Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness "The horror! The horror!

" Empire & Imperialism Commonwealth 19th/early 20th WWII + - vastly disappeared 2 common attitudes: o Kiplings white mans burden o Indictment: Conrads Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad (18571924) B. Teodor Korzeniowski in Poland Family opposed Russian occupation of Poland Teodor took to the sea 1890s turned to literature experiences at sea - Lord Jim, Nostromo, Youth, The Shadow Line, Heart of Darkness Congo Free State 1885-1908 76 times larger than Belgium; personal property of Lopold II (1865-1909) Our only program, I am anxious to repeat, is the work of moral and material regeneration, and we must do this among a population whose degeneration in its inherited conditions it is difficult to measure. The many horrors and atrocities which disgrace humanity give way little by little before our intervention. Congo Free State ruthless company; maximum profit at minimum costs ivory, rubber; rubber more important unrealistic rubber quotas, painful way of collecting rubber Force Publique; white officers, black soldiers 1 bullet = 1 hand Congo Free State, 1885-1908 international intervention o o o Arthur Conan Doyle, Crime of the Congo Mark Twain, King Leopold's Soliloquy Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness

Belgian Congo, 1908-1960 death toll: o estimated 3,000,000 - 15,000,000 dead (M.T.) o (first census at 1924)

The Frame Narrative Unknown narrator setting: Thames, Nellie Marlows story setting: London, Brussels, Congo Why does Conrad use this technique? The Narrator Values: Thames - "venerable stream after ages of good service done to the race that peopled its banks." Glory and pride: assured in his knowledge that "knight-errants" of the sea have brought "sparks from the sacred fire" of civilization to the most remote corners of the earth "knights" may have resorted to the "sword," but also passed the "torch Marlow 32; sailor/adventurer blank places on maps Curious / sceptical detests the lie, yet ends up lying His journey/quest Learns about the heart of darkness in all men Reintegration into society difficult: sees the lie beneath the surface: civilisation as institution to hide desire for power Kurtz the Enigma Accountant: best agent Manager: trying to take his place Marlows initial romantic vision: As to me, I seemed to see Kurtz for the first time. It was a distinct glimpse: the dugout, four paddling savages, and the lone white man turning his back suddenly on the headquarters, on relief, on thoughts of home--perhaps; setting his face towards the depths of the wilderness, towards his empty and desolate station. Kurtz International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs Exterminate all the brutes! [] the heavy, mute spell of the wilderness that seemed to draw him to its pitiless breast by the awakening of forgotten and brutal instincts, by the memory of gratified and monstrous passions. ... his intelligence was perfectly clear ... But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad. The horror! The horror!

The Real Kurtz (?) Company representative: believes all papers belong to them Kurtzs cousin: great musician, universal genius Journalist: charismatic, potential political leader (Harlequin: he enlarged my mind) Intended: knew him best 2

Kurtz the White God Achieves god-like status: "He came to them with thunder and lightning "You can't judge Kurtz as you would an ordinary man. "an animated image of death carved out of old ivory. Kurtz "had kicked himself loose of the earth" Dismisses the very idea of morality Gives in to his desires and lusts Journey into the unknown parts of the soul The horror! The horror! "supreme moment of complete knowledge" ambiguous Women Out of it Aunt: connections Kurtzs Intended v. Kurtzs mistress Civilisation and Restraint Cannibals restraint Pilgrims faithless greed Company maintaining facade Kurtz unsound method no restraint Themes European imperialism in Africa hypocrisy and deception absurdity of colonial rule alienation, isolation and loneliness physical and mental illness darkness and wilderness dream and surreality racism; civilised vs. savage physical and mental journey ambiguity Imperialism Thames - one of the dark places of the earth "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much." (1) "She [the aunt] talked about 'weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways,' till, upon my word, she made me quite uncomfortable. I ventured to hint that the Company was run for profit." Part 1 3

"by the simple exercise of [the colonists'] will [they] can exert a power for good practically unbounded." All of Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz hypocrisy and deception whited sepulchre: Biblical phrase - hypocrite or person who employs a faade of goodness to mask true malignancy. It was as unreal as everything elseas the philanthropic pretense of the whole concern, as their talk, as their government, as their show of work. The only real feeling was a desire to get appointed to a trading-post where ivory was to be had, so that they could earn percentages. Marlows deception to the Intended his last words were your name. absurdity French man-of-war: touch of insanity Blasting rock Machinery, parts scattered everywhere Fetching water in pail with hole in it Chief Accountant Rivets Brickmaker enemies alienation, isolation and loneliness Novella starts and ends in silence Captain Fresleven: the gentlest, quietest creature that ever walked on two legs Marlows journey No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of ones existence,that which makes its truth, its meaningits subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live, as we dreamalone physical and mental illness doctor I remembered the old doctor, It would be interesting for science to watch the mental changes of individuals, on the spot. I felt I was becoming scientifically interesting. Swede The sun too much for him, or the country perhaps. slaves Manager - greed wilderness Roman conquest of Britain Prehistoric / primeval Decaying 4

Impressive Mesmerising Racism (?) niggers, savages, criminals, cannibals, an improved specimen It was unearthly, and the men were - No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it - the suspicion of their not being inhuman. [] what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity - like yours - the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough. darkness sunset, dark clouds two women in Brussels o guarding the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing continuously to the unknown, the other scrutinizing the cheery and foolish faces with unconcerned old eyes. Ave! Old knitter of black wool. Morituri te salutant. Not many of those she looked at ever saw her againnot half, by a long way. jungle Mans potential for brutality Fog - ambiguity Nightmarish scenes Marlows fever and illness critical reception indictment of Belgian colonialism indictment of imperialism in general 1975 Chinua Achebe: bloody racist o dehumanization & depersonalization of Africans o Eurocentrism (meaning of the story) appropriate in the cannon? ambiguity; reevaluating ones own beliefs