How Does Heart Of Darkness Change
Ignorance is bliss
Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, was written around 1890 in a time where imperialism was common practice. The subjugation of other countries and nations was common for countries to do and was accepted as a normal process by the people of the dominant countries. From this society Conrad’s main protagonist emerges, Charles Marlow. Marlow is in essence a normal man from England, but as the story progresses he becomes anything but normal. Throughout the book the reader can see Marlow's "change," as caused by his exposure to the harsh and primal world that is the Congo. This change is minimally on a physical level and mostly on physiological and intellectual levels. Conrad emerges from the jungle a changed man, with new …show more content…
They are the ones who will listen to Marlow’s tale of the Congo, who will hear how he was changed in those dark woods. Thusly the beginning of the book is also in essence the end, it starts off with Marlow in the future recanting how he was changed in the past and made him who he is in the present. Marlow is asked by "the company", the organization for whom he works, to travel to the Congo River and report back to them about Mr. Kurtz, a top notch officer of theirs. When he sets sail, he doesn't know what to …show more content…
There are some names given by the Europeans that simply don't fit the characteristic of the object being named. Marlow points out that the name 'Kurtz' means short in German. However, at Marlow's first glance at Kurtz, he remarks how Kurtz appears to be "seven feet long"(101). Conrad shows us, through Marlow's observation, how Kurtz's name is just a blatant oxy-moron. Marlow recognizes yet another obvious misrepresentation. Marlow meets a man who is called the "bricklayer". However, as Marlow himself points out, "there wasn't a fragment of a brick anywhere in the station"(39). During his voyage, however, Marlow doesn't only observe this misnaming, but realizes the importance of a name. While overhearing a conversation between the manager of the station and his uncle, he hears Mr. Kurtz being referred to as "that man"(53). Although Marlow hasn't met Kurtz yet, he has heard of his greatness. He now realizes that by these men calling him "that man", they strip him of all his attributes. When one hears Kurtz, they think of a " very remarkable person"(39). These men are now, by not referring to him by his name, denying Kurtz's
Conrad's novel, Heart of Darkness, was written around 1890 in a time where imperialism was common practice. The subjugation of other countries and nations was common for countries to do and was accepted as a normal process by the people of the dominant countries. From this society Conrad’s main protagonist emerges, Charles Marlow. Marlow is in essence a normal man from England, but as the story progresses he becomes anything but normal. Throughout the book the reader can see Marlow's "change," as caused by his exposure to the harsh and primal world that is the Congo. This change is minimally on a physical level and mostly on physiological and intellectual levels. Conrad emerges from the jungle a changed man, with new …show more content…
They are the ones who will listen to Marlow’s tale of the Congo, who will hear how he was changed in those dark woods. Thusly the beginning of the book is also in essence the end, it starts off with Marlow in the future recanting how he was changed in the past and made him who he is in the present. Marlow is asked by "the company", the organization for whom he works, to travel to the Congo River and report back to them about Mr. Kurtz, a top notch officer of theirs. When he sets sail, he doesn't know what to …show more content…
There are some names given by the Europeans that simply don't fit the characteristic of the object being named. Marlow points out that the name 'Kurtz' means short in German. However, at Marlow's first glance at Kurtz, he remarks how Kurtz appears to be "seven feet long"(101). Conrad shows us, through Marlow's observation, how Kurtz's name is just a blatant oxy-moron. Marlow recognizes yet another obvious misrepresentation. Marlow meets a man who is called the "bricklayer". However, as Marlow himself points out, "there wasn't a fragment of a brick anywhere in the station"(39). During his voyage, however, Marlow doesn't only observe this misnaming, but realizes the importance of a name. While overhearing a conversation between the manager of the station and his uncle, he hears Mr. Kurtz being referred to as "that man"(53). Although Marlow hasn't met Kurtz yet, he has heard of his greatness. He now realizes that by these men calling him "that man", they strip him of all his attributes. When one hears Kurtz, they think of a " very remarkable person"(39). These men are now, by not referring to him by his name, denying Kurtz's