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Here on my blog. This blog related to the thinking activity: "Heart of Darkness."
☆About " Heart of Darkness " :
Heart of Darkness, novella by Joseph Conrad
Click here that was first published in 1899 in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine and then in Conrad’s Youth: and Two Other Stories (1902).Heart of Darkness examines the horrors of Western colonialism, depicting it as a phenomenon that tarnishes not only the lands and peoples it exploits but also those in the West who advance it. Although garnering an initially lacklustre reception, Conrad’s semi autobiographical tale has gone on to become one of the most widely analyzed works of English literature. Critics have not always treated Heart of Darkness favourably, rebuking its dehumanizing representation of colonized peoples and its
A novella, Heart of Darkness is Joseph Conrad's most famous work and a foundational text on the subject of colonialism. Heart of Darkness is based in part on a trip that Conrad took through modern-day Congo during his years as a sailor. He captained a ship that sailed down the Congo River. Conrad gave up this mission because an illness forced him to return to England, where he worked on his novella almost a decade later.The presence of ill characters in the novella illustrates the fact that Heart of Darkness is, at least in part, autobiographical. Many speculations have been made about the identity of various characters, such as the Manager, or Kurtz.
The story portrays darkness as emanating from the depths of the jungle; it fills men with evil and allows them to act upon it. The main example of this darkness is within the station manager Kurtz, who performs such debauchery in the jungles that he eventually becomes ill and dies.The events depicted in Heart of Darkness truly could have occurred anywhere, but Conrad chose the Congo for the feeling and impact of the climate, the individuals involved, and the very way of life there. The title itself reflects the “heart of darkness” within men, who can sometimes use others for their own benefit and profit, casting away human life as if it had no value. The title may also refer to the Congo itself, due to the darkness and uncharted territory and mysteries that lurked within at that time. Conrad creates a build-up of tension and mysteriousness to the plot, which causes one to wonder what may happen next, and even though nothing overly climactic occurs, each individual event adds to the foreboding of the story. Deaths and other “dark” happenings are spoken of, and Conrad’s technique in describing these events conveys the darkness and hopelessness of the entire situation.
Heart of Darkness attacks colonialism as a deeply flawed enterprise run by corrupt and hollow white men who perpetrate mass destruction on the native population of Africa, and the novel seems to equate darkness with truth and whiteness with hollow trickery and lies. So Heart of Darkness argues that the Africans are less corrupt and in that sense superior to white people, but it's argument for the superiority of Africans is based on a foundation of racism. Marlow, and Heart of Darkness, take the rather patronizing view that the black natives are primitive and therefore innocent while the white colonizers are sophisticated and therefore corrupt. This take on colonization is certainly not "politically correct," and can be legitimately called racist because it treats the natives like objects rather than as thinking people.
☆some idea on heart of Darkness :
Conrad also wrote:
"Six black men advanced in a file, toiling up the path. They walked erect and slow, balancing small baskets full of earth on their heads, and the clink kept time with their footsteps. Black rags were wound round their loins, and the short ends behind waggled to and fro like tails. I could see every rib, the joints of their lambs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose nights Swung between them, rhythmically clinking. ... they were called criminals, and the outraged law, like the bursting shells, had come to them, an insoluble mystery from the sea."
Colonialism was more visible at the end of Chapter 1. When the devoted band told that they grabbed all the treasure of the native.This devoted band called itself the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, and I believe they were sworn to secrecy.
Racism
Conrad emphasized about the physical state of black people who are rowing the boat. Where he has a bone, muscle, wild and strong energy of vitality.Conrad also seems to equate those natives with Satan.But as I stood on this hillside, I foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land I would become acquainted with flabby, pretending, weak-eyed devil rapacious and pitiless folly.Based on the post-colonial analysis above, can be concluded that
the post-colonial theory could be divided into many parts, such as imperialism, subaltern, colonialism and racism.The first one is imperialism. As an imperialist here are white men. The real example is Mr. Kurtz. He came to Africa for trading. But, in In fact, he didn‘t just trade. But the actual core is for expanding the commercial area.Not only that, white men also engage to dredge the advantages from the inland. By tempting many goods that they brought, such beads, cotton, and the materials from metal, they begged the reward to shape the ivory from that inland. However, what they gave didn‘t as much as what they begged for.The second is subaltern. Subaltern here implied as a colonized. In this novel, the subaltern are niggers, they are the blacks. They said they were colonized, because indirectly their area was grabbed by the white man. Moreover they pressed to work without gratification fee.The third is colonialism. As an the fact above, the niggers was pressed to work without gratification fee. Moreover that seemed more cruel is the niggers was permitted to starved. Then, when they were attacked by the tropic epidemic, there was no effort to recover them. Even, they were permitted to die.And the fourth is racism. Racism here stressed to looking down to the other race. Here, that race is the niggers. They assumed as a fool man and immorality. Even their attitude assumed like the animals.From the discussion above, it appears that Conrad actually wants to raise that event as a description of post colonialism in action at the time. However, in the novel, Conrad sees more black people in terms of viewing white people, not in terms of the view as a black person. So Conrad discriminates look like white people.The writer thinks, as a writer, Conrad could be wiser not to look too discriminate against one party only. So the novel he wrote could be acceptable without causing controversy.
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