Heart of Darkness widely differs from most of the literary works I’ve read before. Conrad uses several different narrators to convey the story, causing some confusion as to who is actually speaking throughout the novel. Although this can be perplexing at times, the story is told in an intriguing manner that keeps me wanting to read on. I was immediately drawn into the story because of Conrad’s use of imagery. For instance, I had to read one sentence, “The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light; the very mist on the Essex marsh was like a gauzy and radiant fabric…”over several times just so I could soak in Conrad’s powerful words.
Conrad places the sea at a high level of importance. In fact, he calls the sailors “great knight-errants of the sea.” Conrad’s personification of the sea foreshadows the paramount role it will play throughout the story. The sea is used as a means of transporting goods, which fuels the callous treatment of Africans and the process by which Europeans attempt to civilize these “inferior” beings. The narrator develops a fascination with the sea from an early age, and lauds sailors for their intrepid efforts. This fascination is quenched through his acquisition of a position aboard the ship “Nellie” working for a trading company.
The theme of imperialism shows up in the first part of the novel as the narrator reveals his respect for the practice. As the narrator retells the story, it becomes evident that he feels imperialism is a positive means of gaining honor for one’s country and learning more about the world. Many European explorers shared this mindset at the time. I am curious to see whether the narrator’s experiences aboard the ship will change his point of view.
-posted by Leslie P.
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The second sentence of your second paragraph implies that it is the sea that causes imperialists to mistreat the colonized people. Is that what you mean, or did you mean something different?
ReplyDeleteYour question at the end is excellent. I would be interested to see you revisit the question of how Marlow's travels change him when you finish the book!
The sea alone is not responsible for the mistreatment of the colonized people. However, imperialist powers have access to vulnerable and underdeveloped regions by means of the sea. The sea can act as a barrier; preventing countries from entering another one, or it can serve as an outlet for ships to navigate and conquer various lands. Desire to obtain wealth at any cost and an overall feeling of superiority greatly fuel imperialism. Feelings of superiority can cause a group of people to dominate in a single area, even if the dominators are outnumbered. A group’s ideology usually contributes to the abuse of another people as well. In fact, faith can be blinding. But as I read more into the book, I am slowly becoming aware of Conrad’s message. In history, we learn that slavery is an inhumane practice, yet one that countries relied on to sustain their economy and standard of living. However, Heart of Darkness sheds light on both sides of the picture; the dehumanizing practice of colonialism on the subjugated and the impact it has on the oppressor himself.
ReplyDelete-Leslie Pyne