Heart Of Darkness Gender Roles

It is common to interpret male domination as men forcing their naturally given traits, ultimately physical strength and size, and using this to assert themselves as superior to the female sex. However, the absence of women in the male characters’ lives throughout Heart of Darkness shows not only women’s perceived unnecessary role in males’ daily lives, but also the male attitude of women as completely useless and lacking necessary skills. Through Conrad’s writing, readers get the opportunity to see the male perception of women during the 1800’s, and how men dealt with not only inactive, but also active, women in society. The lack of female presence in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness shows the excessive sense of power men believed they had
Not only do male characters consider themselves significantly more capable in all areas of life, but they also view women’s lifestyle as unproductive and useless. “It’s queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there had never been anything like it, and never can be” (27). This socially accepted idea of women is normalized due to no significant female figure being brought to the surface throughout the novel. Marlow has the perception that all women are naive and impractical. Male characteristics also play a large role in the portrayal of women. The stereotypical male during this time period was thought of as aggressive and fearless. “I remembered his abject pleading, his abject threats, the colossal scale of his vile desires, the meanness, the torment, the tempestuous anguish of his soul” (90). The immense focus on displaying men as physically stronger shows the significant difference between male and females during this
This being said, it does not come as a shock when the initial reaction from the men towards the females is strictly based off of looks. “Two women, one fat and the other slim” (24). The looks aspect of Marlow’s view on women is the only characteristic in which he feels threatened or intimidated by. Marlow’s description of females infers that their beauty or lack of beauty is the only way in which he what he distinguishes and classifies them. The female spouse’s purpose is to fulfill her male partner's desire and fit accustom to their needs. “She was nothing so solid in make, and rather less pretty in shape, but I had expended enough hard work on her to make me love her” (44). Marlow’s need to justify every aspect of this women and pick apart her image represents not just his shallow opinion of her, but of women in