In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the main character, Marlow travels through the Congo, witnessing scenes of torture, cruelty and near-slavery. The incidental scenery of the book offers a harsh picture of colonial enterprise. The book is regarded as an attack on imperialism and criticizes the immoral treatments of the European colonizers in Africa in the 19th century. However, the dehumanization of the Africans, and use of Africa as a backdrop setting for Marlow’s thought process, rather than an important focus has to do with hypocrisy inherent in the rhetoric used to justify imperialism.…
In Heart of Darkness, during their trip to the inner station, the crew experiences a thick fog which impedes them from advancing any further toward their destination. An important difference in the book is that both the general manager and Marlow come to a mutual consensus that the fog makes it too dangerous to go forward. This agreement between Marlow and the chief accountant symbolizes the fear that both men feel about the perils that the fog may conceal. This is supported by the author who highlights the dialogue between these two men with very different mindsets. Meanwhile in the movie, only the helmsman believes that crew should wait until the fog lifts in order to advance. Furthermore Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) forces the helmsman to move onward stating, “You’re not authorized to stop this boat chief” (Francis Ford Coppola). This dialogue exposes how Willard is focused only…
Apocalypse Now’s accuracy in following the essential storyline of Heart of Darkness is more impressive despite the different contexts. The exploration of good versus evil and what prompts evil is perfectly portrayed. At the same time, the film also transmits the book’s message about the brutality and condemnation of imperialism. Therefore, Both works expose the evils of imperialism and of men bringing them into life.…
Marlow faces many problems throughout his expedition but is able to remain placid in the midst of chaos and overcome the evils he is faced with. Additionally throughout this prevalence Marlow is able to develop opinions about his landscape and self through self-reflection. As the steamer they are aboard is attacked by natives and his own helmsman is slaughtered at his feet, Marlow is able to collect himself and succeeds in scaring them away. As Marlow tranquilly pours the blood that has seeped into his shoes out, he reflects on his aspirations for coming to Africa and all the danger he is faced with. He realizes his responsibility to the men on board the steamer and to himself to see through the voyage he has commenced. Meeting Kurtz is another occurrence which renders Marlow into a ponderous state. Throughout the entire novel Marlow hears many things about Kurtz. Some praise him as a great man, such as the Harlequin and the Accountant do, and others envy and distrust him, such as the Manager of Kurtz’s station and the two men walking that Marlow eavesdrops on. With each word spoken about Kurtz, Marlow becomes increasingly anxious to meet him.…
After setting foot on the land and beginning his journey to the Inner Station, Marlow observes a group of slaves, from which a particular one stands out in his decimated clothing and deprived appearance. Marlow, in vain, offers the slave a biscuit immediately before they die of hunger right before his eyes (28). This simple encounter echoes the irrefutable damages caused by imperialism and the idea that no matter what anyone does to try and reverse the effects, including Europeans themselves, the damage that has been done has been set in stone for centuries to come. As noted in Edward Said’s essay critiquing Heart of Darkness, “Conrad… could clearly see… imperialism was pure dominance, [but] he could not conclude that imperialism had to end so that natives could lead lives free of European domination” (Said par. 18). This quote unequivocally supports the notion that Europe became a necessary crutch for Africa, and provides evidence for the transformation of darkness to convey the idea of the long-lasting effects of…
The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is regarded as one of the most superlative novels of English literature written in the twentieth century. However, the ideas and notions presented by Conrad in this story has generated quite a bit of controversy among academic scholars and literature experts who believe the novel creates a sense of racial animosity towards the African continent and its people. With further analyzation it can be inferred that this novel does indeed show signs of racial enmity and presents a rather deplorable situation in which one must evaluate if Conrad himself is a racist. Some would argue that his novel was…
In the book Heart of Darkness there are several aspects to imperialism. As Marlow travels from the Outer Station to the Central Station and finally up the river to the Inner Station, he encounters scenes of torture, cruelty, and near-slavery. At the very least, the incidental scenery of the book offers a harsh picture of colonial enterprise. The impetus behind Marlow's adventures, too, has to do with the hypocrisy inherent in the rhetoric used to justify imperialism. The men who work for the Company describe what they do as "trade," and their treatment of native Africans is part of a benevolent project of "civilization." Kurtz, on the other hand, is open about the fact that he does not trade but rather takes ivory by force, and he describes his own treatment of the natives with the words "suppression" and "extermination": he does not hide the fact that he rules through violence and intimidation. His perverse honesty leads to his downfall, as his success threatens to expose the evil practices behind European activity in Africa. However, for Marlow as much as for Kurtz or for the Company, Africans in this book are mostly objects: Marlow refers to his helmsman as a piece of machinery, and Kurtz's African mistress is at best a piece of statuary. It can be argued that Heart of Darkness participates in an oppression of nonwhites that is much more sinister and much harder to remedy than the open abuses of Kurtz or the Company's men."Everything belonged…
crash, and pirates take control of the helpless sailor ships. This is the scene that most think of…
The 1987 film Apocalypse Now, written by John Milius and written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, took direct inspiration from Joseph Conrad’s 1899 impressionistic novel, Heart of Darkness. Coppola illuminates numerous parallels between Captain Willard and Conrad’s Charles Marlow in their respective journeys upriver to meet with Kurtz, especially when Willard’s and Marlow’s crews are attacked by natives. The dissipative death of the helmsman in search of Kurtz reflects the corruption and futility of imperialism as both Captain Willard and Charles Marlow witness the distorted views of imperialism’s ramifications. Through the use of cinematic tools, Coppola is able to capture the same level of depth to his implicit meanings as seen in Heart…
In Neil Bissoondath’s “I’m Not Racist But…” the narrator intends to bring awareness to his readers on the connection between stereotyping and racism and condemns such acts against one another, while in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness, the protagonist informs his audience on the consequences of African colonization. Bissoondath’s work is oriented to educate the reader in the different types of racial acts leading to hatred, abuse or enforcement of power toward any given group of people. He condemns their use whether ignorantly or intentionally. Conrad’s work however, informs the reader of how the goals of the European settlers in Africa, such as ….., led them to exploit the Africans and their raw materials for the purpose of earning profits.…
Francis Ford Coppola is an innovative, successful, and ingenious filmmaker. These qualities are well-represented in the film Apocalypse Now. The basic story of Apocalypse Now is about a Vietnam soldier who is sent on a classified mission to kill Colonel Walter E. Kurtz, a man who has made himself a personal Jesus in his surroundings. Widely known, but hardly accepted, the movie was indeed, based off of a book. That book was called Heart of Darkness.…
The main theme of the novel Heart of Darkness is the darkness of the human nature and its destructive influence on human beings. This research paper aims to analyze the character and personal downfall of Kurtz and use him as an example for the darkness of the human nature. It will show how easily a man can experience bad fate; Kurtz was an ambitious man full of hope who came to Africa in search for wealth and fortune and ended up going insane and dying.…
Francis Ford Coppola stated when creating his masterpiece “Apocalypse Now” that he wanted to capture “the horror, insanity and moral dilemma” of Vietnam War. The terror, the madness and the sense of confusion reaches its peak once the PBR Street Gang arrives at the Do Lung Bridge. Do Lung Bridge is one of the most significant setting in the film as it is the last trading post before Cambodia, before Kurtz- the point of no return for the soldiers. It is at this point the picture becomes more surreal and abstract. Willard and Lances go ashore to heavy gun fire and insanity, only to realize that no one is even in charge of the battle. This visual and verbal techniques such as low key lighting, wide shot, sound tracks and dialogue are among the most striking, unique and effectively use that I have ever seen.…
In “Heart of Darkness” Conrad introduces his protagonist Marlow, his journey through the African Congo and the “enlightenment” of his soul. With the skilled use of symbols and Marlow’s experience he depicts the European colonialism in Africa, practice Conrad witnessed himself. Through Marlow’s observations he explicates the naiveness of the Europeans and the hypocritical purpose of their travelling into the “dark” continent.…
The title of Zhang Yi Mou's latest film Hero purposely emphasizes the singularity of its title. Yet perhaps it can be said that if the movie is indeed centered solely on just ONE concept, notion and example of the divine Hero that could be deduced, then its scope may be a bit too narrow-minded. One can say that the movie depicts various heroic virtues, but exactly whom one views as the hero will be dependant on one's values and perspective. If there is something that should be discerned from the whole movie, it is that the concept of 'heroism' is not something that is without its flaws. However, can it be said that Zhang's feelings towards the various characters are equally neutral? If the world does need a definition of Hero, who would be the one that fits this title most aptly?…