men truly care about "was a desire to get appointed to a trading post where ivory was to be had, so they could earn percentages".(82) Leopold only cares about the money rather than the death and destruction he leaves in his wake.
Each cartoon leaves a sense foreboding of what's to come for Marlowe. Clearly, soon we will delve deeper and deeper into the true darkness as the novella goes on.
I like how you mentioned that "money is the root to all evil".Money is usually seen as a good thing, as if you're doing something right because you work hard to obtain the money in the first place. It's a symbol of your success. But, in this case, the people that have the money are the people that are exploiting others in order to get it. The trophy of wealth is what draws them in enough to abet these inhumane acts and do whatever they need to do in order to get it. I wouldn't call that success. Good point! :)
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ReplyDeleteThe darkness of the region is in reference to the white conquerors. Like a snake, they coil around their victims (whether it be the African people or Africa itself), control their victims by injecting them with fangs tainted with the poison of colonization and wrap themselves around the African people constricting their bodies until these conquerors have taken every gram of profitable life- rubber, gold, manual labor- out of the people and the land. The second cartoon shows the acceptance of the cruelty that plagued the African people so long as the conquerors continued to profit from the cruel exploitation.
ReplyDeleteI like that you included that not only the Africans were being exploited but the land was exploited as well. "Poison of colonization" -- what a wicked way to phrase that, I agree very much. Poison effects every part of your body, including the mind. We see how their minds are poisoned by their self restraint. Reminds me of BNW when the world controllers would shun and look down upon books because they are a sense of freedom but in H.o.D we see the Congolese inhibiting themselves on their own because it is ingrained in them.
DeleteIt's interesting that you bring up the idea of "coiling" around its victims. Is this indicative of the nature of human beings in any way? What do you think the reason was for conveying the "darkness" in this way?
DeleteWe first see a Congolese man suffering from and restricted by the "rubber coils" of King Leopold II himself. Africa, a place thought to have natural beauty, and its people are depicted as being coiled down by the rubber grip of the greedy Leopold who is using their strength for profit. The beauty seems overcome by darkness as seen in the horror in the man's face and the frightened mother running away with her child firmly pressed to her chest. In addition to this, birds, who often flee before the coming of a storm or disaster, are shown to be flying away from the impending darkness of oppression. Marlowe is about to embark on a journey to this very place and the effects of the darkness foreshadow the impending troubles Marlowe will face. Also foreshadowed by the doctor's measuring of Marlowe's head, the darkness caused by Leopold will likely take some mental and physical toll on Marlowe as he embarks on his journey.
ReplyDeleteIn the other cartoon we see the miserly Leopold hunching over his prized stacks of wealth and corruption trying to shove the images of darkness in Africa from his peripheral. The darkness he created is shown to haunt some part of his "humanity", but at the same time he appears to make any attempt to ignore the things that he has done. With this, it Marlowe is going to take on this same darkness and witness the same people being beaten; ultimately, he will face the same decision as Leopold: turn a blind eye or act. The region has been covered in a dark sheet that Leopold tries to kick off the bed, but nevertheless remains present tainting the people and region that Marlowe will be left to take on.
Both cartoons depict this common theme of suffrage. We see in the first one a man African being strangled by a snake a snake being symbolic of the white man.We see in these cartoons the Africans being more civilized then the white knights who came to save them. King Leopold in the second cartoon holds onto the bag of money for dear life as if he lets it go he could lose everything its like a life line reminding him that what he is doing comes with benefits and reassures him he isn't a monster. There is a hierarchy of money and profit from exploiting these weaker countries as we see in cartoon number two. This is where we see the darkness in the hearts of the people who come in and wreck lives its the darkness of the soul that ruin these men.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these cartoons show the conditions that were imposed upon the Congolese by King Leopold II. The first image here depicts a snake entwined around a Congolese man, where the snake represents King Leopold II. King Leopold II, or the snake, is constricting the Congolese man; this can be interpreted as the King squeezing the life out of the Congo. He abuses his control to advantage of their labor and resources. The image also depicts the struggle that the Congolese man puts up against the snake, but he is no match for the head snake. Helplessness among the Congolese is further depicted from the woman running in terror; instead of trying to help this man in trouble, she flees; this correlates to the part in the book where the people in the village fled after they killed Fresleven. They thought it better to flee, instead of dealing with the repercussions. This image related to the darkness within the Congo, in that the imperialism over the Congolese has caused a shroud of darkness to descend over the Congo. An area where gloom is just around the corner, and people treat death as a commonality. It essentially talks of crippling a once thriving civilization.
ReplyDeleteThe next image again goes to depict the greed of the King; King Leopold II has his hands all over a bag full of money, and he has his back turned to the atrocities that are being inflicted upon the Congolese. While these missions into the Congo were seen as a good thing for the Congolese, there were actually selfish reasons for these missions. This cartoon also shows the affect that the Congo was having on the "white" people; the image shows King Leopold II hunched as if he were an animal. Greed has turned him from a civilized man into this savage; the King shirks his duties towards humanity for his own personal gain. As the story progresses, Marlow heads further in the heart of the "darkness." He will continue to see this darkness that has spread to the far reaches of the Congo, where the struggle of the Congolese has become a normalcy and the primitive nature of man drives the urges of many.
The Europeans viewed Africa as a “blank space of a delightful mystery- a white patch”. Throughout the novella, Conrad uses this comparison and reverse symbolism of the traditionally used white v black…light v darkness. The darkness is brought over by the Europeans, who ironically are White. They darken Africa through greed, power, and corruption. Pure naïve goodness lied in Africa, which before any exploitation was a completely “white” continent. The imagery and symbolism of exploitation of Africa and its people is seen throughout our reading thus far. The first cartoon can be seen through a post-colonial lens where the “bigger country”- Belgium is overtaking the “smaller, weaker country” of Africa. Belgium…specifically King Leopold is the snake and interesting to note is not just “coils”, but “rubber coils”. All of these countries came to Africa for the interest of gaining wealth through rubber and ivory. Without these things, there is no use for them to be there and their power is diminished. This snake is made up of rubber depicting that the power King Leopold holds is through his fortunes from the rubber and ivory industry. Without that, he is powerless. The snake is strangling the man in a way that is seen commonly through the novella. Labor and the negative effects of forced labor is a theme seen widely spread in HoD. Relating the cartoon to in the novel- Marlow sees the “iron collar on his neck” of the workers in the Congo. This type of back-breaking labor is causing the death of thousands. Just like in Brave New World the Africans are as disposable to the Europeans as the lower class systems were. A recurring motif, the snake- is seen as the Congo River- representing temptation, danger, and swallowing up their prey. This could be foreshadowing for what danger Marlow will come up against due to this overwhelming presence of darkness. The second cartoon shows a similar theme of the Whites reaping the benefits of the workers. This can be seen from a Marxist lens where the proletariat suffers while the upper class socialites sit back and count their money. We see this in the novella with the chief accountant wants to “go get a breath of fresh air” from sitting inside counting money all day and turns his back because he does not wish to see the dying men in the shade. It is hard to think of how the man could truly turn his back and be so hardened to this death that he could just act like nothing is wrong. Relating this to our capitalist society, and ourselves we thrive on wealth and our “wants”. We do not stop to think of “how was this laptop I am typing on right now- how much did the laborers in China or Vietnam make while spending countless hours on it?” Marlow is just starting to realize the depths of the dark region he is about to enter. He realizes the extent of the cruelty, morbid death, and madness he is about to encounter. Going back up to a previous point- The Whites are coming over to Africa- a place currently inhabited by predominantly Black people. Yet, Conrad flips these normally set in stone black and white symbols and has the White men carry with them darkness and the African American’s- pure goodness.
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ReplyDeleteThe two cartoons exhibit King Leopold II's atrocities against the Congolese people in Africa. The first picture shows an evil snake (King Leopold II) coiled around by rubber coils and suffocating a Congolese man. This shows that the king is using these people to make a profit out of them. He doesn't care what means it takes (even inhumane), just as long as he gets a profit. The Congolese people are suffering under him and want to run away. The second cartoon shows King Leopold II hovering over a big pile of money and in a air bubble showing the tortures the Congolese people are dealing with. It depicts that the king didn't care about the exploitation of how he got his profits or what the Congo people had to go through. His greed for money was his top priority even if that means the killings and atrocities of the Congo people. He turns a blind eye on them and keeps his eyes on the prize, which is money. Marlowe is going to embark on a similar journey when he travels to the Congo himself and has to decide if he will be like Leopold or not.
ReplyDeleteIn the first cartoon we see the snake as King Leopold strangling a Congolese man. Though the Congolese man is trying to fight back, the snake wraps its body around nearly every limb of the man and prevents him from doing so. This cartoon embodies Leopold's control over the Congolese people. Despite attempts to achieve freedom, King Leopold strangled all opportunities for a better life.
ReplyDeleteIn the second cartoon, the King is hunched over money to illustrate his greed and selfishness. In the thought bubble are King Leopold's thoughts of the Congolese people. He knew what he did was wrong, but making a profit was so much more important to him. With every profit the King earned, he remembered every feeling of pain he inflicted on the Congolese people. Unfortunately, however, sometimes the feeling of power that comes with success and wealth creates an overwhelming darkness that takes over a person's ability to choose virtue over domination.
These cartoons clearly exist as somewhat of foreshadowing for what Marlow will embark upon in the region. He will be amongst people at their most vulnerable stages. Once being in association with this, he could either represent the congolese man being strangled by the snake as he is overcome by the control that exists in the region, or he could represent the King with his money if Marlow falls into the temptation of power and greed.
I agree with you. I also see that the snake's head, the king, shows how authority is constricting the Congonese people from their liberties and their freedoms. We can also see the terrified expressions on the Congonese people's faces as the king's head stares down at one of them.They are seen as less and looked down at by the Europeans.
DeleteI also agree with how the second cartoon represented the nature of greed within the European men. They only worry about making profit and care about nothing else. In this society, the congonese people are seen as "black ants." They are easily replaceable and are used as servants to serve the king and their masters.
I agree with you as well. I like how you mentioned that the "the feeling of power that comes with success and wealth creates an overwhelming darkness that takes over a person's ability to choose virtue over domination." When a person is really high in society, or anything, all of the riches and glory that comes along with being in that position tends to persuade them to do anything it takes in order to stay in their position or strive for even higher, even if it's at the expense of innocent people. Very insightful!
DeleteThe two cartoons each take a different perspective of Leopold's involvement in the Congo and together present a complete picture of his dominion over the region. The first cartoon depicts Leopold as a presence in Africa. Having never set foot in the country himself, the king is obviously not physically in the Congo, but his influence there is nonetheless immense. In this cartoon, he is twisted, distorted, coming to the Congolese in the form of sharp, biting coils that will squeeze all of the life and vitality of the region into profit from rubber. In scarring and constricting the body of the man in the image, so does Leopold constrict the freedom of the man and all of his people. Every lash from the coiled whip is another instance of a family separated, of a wife forced to flee with her child as she watches her husband die. It is Leopold who forces this mass-production of death.
ReplyDeleteIn the second cartoon, Leopold is characterized not by his connection to the Congo but by his separation. He sits at a desk counting his money, completely detached from the suffering of the Congolese people. In fact, the only thought which he seems to give to the Congo concerns its ability to produce profit. Though his relationship with the Congo is largely parasitic, it lacks the total dependency of the parasite on the host. Rather, Leopold is able to prey upon the Congo without experiencing the negative ramifications of his actions.
In corrupting the Congo, Leopold has made it a region of darkness. It is a land of death and destruction, a wasteland of careless greed. Over time, the manifestation of this darkness serves to turn the country into a sort of living Hell that traps men in its clutches. Like the snakelike figure of Leopold in the first cartoon, the region waits to swallow Marlow whole.
*****THIS IS MADDIE'S. SHE COULDN'T GET IT TO POST***********
ReplyDeleteThe image of exploitation of people for another group's benefit is woven throughout the first section of this novella. The first cartoon shows the strangulation of a man, by a snake and the head of the snake is a European king. Marlow accounts for this suffering of the people in the Congo when he states, "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it from those who have different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty think when you look into it too much"(Conrad 50). As a human race, it is easier for us to just ignore how we are making other suffer, than to do the work ourselves. This quotation shows that this exploitation is going to be a common theme seen throughout the story. This same strangulation of the snake around the neck of the African is seen quite literally when Marlow sees the "iron collar on his neck" of this workers in the Congo. The work these people have to endure is literally killing and starving the natives. Also in cartoon 1, we see this image of a snake, which seems to be a reoccurring motif in relation to things in the Congo. We see the Congo River and the paths in the land depicted as snake-like, "fascinating - deadly." However, in this cartoon the snake is Belgium and its desire to make money, even at the price of the Congolese people.
The second cartoon shows this same theme: The white Europeans reaping the benefits of the suffering Congolese. This picture instantly brought a quote to my mind. Marlow recounts, "...but in the great demoralization of the land he kept up his appearance. That's backbone." As a reader, we shrivel in disgust at this chief accountant. How can a person who is surrounded with so much suffering, starvation, death, and gloom, continue like nothing is wrong? Cartoon 2 serves as an answer to this question. When piles of money surround the Europeans it is not hard, for us to remember the people who had to sacrifice for us to get it. On Christmas Day when you unwrap that new iPhone, you do not think of all the underpaid factory workers in China that had to slave away to create that one device. We are too busy paying Candy Crush to care. In this section, we see Marlow understanding this dark world he is about to enter. He sees the madness of men in the land that are enchanted by ivory and the terrible conditions of the Congolese. "What greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth!...The dreams of men, the seed of commonwealths, the germs of empires"(Conrad 47). We see here that white people are coming into this place of darkness and people of darker skin. However, they seem to bring the true darkness with them through their exploitation and endeavors.
First of all, I did not know strangulation was a word but I like your use of it. I enjoyed how you related Heart of Darkness back to us when saying how it is easier to not notice the suffering around us. I think it is very easy for us to turn a blind eye to tragedies that are happening all over the world. More attention is paid to things around us that do not matter than things far away from us that do matter. I find it interesting how well this cartoon related to H.o.D, your comment about the snake strangling him around his neck made me remember the quotation in the book describing the white string that he tied around his neck showing european influence and control.
DeleteThe first cartoon depicts a snake with the face of a king constricting a man's entire body. This gruesome scene is representative of how King Leopold oppressed the people of the Congo in exchange for commercial goods. In stark contrast to this, is the otherwise tranquil background which seems to imply that evil can exist even within the most peaceful of places. Marlowe's initial romantic views of the Congo region will likely shift radically as he discovers that the area is not as glorious as he envisioned.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon illustrates a greedy King Leopold hunched over bags of money as he is possibly thinking of a man being beaten by a soldier. The callous expression on the king's face shows how uncaring he was about the suffering the Congolese had to suffer so that he could have riches. In a way, Marlowe is also going into the Congo for "riches" or the sense of discovery and adventure. However, Marlowe is going to discover the true "darkness" of humanity as he possibly will witness many atrocities being committed by European colonizers towards the native people.
As Marlowe meanders his way through the Congo River, he will likely discover that humanity is much darker than he thought.
I like the point you made that the background is so tranquil and serene and yet such brutal acts are being committed. I believe that Marlow's views of the Congo may have already started to shift after seeing the "phantoms of darkness." Perhaps Marlow too will become desensitized by the violence around him like the Chief Accountant has. If so, how much violence do you think he has to be subject to before this can occur?
DeleteHasit Dewan!
DeleteI like that you bring up the tranquil background and the contrast between that and the chaos that is occuring in the forefront. Very astute of you, Mr. Dewan. What do you think this is saying about the nature of the Congo? The Europeans? People in general?
The cartoon with the rubber snake with the head of King Leopold II signifies the hold Kind Leopold had on the Congo. He attempted to control every aspect of the Congo in an effort to gain more power and money. The snake is also symbolic of evil and sin; King Leopold and his men committed horrendous crimes against the people of the Congo, staying true to his snake like temperament. It was common for settlers to gain the trust of the natives, before taking over completely. This too, exemplifies the tricky nature of snakes. The snake can also signify the Congo River; in Heart of Darkness, the river is described as a winding snake that takes you deep through the Congo. Furthermore, the snake is made of rubber. The two main commodities that Kind Leopold sought were ivory and rubber. The rubber was created by exploiting human souls; but the ivory was obtained through brutality as well. Elephant tusks were ripped from the poor creature to create simple items such as dominoes. The darkness has a deep sense of violence and torture. In Heart of Darkness, the phantoms of darkness are born from the violence inflicted upon them.
ReplyDeleteThe second carton shows King Leopold counting his money, in the back we can see a white man controlling the African slaves. The cartoon comments on how all of the money King Leopold is now receiving is the direct result of the pain and suffering of human lives. Their blood stains each coin that King Leopold is counting. The greed and thirst found within this cartoon add to the darkness within the book. When Kurtz is thought to be dead, people immediately began to plot how they can improve their position within the colonial society. This power lust will continue to be seen throughout the novella.
I really liked how you covered so many details! When I saw the first cartoon, I just recognized the snake around the man, but I didn't see the writing under the cartoon, which said something about rubber coils. I must have missed it because like you wrote in your response, rubber itself was important in the Congo. It was nice to see a lot of details in your paragraph that were not in my paragraph! :)
DeleteIn the novel Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses similar themes portrayed in the King Leopold cartoons. The first cartoon shows of a snake, with the head of King Leopold, squeezing an African victim. This symbolizes Leopold enslaving the Africans, “squeezing the life out of them” in order to increase productivity of valuable goods, such as rubber or ivory. The second cartoon shows King Leopold greedily counting his money, knowing full well of the maltreatment of the laborers behind the golden coins. This “greed” motivates Leopold to infiltrate Africa, as Conrad mentions multiple times in his novel. When Marlowe’s aunts rambles about bringing the “light” to the “ignorant millions from their horrid ways,” he mentions that “the Company runs for profit” (Conrad 58). The snake in the first cartoon also symbolizes this greed, since, in the bible, the snake tempted Eve with the greediness of knowledge, which leads to power (which money also leads to). Marlowe notes that the “devil of violence,” the “devil of greed,” and the “devil of hot desire” drove men to the extremes (Conrad 63). Thus, King Leopold and the Company are willingly to discard their sentiment and sympathy in order to gain this power, even if their slaves are begging for mercy (as shown in the cartoon), starving, and dying. By the time Marlowe shows up, the Africans seem to lost the will to live. “ Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth….all in attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair” (Conrad 63). It also helps that King Leopold is removed from these societies, as he doesn’t have to think about the consequences of his actions as he lives out his comfortable life in Belgium. One only thinks of the despair he causes upon the “black shadows of disease and starvation” once he witness it, like Marlowe, who is beginning to realize that the darkness of the region, the savagery that he has been condition to believe in the civilized London, may be there to hid the ruthlessness and inhumanity of the European ways. (Conrad 64).
ReplyDeleteThe first cartoon with the rubber snake strangling the African symbolizes a sense of deprivation that we have encountered thus far into the novella. The cartoon sheds a clear light on the cause of this despair--King Leopold. Although he is not directly involved in the securing of interests in Africa, his goals are meant to be met, as commensurate with the suffering of the Africans. Noticeably, many conditions require sacrifices, such as the procuring of rubber at the cost of African exploitation.
ReplyDeleteIn Cartoon II, a different King Leopold is pictured. We do see an uninhibited desire to further his own profits from Africa, but at least he has the image of African brutality in the back of his mind. This cartoon actually caused me to reminisce to a quote by President Abraham Lincoln, in which he remarked on the ultimate test of character: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." King Leopold, before all of the fame and the riches, was presented with an opportunity to lead with the position of King. He corrupted that position when he chose to exploit an innocent, persevering people. Thus, King Leopold's response to power in the form of corruption is but one path possible when journeying in the Heart of Darkness. Marlow must make the decision to either play the part of the oppressed African or the part of a selfish royalty. Of course, there is also the option of being neutral and not letting the cruel events occurring around him inundate his mind. That, however, requires a depth of enlightenment that a "normal" visitor could not begin to comprehend.
David, I loved how you tied back this novel to someone whom we are all familiar with-Lincoln. It is so true that once a person receives power (in this instance, in the form of money and resources), he will show his true self. Leopold is willingly to sacrifice everything, including his humanity, in order to gain more and more power.
DeleteThe two cartoons reveal the barbaric approaches to civilization used by King Leopold II and how these methods affected the Congolese people, bringing them into darkness and a grim atmosphere. The first cartoon depicts King Leopold as a snake, strangling a horrified Congolese man. The man is struggling to gain control and not let the "snake" strangle him to death, much like the Congolese in Heart of Darkness are doing their best to survive near-death conditions: They became "nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation" and were "scattered in every pose of contorted collapse" (Conrad 24). Through this cartoon, we see that not only is the snake suffocating the life out of the man, but out of the Congo itself, its beauty, light, and freedom. Even the luscious green jungle fringed with white surf was dampened by the "blue sea whose glitter was blurred by a creeping mist" (Conrad 18). The white men are infringing on the happiness and pure nature of the Congo, infiltrating it with darkness, hopelessness and despair. All that the high-standing men leave for the Congolese is a land of "cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death-death skulking in the air..." (Conrad 7). The white man's powerful grip on the Congolese is killing them off, slowly and painfully.
ReplyDeleteGreed comes into play in the second cartoon showing a white high-standing business man hoarding a stack of coins, knowing that the Congolese are beaten for the money. By taking one glance at the picture, it's clear that the white man has the power and authority over the Congolese man. However, the business man doesn't care about the people beaten for the money, all he cares about is the profit he receives from his company no matter what means he has to take to receive the gold. This picture of the white man's greed is painted clearly by Marlow as he witnesses that the cost of the white man's happiness comes at the black man's demise. The Congolese people are "beaten nearby" and "mercilessly" to the point where they need to sit "in the shade looking very sick and trying to recover..." while the upper-crust white men only care about the Ivory trade to the point "You would think they were praying to it" (Conrad 33). The white men bring darkness with them to the Congo through their greed of business and trade and the power and authority they hold over the Congolese with their punishments that result in slow death.
Cartoon one depicts a Congolese man being tightly wound by a snake-like figure, with the head of King Leopold II. In the back, a Congolese woman can be seen running away, while holding a baby in her arms. This contributes to the "darkness" of the region because it shows a sense of corruption that is going on in the Congo. The Congolese people are implied to be under the tight reign of Leopold II, and with it comes the weakness of the people. The people (as depicted by the woman) are not willing to help each other and instead run away from the central problem, which contributes to the darkness of the region of that one will not be helped when in danger at the Congo.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon has King Leopold clinging on to bags of money while imagining the Congolese getting beaten by an armed man. Many interpretations can be made and one is that the king, in a narrowed view of greed and money, is essentially turning his back on what he should do to help the people of the Congo and instead is focused on the earnings he made of the Congo state. This depicts the darkness and of what Marlow is soon to experience later in his visit to the Congo. Marlow might be given a choice to help the Congolese or ignore them due to greed, and if choosing the former he will be able to break away from King Leopold II's example, or if he chooses the latter, will further demonstrate the corruption of society that money brings.
Christina, I like how you pointed out the Congolese woman running away with the baby because I barely noticed the baby in the cartoon. I also didn't see that you are right, people aren't really wiling to help each other, but rather run away from the problem causing the Congo people to suffer. Your comment was really insightful!
DeleteBoth pictures show King Leopold as a corrupt being but the way that he is portrayed is different. In the first picture, King Leopold II is portrayed as a snake (snakes represent evil and corruptness) and is seen strangling a Congolese man while the man is trying to hold him back just like how in Heart of Darkness the Congolese try their best to prevent the European's advances but fail to do so. Portraying King Leopold II as a snake in this picture dehumanizes him to where he is just a symbol of evil and greed.
ReplyDeleteIn the second picture, King Leopold is shown as a mere man, scrapping for gold and huddling over it as if protecting it. He seems to have some guilt because he is pondering over the mistreatment of the Congolese. He is still a man of corruptness because he knew fully well what he was doing to the Congolese but unlike the first picture, King Leopold II seems more human because of the guilt that he feels. These two pictures affect the "darkness" of the region into which Marlowe is about to embark by showing the evil and greed that holds the region. In Heart of Darkness, Africa is initially referred to as a white patch which represents how the Europeans saw Africa: an area of pure goodness that is yet to be explored. The "darkness" that comes over the region is when the Europeans come and take over the region for money and power.
The first cartoon portrays Leopold as a vicious serpent strangling a "helper" into working for him. The "rubber" comes from the fact that rubber was one of the main materials that Leopold sought to harvest. While the snake could have been labeled "tyranny" or something, it is labeled rubber because the unrelenting yet flexible rubber can strangle/entangle a man in it's coils yet not hurt the man "too much". The strangulating snake brings new meaning to the word "every last drop" in terms of the rubber that he is seeking.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the second cartoon's portrayal of Leopold is extremely cruel. In the first cartoon, at least Leopold was acknowledging the suffering that he was causing to the "helpers" due to his greed. In this cartoon, Leopold is seen embracing his pile of "bloodmoney" while ignoring the suffering in the corner of his eye. This last part might just be me but it's another way of looking at it... it seems like theres a shadow figure behind his thought cloud... It seems like Leopold is hanging on to his money as his one sense of stability in the tumultuous darkness that he has created. The reason being that the shadow figure "the darkness of the Congo" is coming to get retribution for all the suffering that Leopold caused.
Overall, both cartoons seem to represent the iron grip that Leopold has upon "his" kingdom and the amount of neglect that he gave towards the people there. Going along with the theme of traditional black/white, Africa's original whiteness was destroyed by Leopold's darkness;as a result, Marlow is embarking into what he believes is civilization, but in reality is the terrorizer of a people. This is where the play of black/white good/evil is important. Words such as "whited sepulchre" create this imagery of white being evil; a white tomb (commonly filled with dead decomposing bodies) is representative of colonization according to Marlow.
Both cartoons reveal the true nature of King Leopold II's reign; however, they also show a slight variation of his rule. Cartoon one, "In The Rubber Coils," shows Leopold as a long snake that is tightly wound around a Congolese man. The head of the snake shows obvious cruelty and anger as it looms over the man menacingly. This is much like the way he actually treated the people, because he abused his power to tower over everyone. One key theme in Heart of Darkness that I noticed was the backbone. Marlow describes the inhabitants of the land as creatures, and ultimately dehumanizes them whilst describing how their head slumped on their chests, which is caused by a lack of strength in their back to support their body. He then contrasts it to the accountant that he encounters. Marlow raises the accountant on a pedestal and looks at him in awe of how he can compose himself in such surroundings. He remarks, "That's backbone." In cartoon one, King Leopold II is coiled mostly around the man's back, crushing him so that he falls backwards. All this identifies the darkness of the region by showing the helplessness of the majority of the population under a disdainful ruler.
ReplyDeleteIn the second cartoon, King Leopold II is portrayed with a suspicious look about him. His eyes are slyly peering at the left, where we can see an image of Congolese men seconds from being slayed by one of Leopold's men. It's evident that Leopold knows the horrors going on outside, but he chooses to ignore them and instead harbors his wealth under both arms. In contrast to the first cartoon, he is not personally going out of his way to shower the Congolese with death, rather, he simply chooses to stay in the background and remain the controller of it all. Either way, this also reveals darkness because of the death that plagues the country that Leopold has no intention of changing. The second cartoon largely signifies the greed that overcomes the King and many more, so that the lives of others are put on jeopardy.
While both cartoons depict King Leopold II's influence in African colonization, the first cartoon maintains that the Belgian king directly influenced events in the Congo. As a malignant snake he stifles human freedom. In the cartoon the king uses his coils to strangle an African. In a symbolic sense the snake represents a continual European drive for resources, profits, and power - even at the expense of personal freedoms, liberty, and humanity as a whole. The cartoonist’s intent is not only to depict this abuse of power, but also to delineate that it is both deliberate and conscious; King Leopold II is aware of the ramifications of his actions.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon suggests that, while King Leopold II does have an influence on the Congo, his actions only consist of turning a blind eye to abuses of power. His only fault is his desire more wealth and more resources. Although, his wanton desires lead to abuse and the immoral exploitation of Congolese peoples, he is, in part, detached from the human rights infringed upon in Africa.
Throughout Heart of Darkness author Joseph Conrad contrasts the notion of enlightenment with suffering. Although, the king of Belgium may claim he is bringing education and knowledge to the Congo, his meddling – conscious or unconscious – results in a pall to fall over the society. This morose atmosphere is of the “darkness” that now plagues the African region. A land that was once pure and untarnished, is corrupted by the influence of self-indulgence and greed.
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ReplyDeleteThe first cartoon depicts King Leopold II as a snake compressing the man's body. It shows how the king treated the Africans harshly for the wealth and goods for himself. The background of the Africa gives us a feeling that it is peaceful place to live in but in actuality, evilness and darkness exist in it. This applies to Marlow because before he came to the Congo region, he thought of it as a peaceful and beautiful place but this view will likely to change as he explores the region.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon depicts King Leopold II as opposite of an altruistic person. He selfishly takes control of the regions in Africa and claims all the wealth without thinking about the sufferings and hardships the Africans were going through. This is similar to Marlow in a way that he goes to Africa in order to discover and see the nature he had wanted to see since he was little. However, during his adventure, he will discover the cruel and dark nature of the Europeans through their treatments towards the native people.
From reading just the first portion of the Heart of Darkness, we were able to see the clear differences between the native Africans and the colonizing Europeans. For example, the Company's accountant wore white, clean clothes that made Marlow see this man as a miracle. On the other hand, the native Africans were left to die once they were not needed (because they were unhealthy). The two cartoons also depict the conflicting lives of the Africans and the Europeans, where King Leopold II represents the European group. In the first cartoon, we can see King Leopold II as a snake that is strangling the African man. When a snake kills its prey, it wraps around it to squeeze the life out of its prey. Likewise, the cartoon essentially depicts King Leopold (and the Europeans) strangling the life out of the African people, and this can already be seen in the book where the native Africans sit in the woods with "attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair" (Conrad 53). The second cartoon also shows similar ideas as we can see King Leopold's greed as he holds onto his bag of money that grows as more and more African people are put to work. King Leopold also is not in the thought bubble because he did not actually go to the Congo. He basically sent people out to Africa and did not influence the Africa directly, but the king still got much of the wealth. The cartoon reveals that the king knows about the atrocities in the Congo, but he chooses to ignore them as he chooses wealth. We can also see this depiction of the cartoon in the book yet again. In the book, the characters we see are mainly people who work for the Company, and we do not see the king directly working with the Congo while we can assume that King Leopold II is somewhere in Europe living off the wealth accumulating from the Congo.
ReplyDeleteHa Young Kim (4th Block)
DeleteIn the first cartoon, we see the vicious snake (the king) attacking a congolese man who is obviously working for him. In the background we see what looks to be a women with her baby looking back but hiding from the tyrrant who is abusing his people. The snake is shown to be coiled and tightly wrapped around the man who appears to be falling over in pain and agony. In the same way, the king is causing pain and sufferring to the congolese people for his own selfish reasons. He knows the sufferring the people must go there in order for him to become wealthy and he takes advantage of them anyway. A snake is an animal that most people tend to stay far away from because of its tendencies to attack and bring harm to you. The congolese people want to get away from the king, but have no choice but to obey and follow his rule. In the second picture, we see the king hoarding all of the money that he has made from the slave work the Congolese people were forced into. As he is looking and holding on to his money tightly,he thinks back to the horrid things that are happening back in the Congo. The image that is he dreaming of shows the soldiers that are hitting and abusing the people. The second image shows that the king doesn't have to be in the Congo in order to ruin their lives and control the money supply. This image also reveals the power that the king has over his own people by sending them over to the Congo and demanding and maintaining control over his requests. The king doesn't even have to be in the Congo in order to ruin and damage these people's lives forever. Instead, he is living off of there hardwork and wealth.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly to the, "Heart of Darkness," both cartoons depicts corruption and an overwhelming sense of darkness in the land. Also, counter to the traditional belief of light being good and dark being bad, the white man in the cartoons is the evil one and the dark man is the victim, the ray of hope the land holds. While cartoon I represents Leopold's thirst for conquest as he strangles the man of the family, cartoon II represents his greed. Leopold continues to mull over his riches but still processes the thought of continuing to bring ruin to the rest of the land. He wants all of the power and the wealth the land holds, and he shows his greed not only by the riches in cartoon II but also by his monopoly over the Congolese people. Leopold makes a point of striking the head of the family, the man, rather than the woman or the child, since both have no chance of overpowering him. Therefore, as Leopold continues to wreak havoc on the Congo, he ventures deeper and deeper into darkness. So when Marlowe enters, he doesn't see the hope the land holds, but all of its evils instead.
ReplyDeleteYosefa, you mentioned that the cartoons contrast the typical connotations of "light" and "dark" symbolism. How, in both the book and the cartoons, is this reversal ironic? Do you believe the artist made a conscious decision about the shading in his art?
DeleteBoth cartoons effectively demonstrate the themes of brutality and good vs. evil found in Heart of Darkness. The first cartoon of a white snake strangling the African man shows the reverse representation of dark and light. As snakes are often perceived to be evil which in turn is often perceived to be dark and gloomy. This makes the cartoon ironic in a sense as the snake, which is evil, is actually white whereas the pure victim is darkly colored. In terms of the second cartoon, the theme of greed is shown effectively as we see a white man immediately connect money with slavery. This shows that in the European culture itself, time had molded the thought process of the people into believing that "civilizing" or in other words enslaving these people was the only way to make money. These two cartoons effectively demonstrate the themes of greed and brutality.
ReplyDeleteBoth pictures convey that King Leopold possed an iron grip on the people and the resources of the Congo. In the first picture he, seen as a serpant, is strangling one of the African men. he himself is bringing the darkness. When compared to the African in the background (who could represent free african people) he man looks desperate and it pain. This represents that the colonists are the ones who brought the darkness to the African region, before the "light" people they were fine. Something I think find interesting is the fact that these people in the literal sense can't be called dark until someone lighter comes along. In the second picture Leopold is hoarding the money made off of the Congolese people. In part I believe he introduced the cruelties of imperalism (greed and waste) to a people who never knew it. African tribes unlike the western people, take only what they need from nature and from others. While it is possible that some darkness exsisted before King Leopold, I feel he introduced a great part of the regions darkness, some of which carried all the way to modern times as reflected in the regions many civil wars.
ReplyDeleteHey Dierra, I hadn't thought of the concept of Leopold implementing darkness into a region and into the hearts of men in that region. That was really interesting. I feel that when one thinks about it, it is extremely true. Just look at, for ex., the bloody conflict in Congo that continues today as led by Kony and the LRA that utilizes child soldiers and has displaced millions from their homes and killed millions more. I feel that war on this scale would have been difficult had it not been for ethnic conflicts that Europeans disregarded when they drew African country boundaries. (Jenny Park, 4th block)
DeleteDierra, some people claimed that the second cartoon is a harsher depiction of King Leopold II because it shows his indifference to the events occurring in the Congo. Do you agree? Does the knowledge of the extent of one's actions affect our concepts of morality and ethical behavior?
DeleteFirst, they way you write is beautiful. Second, I like how you turned things around. Rather than the white men being the darkness, you said the Congolese "slipped briskly into an infinite darkness". This is so true. Due the colonization, these natives also slip into darkness of death and despair which is quite sad.
ReplyDeleteBoth cartoons depict the cruel nature of Kind Leopold but the first one shows more of the way he treated the Africans and the second represents why he invaded the Congo. The first image shows a snake strangling a black man who is struggling to stay alive. This represents how the process of "colonization" and "teaching civilization" was, in reality, slavery. The title "The Rubber Coils" represents how the greed for resources by the whites surrounded and took over the entire Congolese and essentially drove them to death. The second cartoon shows the King huddled over bags of money while he knowingly ignores the reason he has it in the first place. King Leopold is clearly aware of how the people in the Congo are treated yet it doesn't phase him in his pursuit of wealth and prosperity. All he cares about is gaining what he wants and it doesn't matter who or what (the elephants) he has to kill to get it. The expression on his face in the image directly shows his true character as well as most whites during that time. He deliberately comes in, uninvited, and takes over the lives of these "savages" and manipulates them and wrings them of basically everything they know and leaves them clinging on the whatever life they have left.
ReplyDeleteHey Ashley,
DeleteI like how you separated the two cartoons between cause-and-effect of Leopold's actions. The first cartoon, like you said, being the effects of Leopold's reign, and the second being the reason behind this malice and indifference towards their well beings. You did a good job of explaining Leopold's motives for entering the Congo and the reasons behind his incessant greed.
Both cartoons depict the effect of imperialism on the Congo. The cartoon titled "Rubber Coils" shows the suffocating grasp that the imperialist have over the Congolese people. The snake is wrapped around his ankles and arms as if they were chains, ins laving the Congolese people. I found it ironic or intentional that the snake is the focal point of the cartoon similar to how the Congo River is central to everything in the book. The river is often times described by using snake like diction, "… a mighty big river… resembling an immense snake uncoiled" (Conrad, 6). The snake/river is causing all the pain in a way foreshadowing how the river will be the cause of the darkness lurking upon Marlow and other passengers of the Nellie.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon depicts a white imperialist, Leopold essentially hovering over his greed and contemplating how to gain more wealth and labor. This enhances the darkness caused by greed in the Congo. The jungle itself is described as green or a "greenish gloom" (Conrad, 14). Not only because of the obvious wildlife surrounding it but because the exploitation of the people, animals and resources that come from that green jungle. In his thought bubble there is a local Congolese man begging for his life or perhaps the life of others around him. The natives of the land have learned to in a way oppressing themselves by believing that they do not have a stance. This is because they have been taken over and been colonized so frequently they have become brainwashed into know anything other than that.
Sierra, I liked how you pointed out about the jungle and comparing it to the exploitation of the Congolese people. I didn't make the connection until now that besides it representing the wildlife, it was "greenish gloom" because of the exploitation of the Congolese and the resources as well. Your comment was really helpful!
DeleteBoth cartoons depict the inhumanity of King Leopold II, particularly in his attitude/view of Congo and the Congolese- a blank nation and people to be mistreated and exploited for his own greed and benefit. Leopold, in showing such cruel indifference to the suffering and pain he is inflicting to his fellow human beings, manifests the moral “darkness” that shades Congo.
ReplyDeleteThe first cartoon portrays Leopold as a snake that has intertwined itself around, and is strangling, a Congolese man who struggles to free himself, while a Congolese woman holding a baby- his wife and child, perhaps- watch in horror in the background. Leopold as a snake strangling the Congolese man symbolizes Belgium strangling- or sucking out, or absolute and total robbing of,- Congo’s resources, such as its ivory, diamonds, and human labor. Leopold’s open mouth demonstrates his- Belgium’s- desire to eat- or swallow up- all of Congo’s resources, as represented by the Congolese man. The horrified woman and child watching in background symbolize the inevitability of European exploitation to all of Congo. It should be noted that Leopold in this cartoon is the only person not portrayed as a human, but as an animal/creature. This represents the fact that Leopold has ‘surrendered’ his humanity by creating such havoc and destruction on the Congolese and Congo. This forfeit of humanity by Leopold contributes greatly to, or even creates, the moral darkness that falls on Congo.
The second cartoon portrays a similar idea to the first cartoon. Here, Leopold scratches at money- coins- while dreaming of either the fact that the method that was utilized to bring in the money, or the fact that the method could be utilized in order to bring in more money. He remains clearly undisturbed by crimes against humanity, of brutality that Belgium is inflicting upon the Congolese people, taking place. This again shows Leopold’s forfeit of humanity- one can no longer call themselves human if they explicitly allow, condone, and even order such atrocities to occur just to bring in profits. This again contributes to and defines the morally dark environment of Congo Marlowe journeys into.
(This is Jenny Park, 4th block)
Hey Jenny! I love how you said that the snake's mouth represents King Leopold's hungriness to devour, or take away, all of Congo's resources. I also loved that you symbolized the women and children- I missed that- as well as the snake as Leopold's lack of humanity, and it is this lack of humanity that makes the wilderness of the Congo so dark and dangerous.
DeleteThe first cartoon depicting the native Congolese man being strangled by a snake made of rubber with Leopold's face offers a precursor as to what Marlowe will face upon venturing into the Congo. The "darkness" found in the book is created by the effects of imperialism on the natives of the land. The rubber snake represents the betrayal of the Congo River (which is described as possessing snake-like characteristics) to the Congolese as it brings in steamboat after steamboat of colonists hoping to make a profit off of the land and the Congolese's sufferings. While Leopold himself is not yet mentioned in the reading, his colonization of the Congo instigated the entire ordeal that has caused the natives so much pain.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon targets Leopold slightly more than the first. While the first cartoon emphasized the use of the snaking river to access hidden parts of the Congo and exploit its resources, cartoon 2 focuses of Leopold's greed and lack of remorse for the "crimes against humanity" which he has performed. Much like businessmen today, Leopold's "ambition" gives him an incentive to only care about his profit and put aside the well being of the natives who have been enslaved. This darkness that is the white oppression continually haunts the Congolese as they are incapable of resisting the colonists' power.
FromNatassja Thomas
ReplyDeleteTonatassjathomas@yahoo.com
The two cartoon show King Leopoldo's negative influence on the Congo. The second cartoon shows his manipulative motive for going into the Congo. The cartoon shows him gathering his money in a very greedy, conniving looking way and thinking about the Congo and obviously the profits he's making there. However, in his thought, you can see the man about to strike the African man which shows that king Leopoldo is not really affected by the suffering of the African people because all he cares about is the money. That thought kind of leads into the first cartoon with the snake of king Leopoldo wrapped around the African man. This also shows how King Leopoldo is harsh towards the Africans and almost desensitized to their suffering. The snake represents his strangling control over the Congo in order to make a profit. I feel like the length of the snake could also represent his control from a long distance since he never even visited Congo yet he had a very tight control over it. All of this adds to the darkness of the region. Ironically, it's the white people bringing the darkness to the region by oppressing the Africans and also abusing them. Marlowe is about to embark into a kind of world that not only is physically different than his home but also a place plagued by the blood of slaving Africans.
The first cartoon depicts an African man being strangled by a snake with King Leopold's head. The snake represents the notion of the King strangling the natural resources/riches out of the Congonese and the land, much like how you strangle a wash cloth to squeeze out the water. The water represents the Congo river, as you filter out the gold and heavier treasures, the dirty water gets squeezed back into the Congo, darkening the once non-murky Congo. What's left behind is the enslavement/abuse of Africans, the dead elephants, the eerie dry desert of dead rubber trees, or the "darkness" of the Congo that Marlowe is about to embark into.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the second cartoon enlightens us on the backstage back in Belgium where King Leopold is greedily hogging his bullion. The way he turns his head shows the viewer the ignorance of Leopold and his "turning a blind eye" of the image behind him: the abuse, murder, and torture of Congo people on behalf of his command. Ironically, the atmosphere in the room is near as black, while the sky in the Congo is white, signifying that the white man is bringing in the darkness of exploitation and suffering to the open skies of the Congo.
Your interpretation of the 1st cartoon was really interesting, particularly because I had never thought about the river in the cartoon at all! (I should have) It was interesting to see that, although we had different interpretations of the river, we still agreed on the basic concepts of the cartoon- that Leopold left Congo morally dark and materially void, or dark. (Jenny Park, 4th block)
DeleteThe first cartoon depicts the effect that King Leopold had on the Africa and the Congolese. Much like a snake he coils himself around his prey (the Congolese), allows them no means of escape (colonization), and slowly and painfully squeezes the life out of the prey (diminishing the natural resources of the Congo). King Leopold took Africa head on, grasping and holding onto whatever he could instilling his tyranny and blackening Africa.
ReplyDeleteIn the second cartoon, he is greedily guarding his profits and glaring in his peripheral vision, possibly because of U.S. and Great Britain’s interest in Belgium’s affairs in Africa. His back is turned away from the scene of the slaves and the slave driver—showing his uncaring and indifferent nature towards the Congolese. This can also be seen as him being voluntarily ignorant because it’s like an everyday situation in the halls; all the conversations are never private and we overhear them; we can probably guess what they’re saying but we choose not to acknowledge them or their conversation.
(Linda K, 4)
I like your connection between constricting the person and taking away the natural resources. It emphasizes the damage being done to the African colonies.
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ReplyDeleteMistreatment. Ignorance. Greed. It's all there. In both of these cartoons we are exposed to the harming of the Africans in the Congo simply for the quick money that can be made by inflicting pain and torture upon the defenseless, otherwise known as "a crime against humanity".
ReplyDeleteIn the first cartoon, King Lear is depicted as a snake, strangling the struggling African. This reminds me of the quote from Heart of Darkness. "It fascinated me as a snake would a bird - a silly little bird." In this quote, Marlow was the bird (may be applied to the Congolese in this context) and the snake was the river (may be applied to the King in this context). In the picture on the quotation analysis, the bird is just minding it's business, just living it's simple life as a naive, gentle, and innocent little bird. And then there's the snake. This snake comes in and without a second thought and snatches away the poor birds life as it were just a small obstacle to get to what that snake really wanted - temporary satisfaction... until the hunger comes back. The hunger is the same hunger that Leopald feels. He's hungry for profit. He's hungry for all the wealth that the continent of Africa has the potential of bringing him, and so he goes about, strangling the innocent Congolese to satisfy his burning desire for the wealth. We consume or make ourselves better by exploiting the ones lower than us. This brings us back to Darwin's idea of natural selection. Only the fittest survive in the wild.
In the second cartoon, King Leopald is depicted as a person greedily clinging onto his wealth, even though he knows that this wealth was earned directly through the exploitation of the Congolese. He looks as if the suffering of the Congolese doesn't matter to him if he gets what he really hungers for - wealth. The wealth brings him so much satisfaction that he still believes that committing these inhumane acts are worth it. In my opinion, I believe that if he actually had seen the torture these people had gone through with his own eyes, he would've reconsidered the extremity of the pure torture. Instead, he has people working for him. Other people beating the Congolese and killing innocent people. He's not the one that does the killing. This reminds me of the whole vegetarian vs non-veg dichotomy. We live in this specialized world, in which only certain specialized people actually do the killing of the animals. Although the common American, bread-earning father may disagree, we don't put our food on the table. We buy it frozen from the grocery store. We are not exposed to the killing and torture implemented on the animals. All we see is good food, and we don't even think about the animals' lives that were sacrificed in order to put that food on our table. Same thing with King Leopald. He doesn't harm the Congolese, he just earns a profit from making others do it. Huxley feared that what we love will ruin us. Maybe he was right.
So how does this effect the "darkness" of Marlow's journey? I think that because of all of the evil that is plaguing the island -- greed, exploitation, mistreatment -- it's safe to say that pure, white, and untarnished Africa has now been ruined by the colonizers. It has been darkened by the uninvited people looking to make a profit off the innocent Congolese. The journey that Marlow is about to embark on is not of "faded white flowers" or "grandmother's singing" or "liberty", but rather of hopelessness and despair and wrongdoing.
(Sadaf G., 4)
The first cartoon shows a large rubber snake with the head of King Leopold coiling itself around an innocent Congolese man. This picture is symbolic of Leopold's efforts to purloin any valuable resources from the Congolese without any regard to the ramifications of his behavior on the people. The snake restricts the man similar to the way Leopold restricted the freedom of the people of the Congo when he forced them to harvest his rubber.In order to harvest the rubber the people were forced to place it on their bodies and then peel it off sometimes taking hair and skin and if certain quotas were not met, limbs would be severed as punishments. Leopold's atrocious behavior went not only overlooked but was actually regarded as acts of philanthropy. Through threats and deceit Leopold was able to obtain his piece of "magnificent African cake", cartoon two depicts that of a man with malice intentions as he desperately clings to his bags of money, Leopold showcases his greed and lack of empathy for the Congolese who are suffering in the name of his ill-acquired fortune and his face is that of a guilty man who understands the evil he has committed but continues this immoral behavior.
ReplyDeleteThese cartoons allude to the role of light and dark in HOD. Marlowe is about to explore an area of the world which, before European intervention, was a prime example of a pure unadulterated people. Although darkness has always been associated with evil, wrong doing; in HOD, we see Conrad uses satire to put emphasis on the idea that the evil is associated with the WHITE Europeans as they taint they purity of not only the Congo but the entire continent of Africa with their arrival. The darkness of the Congolese people, on the other hand is identified with the innocence and purity they represent being naive to the deception and evil of Europeans in the beginning.
(CHRISTI LEE) 4th block-
ReplyDeleteThrough the 1st cartoon, you can see the irony of the darkness and lightness. Although the man is physically dark, he is being entangled by a snake that is physically light. The affects the darkness that Marlowe is about to see because you can't just judge what is good or bad based on the physical lightness or darkness of something. You can also see that the snake is made out of rubber, which is what King Leopold traded and sold. It's ironic because the man being entangled is actually being tangled by a RUBBER item which he probably helped produce. It's almost as if the king is dominating in many different ways.
In the second cartoon, you see the ignorance of the white/light man as he selfishly and greedily holds onto his money. You one again see the irony of the lightness and darkness of the physical characteristics, compared with the lightness and darkness that actually holds within.
I didn't notice the contrasting colors of the snake and victim. That's a good catch. Why does the white man in the second cartoon appear ignorant to you?
DeleteIn both cartoon we are expose to Leopold's brutality and corruption he created in the Congo. In the first cartoon we see a snake coiled around a African male. As snakes wrap around its prey, they slowly and literally suck they life out of it prey. Slowly restraining its prey and eventually killing it. It was no surprise that the snake head was the head of Leopold because thats exactly what he did to the Congolese. He forced them into slavery, and make products so he could profit. Although forcing them to work for their lives, and if anyone didn't want to work they were killed. Then in the back of the cartoon we a woman running in terror with a baby in the background which I saw as the Congolese trying to escape the terror of Leopold's madness.
ReplyDeleteThe second cartoon just shows the affects of Leopold reign in the Congo. It shows how Leopold is fully aware of what he's doing in the Congo, but he doesn't care because of all the wealth he is gaining. At this point he has lost his sense of morality because he is blinded by the money and wealth that he is earning.
Both the cartoons show the brutality Leopold used to get his riches in the Congo. In the first cartoon we see the snake constricting a native African. The snake's head has Leopold on it. Snakes suck the life out of its prey which is exactly what Leopold did to the Congo. He came into the Congo, depleted the land of its rubber and ivory, and left it in shambles. The Congolese had no legitimate form of government, and Leopold didn't care as long as he got what he wanted, which is evidenced in the second cartoon. He is guarding all the profits from his exploitation of the Congo, but in the background the brutality of the white men against the natives is shown. Leopold knew exactly how cruel his exploits were but he didn't care as long as he was able to profit.
ReplyDelete