Reading
Conrad's Heart
of Darkness will require some deep thinking and insightful
discussion, and this is the forum to do just that. Each night of reading
will require a post on here. You will need to respond to 2 of your
classmates responses, as well. This way, you are not only thinking on
your own but also responding to others' thinking.
I guess I'll start. Kurtz's picture is said to depict a woman with a blindfold and a torch. Why would a person with a blindfold need a torch? What could it represent?
ReplyDeleteI took it as a Biblical metaphor/allusion...
DeleteThat saying "take the plank out of your own eye before taking out the speck in your neighbor's". European colonization (the blindfolded woman) is the hypocrite because it wants to bring "light and enlightenment" to a place of "darkness" when in reality, it's the other way around. That's how I saw it... :)
I like it. That's totally different than how I saw it, but there is a similar message. I read it with the preconception that the blindfolded person was holding the torch for someone else. With this mindset, the picture represents the pointless servitude of the African people. They are doing all of this dangerous work but receive only oppression.
DeleteI found it interesting how Marlow takes note of how they say "ivory" almost as if they are praying to it. This reminded me of in Brave New world- how they are conditioned to say certain things. This may be a stretch, but I think that the Europeans coming over start out noramal and healthy and then get into the "heart of darkness" and turn mad with greed. They become conditioned to only pursue wealth and whatever negative effects come of that are pushed aside. WHat do you all think of that sort of connection?
ReplyDeleteReplying to Jacob's post...the blindfolded women carrying the torch could symbolize a "blind" Europe trying to bring light to Africa, which would fit in with Kurtz's whole grand imperialist theme. Europe, athough powerful really knows nothing about Africa. They don't know how the people work, cultures, languages, animals...and are really going at the whole "imperialist- take over Africa" thing alone.
- there aren't any other posts so thats all I got!
I disagree with what you said about greed being conditioned. It seems to me that some people are naturally greedy. That is why they are there in the first place. It may not always be greed for money, but Marlow doesn't just go off to Africa for grins and giggles. He makes the trip to satisfy his childhood curiosity as well as to reap the benefits of his new job (money).
DeleteJust a random thought: but after reading the little allusion to Dante and his Inferno, I was wondering if anyone thought that that was a mini-foreshadowing of how Dante had his character travel through circles of hell (each one being worse) and if Conrad is going to have Marlow travel deeper and deeper into the darkness before reaching a catharsis?
ReplyDeleteI definitely think that there is a connection between the two. I'm not sure if there is a direct connection to the levels of hell, but I do think it is similar in what he takes away from his trip through "hell". Both characters come away from their trip more aware of the human capacity for sin and evil.
Deletei think you are definitely right after today's lesson in class. There is the symbolism of the Earth and going through the deeper layers...just as Marlow is going to travel deeper into the wilderness. Just as he will be physically delving deeper in the jungle, he will be questioning himself and delving deeper into his mind- trying to answer questions and come up with his own set of morals and standards of virtue.
DeleteI think the darkness that Conrad displays is not only depicting the acts of suffering, but also the decline of moral that each character has. I find it ironic how the narrator and other characters categorize the Africans as creatures, but in reality they are the ones who exist on the land soulless, and static.
ReplyDeleteAlso another thought: Could it be perhaps that the color white, which is the absence of color, symbolizes the absence of strength and recognition of the Africans against the Europeans?
ReplyDelete.. maybe?
yes! After annotating that worksheet about the absence of flags from the small villages- flags symbolize unity and patriotic spirit. The Europeans are breaking up the unity of the tribes by separating them how they please...aka the absence of the flags and absence of a united front from the Africans
DeleteMarlow is definitely already being affected by Africa both physically and mentally. How true do you think the foreshadowing of the doctor measuring Marlow's head will be? Also, is it possible that the reason Marlow is so intrigued by Kurtz is because Marlow and Kurtz share a similar darkness within?
ReplyDelete