Liane's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

I think that part 3 was way better than the rest of the book. It was still hard to understand but I liked it way better.

I think it was really sad that Kurtz died he suffered for a very long time. I did feel like it was about time though because he was sick throughout his whole journey. I felt that it was ironic that he kept going on more journeys in the Congo to get ivory while he was sick. To me his drive for ivory was his down fall in the end.

It was ironic that Marlow felt that he needed to be loyal to Kurtz after he died. He doesn’t really know him but he is keeping the detail of Kurtz journeys to himself. He keeps a big stack of Kurtz documents and gives them to people that would associated with him.

The ending was a bit weird for me but over all I guess the book was ok.

Ms. Smith's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

Great comments, everyone! Perhaps we'd get more out of this book if we looked at it as a philosophical statement, rather than a traditional plot-driven story. Even if we're not entertained by or totally satisfied with the novel, we can't argue with the fact that it makes us think! I'm really interested in Conrad's idea that we must face the darkness (in the world/in human nature/in our own hearts) in order to reach true enlightenment, but in doing so we put ourselves at risk. We see Kurtz completely giving in to the darkness, Marlow facing the darkness and reaching some level of enlightenment, and Kurtz's intended living in a world of oblivion. She never faces the darkness, nor does she have any connection with reality. Can one really be happy if, albeit unknowingly, he/she is living a lie? Even if the truth hurts, does it ultimately make us better people? How do we find a balance in our own lives?

Jihyun's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

In Heart of Darkness I remember this quote most. In pg 151, "The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz's life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time." This quote represent Congo river's darkness also Marlow's separation from African American. Though out the novel Darkness was the to suggestion for future also characters' conditions of actions.

In part one and two, Kurtz's character was Shadow. But, in part three Kurtz's character appears clearly. Marlow and Kurtz are two men who are exist with mirror images with each others. In part three, native woman was very interesting character in the novel. She was like European woman who gained ivory. Also one of the scene that I remember in the novel is pg 153~154, "He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath: The horror! The horror!" It shows deep human emotional also his experience in Congo river and his soul. Though out the story the novel was mainly focus on imperialism and darkness. It was about Marlow's journey to inner and external of Congo river.

In part three I have a one question, after the kurtz's death Marlow visit Kurtz's fiancee. But, why Marlow lies about Kurtz's last word before Kurtz passed away?

Sherry's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

In part III of Heart of Darkness, I felt that Joseph Conrad developed the reader more than anything throughout the whole story. I found in the previous parts that I classified Kurtz as a mad man, but I learned to think of him as a dictator. He was a victim of darkness and consumed to imperialism while on his journeys. I didn’t feel that the tribe adored him as much as they emphasized because it stated that Kurtz came with “thunder and lightning”. Which I felt could have been qualities of a dictator.
In part III I also saw Marlow as a good listener, for the fact that he was friendly and patient with the Russian, but he is opinionated and judgmental whether he knows it or not. There was also some more textual evidence that Kurtz was materialistic, obsessing over ivory, but it was revealed through a “he said, she said” by the Russian to Marlow, through Marlow to us. In my opinion the Russian is just as crazy as Kurtz, but more humane. On page 138 the Russian said, “…the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance…it had whispered…with this great solitude-” where he is sort of rationalizing with Kurtz and seems like he understands Kurtz well, so he’s crazy. The ironic part is that the Russian stays and takes care of Kurtz when he is really ill, and admires him but is ashamed to be compared to Kurtz. I won’t ever understand him; maybe it’s the loyalty from being a disciple.

One way Conrad develops the reader is how I felt that Marlow thought of Kurtz as an idol and was encouraged to find him for that reason, but he says he doesn’t idolize him at all. There was one example of character development I spotted with Kurtz, which the journalist called Kurtz an extremist, and that is before the journey took place. So that would lead to my vision of Kurtz resembling dictatorship qualities from his experience and discovery of this new society in the jungle rubbing off on him. On page 153, Kurtz’s features were described and I could compare it to Dorian Gray and the portraits features. When Marlow saw Kurtz, he described “his features…ivory face the expression of somber pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror- of an intense and hopeless despair” (153). I compared it to Dorian Gray’s portrait because of how ones features, when aging, mold with their actions in life. Since Kurtz was kind of crazy, dictator-like and obsessed with ivory, his features were molded by his way of life and expressed his character.

I really enjoyed part III of them all, it brought it home and made me say that HoD is indeed a great book. I’ll have to read it over several times to understand and more but I won’t mind.

Julie's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

I have to say that its a relief to be done with this book. It just dragged on and on. There were some points that were interesting and that I could stand. But then there was another long string of boring. To finally meet Kurtz and to know his true nature is also relief. No more speculation about Kurtz on Marlow's part. We get to hear about Kurtz through someone else. It's kind of interesting how the Russian, who has seen Kurtz though so many bad times and basically been thrown to the side when Kurtz wants to go out and claim "his" ivory. He said something that interested me: "Ah, it was worth waiting for!-sometimes." Why is this guy so infatuated with Kurtz?

Gotta say, the thing with the heads on posts, gross. Kurtz really is crazy. Something like that really shows the negative aspect of imperialism. Kurtz embodies all of those negitives. He's greedy and narcissistic, and only wants what is best for him, he doesn't care what happens to anyone else in the process. I didn't find it to surprising that he died, and I even rolled my eyes because Kurtz is so melodramatic.

Marlow's illness could be a number of things. He could have caught something when on the river. But I think it is more the shock of Kurtz's true nature. He probably comes back digusted by what he has seen and the disgust shows itself though the illness.
It wasn't a terrible book, it just read terribly.

Tsvetan's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

We finally meet Kurtz in the last part of Heart of Darkness and the first question that came to my mind after hearing about him and seeing him is: Why does the Russian man admire him so much? His loyalty is unquestionable and he would do anything for Kurtz no matter what Kurtz did to him. Then I realize that his ability to talk and connect with people is that makes him such an incredible character and so important for the book and Marlow himself.

It seemed to me that Kurtz had accomplished what he came for and followed his writings in the pamphlet. He was a God for the natives and was worshipped by them; as a matter of fact he was worshipped by everyone who knew him closely. Everyone who had listened to him admired him and all of his faults seemed insignificant next to his ideas and visions.

This great man was consumed by darkness, though, and the wilderness has taken its toll, changing him immensely. Marlow described that very well in one sentence: “But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion.” He became one with the darkness and it guided him in his ways. He couldn’t survive without it anymore and died when he was ripped away from it.

Michael's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

It was in part three that I finally discovered the real connection between Apocalypse Now and Heart of Darkness. As Marlow travels up river you can't help but wonder, will he be taken in by the power the river holds? Will he be hypnotized or brainwashed by the jungle, will he be taken in by the darkness like Kurtz was? I recall wondering the same thing while watching the movie. Will Martin Sheen's character follow in Marlon Brando's footsteps and conform to the dark truth of the jungle? Luckily, I can say that in both the movie and the book they did not. The same cannot be said for the other two men however.

Also, I see a connection between Kurtz and Brando. People had respect for Brando's character, he was a decorated General who was the least likely to go AWOL and turn on his position and his country. Meanwhile Kurtz was regarded as a known man. A man who was thought highly of, an almost Godly reputation if you will. Yet both men were down sized and killed like normal men.

Katie's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

Part three was exactly what I expected it to be, boring and confusing. I really didn't enjoy this book and had trouble keeping up with it. In this chapter the Russian trader begs Marlow to take Kurtz away quickly. He describes to Marlow his first meeting with Kurtz. He tells him that Kurtz and the trader spent a night camped in the forest together. He tells him that Kurtz talked about many different topics. In this part Kurtz threatens to shoot the trader over a small stash of ivory. I thought it kind of weird that despite the fact that Kurtz tried shooting him he still insists that Kurtz is a good man that shouldn't be judged. I really wish I had some interest in this book because I'm so lost. This book isn't interesting and confuses me with all the descriptions and it's just not clear. Conrad doesn't fully describe things and it seems to me he wants the reader of Heart of Darkness to come up with there own meaning of the book. Conrad doesn't even let the reader know how Kurtz died. His death is one of the only things that is not described. All we knew was that an African comes into the room and tells everyone that Kurtz is dead. We have no idea how it happened or what happened. All I can say is this really was not the best book

Josh's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

After finishing part III, I believe that Kurtz was just a human representation of imperialism/colonialism. Before meeting him, Marlow is fascinated by the legend of Kurtz; he has heard stories of all the good he has done, and all of the positive influence he has. This is very similar to imperialism. One country goes into the next and supposedly betters the life of an oppressed people, or helps a struggling nation to develop, as defined in Heart of Darkness itself. From the outside, everything looks good. It's not until you get to the "interior" when you find out what is actually going on. For a man held in such high esteem, Kurtz, to me, was more than a disappointment. I felt I had been lied to about him over the course of the entire book. According to the Russian trader, Kurtz did all the talking, everyone else listened, and the "rebels" were beheaded. Just like when the outside outside country is oppressing the people in a worse way than they were being oppressed before. When Marlow meets Kurtz, he is in bad shape, and is being carried out of thick of the jungle on a makeshift stretcher. For a man so powerful, he seems rather pathetic. And as Kurtz was taken away on the steamer, Conrad writes, " The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down with twice the speed of our upward progress;" The invading country has realized that it has overstayed its welcome and is in bad shape; after staining the land (blood stains brown), the imperialists high-tail it out of there, and their purposed is finally revealed: "live rightly, die, die...for the furthering of my ideas. It's a duty."

Just a thought, sorry if it was hard to follow.

Chloe's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

Finally the book is complete and over with. It didn’t turn out to be so bad. The beginning was definitely impossible to get through but it picked up throughout the middle and end. It got really interesting and I actually couldn’t stop reading at some points because there was the sense of suspense and expectation as if something big was always about to happen.

One of my favorite sections in part 3 was on page 138. Marlow is talking to the man who is describing the way the wilderness has affected Kurtz. The wilderness is personified as being able to show a person different sides of them and open up new doors for them. I don’t even know if the heart of darkness is solely the river at this point, it might be only the wilderness or both. This page just adds to the impact of the wilderness and how powerful it is and the affect it can have on people. I feel like it’s this force that can take control of you and open your eyes to new things and show you things you’ve never seen before. In relation to Kurtz, it ruined him and turned him into something greedy and vile. He saw the darkness in the wilderness. As for Marlow I feel like he got something positive out of it, he realized that the natives weren’t really that different from him and that this wilderness they are all so scared of is something natural and real, more so than anything they live in.

Then also on the bottom of page 138 Marlow yells at the man saying he doesn’t want to hear about what rituals Kurtz takes part in. I felt like Marlow was really coming into his own and finally letting it out and not being pressured by everything else. He was able to maintain his morals and values and everything he has gone through only made him stronger. He is getting closer to being the Marlow that we know from the beginning of the story.

Everett's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

So, Part III, was, like the others, a bit slow and complicated. I still had a lot of trouble following the plot and what was really going on, and the fact that I still have a weak understanding of Part I and Part II doesn't help it. I look back, and really can't form any thoughts on what the book was about or the main point Conrad had. I wish I could though, I strongly admire the way he writes.

I wonder why Marlow lies about Kurtz's last words. In part II he showed little sympathy in terms of death, but when it came to Kurtz death, he felt bad for the girl and said what he did to comfort her slightly. I find it curious considering, he seemed unhappy with who he found Kurtz to be, while he realyl depended on the Helmsman. Why would he show less pity for him than for Kurtz?

The last sentence of Part II:
"-seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness."
and well as the last line of the 2nd to last paragraph:
"It would have been too dark-too dark altogether.'

Are examples of how darkness is the motif. It plays a physical role and metophorical role. It is used in the setting, giving us a gloomy and depressing vibe of both the narrator's setting and Marlow's. It also though, describes character's and emotions, rather than physical things. I orignally, during part I, assumed the "darkness" was related to race. The significance of the African's didn't last throughout the novel, but I predicted that it would, and that "Heart of Darkness" meant the feelings and characteristics of the black people doing labor. Obviously now, that seems off topic. It's more related to the Congo as a whole. What it gives off and what it looks like. The setting and it's details have proven to be the most important factor in the book.

Marlow, like the narrator said, left me kind of clueless. It didn't seem like a conclusion to the story, as much as I would like. Similarly, the narrator sort of leaves us hanging. We never the the details I hoped would come. Like who the narrator was, what he was like. Who the lawyer, director and accountant were, and why they were listening, etc. Im assuming it was intentional, but I don't think it made me feel the way Conrad intended me to feel.

Nicole's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

As I was reading Part III, I realized how much this book reminded me of The Great Gatsby! When characters spoke of Kurtz and of Gatsby, they all had different stories and ideas about the men. Both Kurtz and Gatsby were extremely rich from forming corrupt businesses. They both had people who looked up to them and were intriqued and inspired by then, like The Russian with Kurtz. But no one truly knew Kurtz or Gatsby. People didn't really know Kurtz because the man never had a real conversation with anyone; it was always only he who was talking. No one truly knew Gatsby because he lived a secret life of business. They also both died in their books and had one woman who loved them and was very upset by his death.

The main character of The Great Gatsby was intrigued by Gatsby and wanted to know so much more about him, and once he did, was not happy. The same went for Marlow and Kurtz. Except Marlow traveled much further to work with Kurtz.

The voice of Kurtz was brought up many times by Marlow throughout the book: how Marlow thought his voice was going to sound like, how he could hear Kurtz's voice. It is interesting that it was because of the ending. The ending of the book depended upon what Kurtz's voice was saying before he died, rather than what he was saying. The ending also proved to the reader that Marlow was not pulled into the darkness. He still cared for others and their feelings, even if he did not know them well. It was very good of him to tell the native woman Kurtz spoke her time last. It is a relief to the reader that Kurtz is truly nothing like the other men in the Congo, and still is a nice man after all of his ominous journey.

Bobby's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

For me Heart of Darkness was not very interesting. However, I became really interested in the novel in about the last ten pages. Though it is pretty late to start showing interest in a book, it was when the most important things happened.

During part III, Marlow finally meets Kurtz. Kurtz seemed very strange to me. From all that Marlow heard about him, I expected him to this strong and ambitious character that stops at nothing to get what he wants. Instead I see this broken down, strange, and moody man who seems to have lost the will to live. There are also traces of madness when Marlow described Kurtz as sometimes acting “contemptibly childish”. It seems that being in the jungle, holding all that power has made him lose his sanity and his soul. Kurtz was in such despair he said “I am lying here in the dark waiting for death.” Conrad might have put that there to foretell his eminent death.

One of the big ambiguities of the novel is how Kurtz died. It was never described; one of the Africans just came into the room and informed everyone that he has died. Marlow did not even look at the body so we have an even less idea of the cause of his death. From my interpretation, I would say that suicide is the cause. When we met Kurtz he seemed so unhappy. At one time he was even crying. Probably the degradation of his soul made him take his life.

A quote that could support my idea is his last words, “The horror! The horror!” Though it could apply to anything since we do not understand what Kurtz meant when he said this. In supporting my idea it could mean the horror at the fact of what has become of him and the hopelessness of his fate. Or it could be the horror of his methods and his cruel actions to everyone. Another meaning might be the horrors of imperialism as a whole and the evils of the subjugation of the natives.

Stacey's Entry on Part III of Heart of Darkness

Part III is the most intense part of the story. Marlow meets with Kurtz. These two men have a unique bond that mirrors one another’s personality. We finally discovered this complicated character. He is an ivory trader who is extremely good at obtaining ivory. His educated European background stands out in the Congo. His superior attitude is up there with God and he basically has all the natives believing he is above God. The Harlequin tells Marlow how he met Kurtz in the jungle and states. This man enlarged my mind. You can’t judge Kurtz like you would an ordinary man. Obviously, he idolizes Kurtz.

Part III is basically the meeting of these two men. Conrad insinuated that Marlow would probably become like Kurtz if he continues working in the jungle. Conrad demonstrated how the natives admired this God- like human being. They even went as far as attacking Marlow’s steamship, because they did not want Kurtz to leave them and the Congo.

The most interesting thing about this part is that the he stopped at nothing to get what he wanted. In the jungle, among the natives he controlled the land and demanded, as well as received respect. There was no way Kurtz could ever return to civilization, and give up such a ridiculous amount of power. Instead, he chose to remain in the jungles of the Congo, and be worshipped by all natives.

His last words were “The Horror! The Horror!” There was so much he wanted to accomplish, so much more he wanted to do. He had “great plans”. Kurtz’s last words could be interpreted in many ways.

The reader envisions Kurtz to be a strong and strapping Hercules type man. However, when we are introduced to him, he is physically fragile, weak and colorless. At one time he was a horrible man. Marlow will remember those last words forever.

I admired Marlow for not telling Kurtz’s native mistress those horrifying last words. Instead he made a civilized decision by telling her he spoke her name, when she asked him what his last words were. Marlow was able to find out a lot of information regarding Kurtz’s lifestyle, and respected him as a human being. Throughout the story, it appeared he protected him till the end.

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

Michael's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

Is there a prequel to this book? Is there an encyclopedia, maybe a random facts of seafaring pocket book? Is their anything that makes this book easier to deal with. I understand Conrad is a distinguished scholar but he really went the whole nine yards in terms of facts and information that need to be known to better understand this book.

On there other hand I have been able to successfully connect the characters with the ones in Apocalypse Now. It is clear that Kurtz in the book is Marlon Brando in the movie. Brando goes insane and treats the natives like he is there god and they are his slaves. He lives in cold solitude and whatever he asks for they get. Now that I have found a connection this book seems a little more enjoyable.

Sherry's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

In part II of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, I found myself a little more interested in HoD. The details and story itself makes me more drawn to it, because it isn’t so unclear and finally it’s understandable as well as interesting.

The character, Kurtz brings a little bit of that edge that makes you rise more opinion, such as calling him crazy and profound. I actually like Kurtz’s character and am amused at how he feels everything belongs to him. Anyway, part II focuses on Marlow finding Kurtz, and people judging Kurtz for what he wants to accomplish in the Congo. Supposedly Kurtz wants to turn stations into civilizations and instate better values, as well as take the manager’s position for himself. Which is why the manager would obviously complain, but one wouldn’t complain or get worried unless they knew they were in jeopardy. Kurtz also felt that he was above everyone, calling helpers incompetent and going to these stations feeling god-like.

Like part I of HoD, I tried to connect any detail and imagery to Conrad’s history. I may have felt that Kurtz illness was of Conrad’s experience, and maybe he wanted to accomplish things like Kurtz but couldn’t because of health in the Congo. I’ve come to conclude that Conrad has spilt his experiences up between these two men, Marlow and Kurtz. I honestly feel that he created these two men from his own image and person, and expanded them to an extent he could not reach. Maybe Conrad was torn between the two personalities, sometimes feeling compassion for others but then feeling above others at another point. Such as Marlow was feeling bad for death by imperialism, and Kurtz wanting to, so to speak imperialize, change stations into civilizations. I just hope we, the reader, find out more specifics of Kurtz first hand.

Stacey's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

I must admit that Part I of Heart of Darkness was a struggle. After studying its literary elements, the story appears to make more sense, however I’m still not connecting with the characters as much as I would like to. Historical facts are important in order to understand this tale. Part II is based on Marlow’s story of the journey in the Congo, and therefore there are interesting elements that the reader is faced with. Now that we understand the narration of who is telling the tale, it makes it a bit easier to grasp.

Marlow appears to have a strange fascination with Kurtz. Perhaps it is his inner darkness that makes this character appealing. The Russian trader stated that Kurtz is a man who people listen to, not converse with. Marlow is a man who has the ability to captivate people with his stories. I guess this is the commonality between these two characters.

Kurtz is a cruel man. He refers to the ivory as his own, and looks at himself as a primitive god to the natives. Marlow makes it clear to his listeners that Kurtz is mentally unstable, due to some kind of flaw that made him go insane. It is almost as if he makes excuses for his insane behavior.

I feel that Marlow has no real excuse for inhuman and cruel behavior. For example, in order for the body not to be consumed by the cannibals, he threw the helmsman overboard. Was he justified in doing this? He believes so.

Zeehan's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

While reading part two of Heart of Darkness, I was definitely noticing Conrad’s unique style of keeping the book ambiguous and unclear, though I’m not sure what the purpose is. For, example, when the Manager and his uncle were having that serious conversation, and they found out that Marlow was listening, they didn’t do anything to him. Why not? They uncle seemed so cruel and powerful, so why not punish Marlow for eavesdropping? Was he intending for Marlow to overhear, or was he thinking of punishing Marlow later?

This part also brings out the conflict and differences between the native people of Africa and the imperialists. At one point of the story, Marlow explains that he is very used to the wilderness, and the lives of the primitive natives. Marlow describes the surroundings of these people as “unearthly” but the he said that the people were not “inhuman”. Human and earth is clearly defined by the functions of western civilizations. Marlow sees that there really isn’t much difference between a savage and a civilized person who does the same work, but they are classified according to the societies they come from. Anyways, throughout the chapter I felt like Marlow knew so much about the natives, but that thought died when he said the natives wouldn’t attack, and a fight broke out instead.

I’m feeling that Kurtz is going to be an important character, though I’m not sure what that importance may be. He definitely seems like an higher authority because everyone is so concerned about his existence or non-existence and the whole point of the trip is to go meet him. So far he remains ambiguous to me and hopefully his character will get clearer in part three.

Liane's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

In part two Marlow talks more about Kurtz and his plans in the Congo
To me part two was a lot more interesting. I liked the details that were provided.
I felt that I was more drawn to part two than part one. I think there was a definite feeling of better understanding with what was going on in the book. I think that the detailing in part two was needed for me as a reader to fell like I was there with Marlow and Kurtz’s in the Congo.

I still wish that there was more insight on who Kurtz’s really is, what he is all about. I mean if he is not that important why is he such a mystery. This part was way better to grasp and a lot more enjoyable. I just wish that Kurtz character was better reveled.

Tsvetan's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

In the second part Marlow finally starts his trip towards Klutz’ location and tells of an incredible adventure. The story struck me as a kind of quest. Marlow and his crew went through several “tasks” in the search for Klutz and his camp deep within the wild jungle, it was as if they were looking for some kind of treasure in an unknown and unexplored land, but they knew it was there so they kept going.

I thought it was very interesting how Marlow described the natives he saw on the coastline and the comparison he made between them and him. He saw himself in them and by mentioning the fireman below him who was an “instructed” savage he presented the connection between the “prehistoric” people on the river bank and the civilized whites on the boat, including himself.

Klutz sounds as a very impressive character from what Marlow has said so far and also very eccentric. Considering the trip to get him and the obstacles the steamboat goes trough on the trip to him, I’m very curious how Klutz himself go through it before. It seems incredibly hard to get there, but from what I read in the end of the story, the natives admire him in some way and care about him. I guess we’ll find out why, later.

Nicole's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

After reading Part II, I more so understand why Conrad incorporated the tedious parts he did into Part I. This is a journey of how a man, (Marlow), seems to be the only one left with some liveliness inside of him, but his surroundings continue to bring him down. On page 106, Marlow speaks of how the view from the steamboat made him think of the past, "Trying to find the channel, till you thought yourself bewitched and cut off for ever from everything you had known once - somewhere - far away - in another existence perhaps. There were moments when one's past came back to one, and it will sometimes when you have not a moment to spare to yourself." From this, the listener gets the idea that this is a good thing, the traveler has not forgotten his past. One would think that the traveler's past must be innocent compared to the idea of work the man is on his way to contribute to. But then Marlow says, "But it [a memory] came in the shape of an unrestful and noisy dream, remember with wonder amongst the overwhelming realities of this strange world of plants, and water, and silence." That was Marlow's way of admitting that he was scared about where he was going to be living and working for a while, even his old thoughts were too overwhelming for him to think about. That quote is yet another of Marlow's inconspicious thoughts. We have to read imbetween the lines to find out what Marlow truly thinks about a situation, because so far, he has never blandly told the listeners how he feels.

Knowing that Marlow is not only telling the story to the reader, but to a crew of men, (who apparently are mostly not awake or even listening), informs us that Marlow will speak less of how he truly feels. He doesn't want the other men to know if he was scared or not, or depressed like the man before him was. Maybe Marlow wanted to kill himself just as one of the men before him did. We the readers, are these men on that boat, except we're listening much more intently. But we cannot listen to every single word exactly, we need to dig deeper to find out what Marlow wouldn't tell his men.

What Marlow said on page 108 was a way of Conrad revealed his idea on imperialism. "We penetrated deeper and deeper into the hart of darkness. It was very quiet there. At night sometimes the roll of drums behind the curtain of trees would run up the reiver and remain sustined faintly, as if hovering in the air over our head, till the first break of day. Whether it meant war, peace, or prayer we could not tell." I think Conrad added this to inform the reader that he thinks there is a "curtain" seperating the natives and the whites for a reason. This also signifies that he believes the whites are ignorant of many things about the natives. The white men don't even know what the natives' music is for. Just like in part one Marlow did not know the meaning of the rope tied around the native's neck.

The journey is also so ominous (as Marlow has said many times), like the "curtain of trees," that it is like a warning for the whites not to enter. I believe Conrad was once were Marlow was, just to make some money and experience the sea at the same time, and was just as ignorant of how inhumane these whites treated the natives.

Katie's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

I must say Iʼm still not really into Heart of Darkness. I am still having trouble concentrating and enjoying this book. I mean yes part II is a little better this really is my type of book. I liked the conversation between the nephew and uncle. I found it interesting that the mangers uncle easily told him to have that man hung just because he didnʼt want anyone to challenge his authority. The manager also complained that Kurtz came to the Congo to turn the stations into encouragement for civilization. He also talked about how Kurtz wanted to take over the manager's position. Some parts of this book got my attention wile others put me to sleep. I wish this book had fewer descriptions and was more about the story itself. I mean the writing allows you to see whatʼs going on and allows you to visualize whatʼs happening but I think itʼs too much. All I can say is, I hope I get into this book sometime soon because all I am doing so far is falling asleep.

Everett's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

I'm pleased to announce I had a slightly easier time following this part of the book. The first part confused me so much, honestly. The diction and all the details overwhelmed me a lot, and this chapter seemed a little bit simpler to follow with. I'm still struggling to get into the book though. In order for me to really graps thoughts and find some deep meanings I really need to find a common ground between the characters or author and myself, and so far I'm at a loss.

I've been following with Corad's writing and not getting lost quite as often, but I still find myself really stuggling to understand some of what occurs. For example, the very beginning of this part, Marlow is seen eavesdropping on the manager and his uncle. They were discussing some private business and making themselves sound pretty bad, and they completely disregarded him when he appeared to them. I do, however, think that Conrad intended to keep readers confused. Similiar to what we discussed in class about his use of strange and outlandish events. Why wouldn't someone be punished or threatened for listening in on a private conversation, especially on a ship where the people you are listening in on are discussing the deaths of so many of their men with complete ease and no remorse. Not what I would ever expect. It honestly made me stop, scrunch my nose, and go "Whaaaat??"

Another part, really big part of the book, that I'm missing out on is who Kurtz is. I'm embarassed saying it, seeing as the other blogs show no signs of confusion, but I honestly I have to admit to finding him a big mystery. I get that he once worked for or with the manager and now threatens his position or business or something along those lines. And I know that Marlow, though set on killing him with the manager is intrigued by him and not happy to kill him. Why he's important, his role, and everything else there is, is honestly beyond me. I hope we talk more about him!!!!!!!

One thing though, that I did take out of this, is obvious character development in Marlow. We established in class that "current Marlow", telling his story, is not a lot like the "old Marlow" that he tells us about. But as part II progressed I saw a lot of wisdom and maturity in him, that I didn't see in Part I. For example, on page 106, we read a passage about the wilderness. It's portrayed as "thick" and "heavy", "mob", "riots", etc. It's a powerful and frightening place. But Marlow says:

"I got used to it afterwards; I did not see it anymore; I had no time. I had to keep guessing at the channel; I had to discern, mostly by inspiration, the signs of hidden banks; I watched for sunken stones; I was leaning to clap my teeth smartly before my heart flew out...."

This quote shows us how much he's grown. Such incredible and intimadating places don't phase them the way he did. He was becoming the Marlow we see telling the narrator this story.

Julie's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

This book really isn't doing anything for me. I find the story rather boring. And it isn't getting any easy to understand.

I understand as to why Marlow needed to mention the Manager and his uncle, but why go into such detail with them? Who cares what they look like. And why mention the other parts of their conversation, like why the uncle is sick and such?

Marlow's description of the darkness that surrounded the boat as they were "Crawling" along the river I found interesting. I think that that one passage describes the entire tone of the book very easily. It even describes the way the book reads in some ways; Its creeping along slowly and its very dark.

I think his description of the "prehistoric" men were somewhat boring. I mean, its supposed to be an exiting thing, and yet it reads like Marlow is describing a dish towel.

Maybe its just the way Conrad writes, but I feel like If I were sitting there listening to the story, I would be falling asleep.

Again, It's not as though I don't appreciate the writing. The descriptions are very vivid and you can very easily get a clear
picture of what Marlow is seeing. But when listening to the story, I feel like the surroundings aren't the most important thing, its the story itself.

Jihyun's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

Part II is more focused on the theme of " Imperialism". Also in part II, Marlow's story flows by the frame narrator. In the novel he represents jungle as prehistoric nature. He mentions that going to the jungle was like traveling back to the beginning of the world. On pg 108, it says, " We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet." Also, on pg 105, it says, "Going up that river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings." This shows that Joseph Conrad uses a lot of literary elements and strong imagery.

I also remember this text in the novel, on pg 108: "The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there there you could look at a thing monster, and free." This image is very mysterious. In part II I feel that the narrator and Marlow have different attitudes and tones in the story. Part II is Marlow's journey that describe the trip in back in time. The characters Marlow and Kurtz represent conflicting opinions and images in Europe.

Chloe's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

I must admit that part 2 was a lot better than part 1. The beginning was confusing, the conversation between the uncle and the nephew, and I was terrified that it would remain that way but it turned out to be entertaining and interesting. I really started to get into the book when they were on their way to the station to see Kurtz and they had to be cautious at night and were attacked by the natives. Finally there was some action and excitement and it seemed like the book was really headed somewhere.

One of the parts in the book that really made me think was on page 115 where Marlow is talking about how the natives don’t have a concept of time. Time is only relevant when you are in an industrialized society. Time is needed when you are on somebody else’s schedule and are part of a bigger order. Time is all about rushing and meeting deadlines but the natives don’t need that because they are living their own life and are on their own plan. I actually find that to be a very peaceful and relaxing concept.

Another part that I liked was on page 127 at the top where Marlow is talking about how we live on earth and have to put up with certain things and then he goes on to talk about faith and strength. I feel strongly about that, to go on living people need something to believe in and something to hold on to. Faith is what keeps a person going and it gives them goals and morals and values. Without faith and then the strength to work with it life isn’t worth living.

Bobby's Entry on Part II of Heart of Darkness

So far in the novel, there have been moments that have surprised me. One is the mysterious fire wood incident. I found that to be very ominous. What was the writer alluding to and what was the warning meant for. I think that small incident was forerunner an even more surprising event: the attack on the steamboat by the natives.

I also started noticing the significance of the character of Kurtz. This man is obviously an important figure for everyone seeing as how he affects many of the characters that we have met like the chief account and the manager. Also the whole goal of Marlow’s trip up the river is to meet Kurtz. I did not think much his impact on Marlow until when he thought that Marlow was dead; he said “I couldn’t have been more disgusted if I had traveled all this way for the sole purpose of talking with Mr. Kurtz. Talking with … I flung one shoe overboard, and became aware that that was exactly what I had been looking forward to- a talk with Mr. Kurtz.” Clearly Kurtz is indirectly influencing Marlow just like the other characters.

Liane's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

While reading part one of the book I found it hard to follow what was going on.
I did feel that there was a bit too much detail about the setting and not enough on
character detail. Even though there was too much detail on the setting I did feel like I was there in the room with the characters.

Marlow seems to be a man that loves to travel to learn about the things around him.
I think that each time that he goes to a new place it’s like learning something new to him.

Katie's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

So far this book is boring. I find myself having trouble concentrating on what’s going on and staying awake. Since I had done prior research on Conrad before reading Heart of Darkness I am confident that this story could be based on a real life experience Conrad had as a sailor. There is a lot of imagery so far which is kind of annoying because it has a little bit too much detail. This part gave me the impression that Conrad is against imperialism and feel that the Europeans didn’t more harm than good on peoples lives. My favorite part of imagery in part one is on page 67, it says “the sun set; the dusk fell on the stream, and lights begin to appear along the shore.” I liked this part a lot because it reminded me of a sun set I saw form my uncles boat when I was younger.

Tsvetan's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

The book starts out kind of slow and confusing. I didn’t really understand where the 5 men on the ship were and why they were there or how they know each other. They seem to be riveted by Marlow’s story and all have some kind of respect for him.

From what I know Joseph Conrad is considered to be one of the best authors at describing the setting and using vivid imagery to do so. I could see that in the book, but I felt like that’s all that was done for the first 20 pages and nothing really struck me or interested me in the story before Marlow went to the Company. Even there, all that was really shocking was the image of the overworked natives and the way they are treated. Marlow feels pity for them, but also considers them lower and primitive. He calls them savages and agrees with the general idea that the Africans working there were “criminals” and it was the reason for their punishment, but what the crime was, was unclear and unstated.

I feel like throughout the story there are a lot of signs and reasons for Marlow to go back or even not begin his journey, but he doesn’t, which shows his commitment and passion for what he does. He was able to go work for the company where he wanted, because one of the tradesmen working for them was killed by natives. After that, while on his way to the Company, the Swede shipman tells him about the traveler that hanged himself, overwhelmed by the sights he’s seen. Later on when he is about to finally start doing his work, Marlow’s ship turns out to be broken. All these ominous events represents the unpredictability and dangerousness of the jungle and those uncivilized territories and foreshadow what might come.

Everett's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

So far, Heart of Darkness has proven to be a bit of a challenge to get into. It's alot of detail and description, so much so, that I find myself extremely confused. It's definatly a sophistacated piece of literature and it takes a lot of effort for me to keep up with. I really have to sit down and concentrate to get what's going on.

I can't deny either, it's a bit of a bore so far, but I won't judge yet, we've only just begun. But, Marlow really talks to much! The narrator says so, and I definatly agree! He says that Marlow tells a lot of stories that lead to nowhere, and that honestly made me feel like "Ughhh, wel then why am I reading all his nonsense story". I'm curious as to whether Conrad intended to make you feel that way while listen to Marlow or if he had some other motive. Maybe by having the narrator give us his opinion on the story as well as have Marlow drone on a lot, he is characterizing Marlow. If so, I already hate him. :D

One scene though, really got me interested. Starting on page 83 and ending on page 84. His experience in the wood with all of the dying black men. The description actually scared me as I read. He used so much detail that I could put myself in Marlow's shoes.

"One, with his chin propped on his knees, started at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner: his brother phantom rested its forhead, as if overcome with a great weariness; and all about others were scattered in every pose of contorted collapse, as in some picture of a massacre or pestilence."

This detailed description of the setting really put me in the scene and succeeded in making me feel complete horror. I'm quite confident that this he intended, maybe making a statement about the horrible treatment and torture that we white men put upon these african people. We brought our diseases and our weapons and forced them to try and accept it, and we ended up doing tons of damage. It seems like Conrad is strongly against racism.

Although I've yet to really find much interest in the novela, I'm approaching it ready to find more scenes like the one I mentioned to keep me into it!!

Julie's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

There were many times throughout reading the first part that I just felt like skipping over several pages. This was either when Marlow decided to go off into a little side story. Like When he was a child and want to visit the north pole, or when he wasn't into crazy detail about something that (Seems) unimportant. Maybe it will come into play later, but as for right now, Its probably just him talking about one thing he remembers because he liked it.

In the beginning I found it interesting that the narrator describes Marlow physically, and he doesn't for the other's on the ship with them. I guess the narrator likes him on a more personal level. Also, his description of other ships that have sailed in the past, I found totally pointless. In fact, I found a lot of details could have been left out.

I don't know, right now its a very annoying story. Not a bad one, I can see and appreciate all the imagery, its just annoying after a while.

Zeehan's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

The first part so far is really boring. I had a very hard time understanding the book mainly because I had such a hard time focusing. The atmosphere and tone of the first part so far is very dark. The darkness of the book really annoys me, whether that’s the setting sun or the dying people in the ship who are being tortured by the European imperialists. Form my research on Joseph Conrad, I can see a lot of influences in this part from his life experiences. Conrad shows his love for the sea and river by making the Congo and other rivers a great theme in the book. I can see Conrad in Marlow’s character in many ways, both are smart men but are dark probably because of the hardships they faced in life. Conrad describe the people as suffering and dying, sympathizing with them. This shows that Conrad is against the influences of imperialism. From his description, it seems like he feels that Europeans left people suffering instead of helping them.

Jihyun's Entry on Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness is very different than the Street car named Desire and Crime and Punishment. When I first started to read Heart of Darkness I was very confuse. Because at first I didn't know who was the narrator of the novel. But, later I noticed that Marlow was basically telling the story. At first, the novel started with description of setting or background of the story. The novel also had a lot of descriptive image. One of the description remind me was "We looked at the venerable stream not in the vivid flush of a short day that comes and departs for ever, but in the august light of abiding memories." and "Lights of ships moved in the fairway a great stir of lights going up and going down. And further west on the upper reaches the place of the monstrous town was still marked ominously on the sky, a brooding gloom in sunshine, a lurid glare under the stars." Those both images represents lights and it is very descriptive.
At first it was hard to understand Joseph Conrad's diction in the book. He didn't really tell who is the narrator also most of story is focus on setting of sea (Congo River). I think this novel setting can refers to Joseph Conrad's journey in Congo when he was sailor. Basically this novel represent a lot about Conrad's life in Congo journey. Also, this was the time period of Imperialism, European had power to control over.In the book they use litery image "Has been one of the dark places of the earth". I think this imagery meant during under pressure (power control by European) ; it was a dark place for people (Colony). I think Joseph Conrad uses a lot of litery image to descibe the background and the characters.

Josh's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

After reading Part I, I have mixed feelings about this book. Conrad drones on and on when Marlow tells his story of the time when he became a “fresh water sailor.” All of the imagery Conrad uses during this time could be helpful later on, but it's very dense and a lot to grasp at one time. I found myself reading pages multiple times in order to fully form a picture in my head. In fact, I struggled to stay awake while reading this passage, and it really made it difficult for me to get into the book.

I found it strange that the people on the yacht, besides Marlow, have no names. Instead, they are called by their occupations, like “the Lawyer,” or “the Accountant,” and “the Director of Companies.” Whoever they are, their careers bring in a respectable amount of money; it might just illustrate privileged people being able to play dominoes on a boat, but I have a feeling we will find out exactly who they are and what they're doing there later on in the book.

Stacey's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

The Heart of Darkness is very different from Crime and Punishment and A Streetcar Named Desire. This story contains two narrators, one being an anonymous listener who speaks in the first person on behalf of the four passengers on the ship. Marlow is the other narrator. He tells his story in the first person giving his take on what he experienced, and what he observed. There is no dialogue between the characters, which sets this story apart from the other two stories we read.

The protagonist is Marlow. He is the captain of the ship who tells great tales, and has the ability to capture people’s minds with his glorious stories. He appears to be well traveled and has a lot of knowledge regarding what he has seen in his travels.

Heart of Darkness is most likely an autobiographical story, drawing comparisons to contrast between Marlow and Joseph Conrad. Conrad lived in the Congo, and was a marine in the British navy. Marlow was most likely created from personal experience.

Imperialism appears to be a main topic of discussion. Racial slurs for this time period are evident. Marlow’s superior white man’s attitude, and negative critiques of the natives are clearly evident. For example, he refers to the natives as savages, suggesting their faces are grotesque masks.

I don’t find myself connecting to any of these characters yet. Even Raskolnikov. I had mixed opinions on, however Marlow is not a character that I have warmed up to. It will be interesting to see Conrad’s use of literary style, as the book progresses. At this point, there is some difficulty relating his use of symbolism, and I hope to gain a better understanding of the characters.

Nicole's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

I find it new and unique to read a book that starts off going dead into a story about the start of a seaman's adventure.
Unconsciously, Marlow gives the reader an in depth explanation of what men really do when they take on the "white man's burden" in his memoir. I found it strange to hear that the whites actually enslaved the natives, (or "savages" as they called them) for their own use. When I earlier heard about the white men going to "help" these natives, I actually thought they were there to make then healthy and educate them - not put them to work. Now I understand what Marlow meant by "the Company": a bunch of white "agents" making money off blacks and their land.
To my understanding from the beginning of the book, the men on the boat do not agree with the way the whites originally treated these blacks. "There was a touch of insanity in the proceeding, a sense of lugubrious drollery in the sight; and it was not dissipated by somebody on board assuring me earnestly there was a camp of natives-he called them enemies!-hidden out of sight somewhere," the beginning narrator writes as if surprised the previous whites called the natives enemies. Short after that quote Marlow started his story that only seemed interesting to himself. The story of when he was one of those white men, who didn't think of the natives as enemies, but more as tools to make money and gain land.
The men on the boat at this moment are men are who I think are just seaman for the sake of adventure. They love the sea and consider it their "country." They are no longer land creatures, but ones of the sea. The first narrator spoke passionately of the sea and the way the unknown of the sea makes him feel. It's interesting to hear from Marlow about how the others of the sea see their journeys.
Honestly, I found Marlow's story very tedious, as I'm sure the crew did as well. Though his story was broadening at the same time. I'm curious to read more of this book, but I hope it is the end of story time from Marlow.

Michael's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

I have to say that after reading the first part of this book I am a little disappointed. Before we were given the book I did a little research and discovered that it inspired the movie Apocalypse Now which is not only a favorite movie of mine but also a strong cinematic masterpiece. I could not wait to discover how powerful the book must be if the movie received such critical acclaim. Unfortunately I discovered that it is not very powerful. At least not yet.
I do like it better than Crime and Punishment but their are certain things that I find unsettling and target my inner boredom. For instance most of the book is description. I would have preferred more character involvement, less scene and more script I guess you could say. Instead Conrad writes about the Thames and what this or that looks like, what the five men are thinking, and so on. I would prefer it if the five men confronted one another with their thoughts. This made me think, was Conrad anti-social? Could he handle opening up to others. He was a sailor for most of his life and spent all his time living in close quarters so this wouldn't make much sense. If anyone knows the answer I would really appreciate finding out your feelings on it.
So far I give the book a B. It is slow and a little boring but I have a feeling that it will pick up in part two. It has to if it inspired such an unbelievable movie, unless Francis Ford Coppola read the book and figured he could change a lot and set it in Vietnam and its nothing like the movie

Bobby's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

When I first started reading Heart of Darkness, I was a little thrown off. The book starts with an anonymous narrator telling the story. Then we are introduced to Marlow. He begins telling his story, which from the line “that we knew we were fated, before the ebb began, to hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences” showed that the narrator and rest of the crew were not excited to hear. So I thought this is one of those minor characters rambling along about some insignificant past event in their lives. I expected the usually long monologue to finish soon, but to my surprise it didn’t. I finally concluded that Marlow is just going to be narrating for the rest of the book. This is a very unusual writing style and one I am not used to.

Heart of Darkness shows a lot of examples that deal with the ideas of imperialism, “white man’s burden”, and social Darwinism. Marlow is often referring to the natives as savages and other derogatory terms that really dehumanize them. A strong quote I found has when Marlow said “they had faces like grotesque masks-these chaps; but they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, an intense energy of movement, that was as natural and true as the surf along their coast.” This shows his true opinion of the native people, his feelings of racial superiority and a sort of amazement of their physical condition due to their “savage” lifestyle.

Even though we see that the feeling of racial superiority is present, I predict that Marlow is going to undergo a change in attitude. I had noticed that Marlow had changed his perception of the natives three times already. At first he perceived them as enemies. He then changed his view and thought of them as criminals. The third time he begins to feel pity for them when he called them “nothing earthly now- nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom.” Due to that fact that his opinion can change three times in the first eighteen pages and the fact that he is the protagonist of the story, I think that there is hope for him yet.

Sherry's Entry on Part I of Heart of Darkness

In part I of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, I’ve come across such literary techniques that compliment the novel. Some of the literary techniques I found were imagery, diction, selected detail and characterization. Even though the beginning is interesting and draws the reader in with the use of imagery, I felt his diction was a little challenging to understand and follow throughout the story. However, we have to consider the fact that it was written at a different time period and Conrad’s first language was not English.
Upon reading, I kept in mind all of the research I had done to compile a resume of Joseph Conrad to see if I could interpret any connections between him and the characters. Likely, I found some aspects of Joseph Conrad in the character, Marlow. For instance, Marlow told the few men that were on deck with him that he had previous experience sailing on fresh water (page 70). Joseph Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness after settling in the Congo for a few years, even though written in England, due to his poor health and had already been in the French merchant marines and British merchant navy. So I felt that Marlow was now coming to the Congo and wanted to share his experience with the crewmen, like Conrad may have; showing Joseph’s proud stature. Joseph Conrad’s use of imagery comes from his past experiences of the Congo and is incorporated in the surroundings of Marlow’s environment. It’s better to write a novel of a specific place, such as the Congo, after having personal experiences because it enhances the effect the novel has onto the reader and is well supported by facts. One other similarity was that Marlow had spent time in England to rest from the “Indian Ocean, Pacific, China Seas-” adventures and that’s where Joseph also rested after his tiring adventures (page 71, http://www.online-literature.com/conrad). Marlow also had interest in becoming captain of a steamboat, which Conrad had accomplished when reaching the Congo and becoming ill, so he contracted for captain.

I also noted that Marlow was a traveler and seems to be characterized as someone who loved to sail the sea but he was a “wanderer” (page 67). Meaning it wasn’t his life and he didn’t spend most of his time at sea like Conrad had, it was interesting to me to find similarities but differences as well. At first I felt Conrad would have incorporated himself into Marlow, with slight differences such as different stories. However, I feel after reading into Part I more, that maybe the significant differences in Marlow may be things Conrad wished he had done or choices he should have made in life. There was a specific excerpt, “then I began to look for a ship- I should think the hardest work on earth. But the ships wouldn’t even look at me…” which caught my eye (page 71). Did Joseph Conrad feel deprived, or maybe neglected in some sense?
Joseph Conrad incorporated his love and life into Heart of Darkness, almost like an implicit autobiography.

Chloe's Post on Part I of Heart of Darkness

I was excited to start this book after the endless Crime and Punishment however now I wish I could go back. This entire part was difficult for me to get through. It wasn’t confusing or anything just very tedious. I don’t like the fact that it’s primarily a monologue I would prefer more dialogue and interaction between characters with some action taking place. There is some interaction but that too is limited and consists of just very lengthy conversations.

Conrad is very big on using imagery and detail to create his story. This is part of the reason it’s difficult to get through, there are just paragraphs and pages of just the setting and getting the reader ready for what’s to come. I don’t really see where the story is going yet, I don’t understand why Marlow is telling others this story or what is so important about it. I do want to keep reading just to see where this story is headed and what impact it will have on me if it has one.

Due to not being entertained by the book I came up with thoughts that maybe some one can help clarify for me. I want to know what makes a book such as this a classic, what about it makes it exemplary to teach in schools? I am sure it is a great book for some people but so far I would never read this on my own.

One thing that I did like was on page 68. Marlow is talking about all the different people that have lived near Thebes and how much history exists in one place. It really touched me and made me realize my place in the world is insignificant in the scope of things; it’s a very humbling experience. Not only that but it shows how the human race is very fleeting but nature is forever and bigger than all of us. “We live in the flicker,” (pg 68).