Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Josh's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness
Marlow is constantly observing and interpreting the world around him. The description of his journey up the river is both strange and disturbing. Marlow analogizes the trip as a journey back in time to a "prehistoric earth." This is a direct representation of the Europeans' biased views towards colonized peoples: primitive and a few steps behind the Europeans in terms of development. What disturbs Marlow most about the native peoples he sees along the river is his "suspicion of their not being inhuman."; In some way, the savages are similar to the Europeans, and this idea makes him uncomfortable. Marlow isolates himself from the manager and the rest of the pilgrims forces him to consider the African members of his crew, and he is confused about what he sees. He wonders how his "savage" fireman is any different from a poorly educated, ignorant European trying to do the same job. This signifies a change in Marlow's perception of these people. He is beginning to accept them more and more without realizing it. The tone with which he speaks is still condescending, but the actual meaning of his words tells us that is opinion has been slightly altered
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I agree, I like how the story is progressing and Marlow isn't as close minded as he was, whether he realizes it or not.
ReplyDeleteNice journal, made some points I wouldn't have thought of.
I think europe sees the natives as more than just a few steps behind. They see them a century behind. Thats why they feel obligated to "help" them to "advance."
ReplyDeleteI agree, I think Marlow is seeing a more appealing life philosophy in the natives. He's starting to see the greed that has taken over the ideals of the europeans and wants to distance himself from that.
Although, that doesn't help answer the question as to why Marlow is so intrigued by Kurtz.
How he's changing sort of tells you who he is now, telling the narrator the story. He's probabaly spent years with him and learned to accept and even live like they do. I'm eager to get a description of who he is now. I bet he's like completly fearless and rugid. I kind of imagine a shabby and muscular guy and tattoos and a beard with a pipe. :P
ReplyDeleteI think that Marlow has a more philosophical view on the natives and even though he had the condescending attitude from the beginning, he has always given them the benefit of the doubt. I think that he analyzes them from both the perspective of a European conqueror and an unbiased observer. He seems to value human life as it is.
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