Why did the movie make the Russian trader into a photographer?
Making the trader a photographer instead allowed for the movie to make
commentary on how Americans viewed the war. The photographer was meant to
represent the general populous’s opinions and that he is a photographer shows
that Americans viewed everything through a lens. The photographer sees
everything through his camera. Even when he is not taking pictures, he often looks
through the camera instead of with just his eyes. The number of cameras he has
can be used to show how much the media influenced what the public saw. There
are so many different inputs into what we know that it is often difficult to
distinguish the truth of the situation. The photographer also greets Willard warmly
but the audience quickly realizes how biased the photographer and therefore the
media is as he praises Kurtz’s wisdom seemingly without reason. His representation
of the media shows the necessity of discovering information for oneself and actively
seeking knowledge instead of relying on others.
Why did the Helmsman die without uttering a sound?
For the helmsman to die without uttering a sound merely assumes that he died like
anyone else of his kind would have, yet the way he was taken care of ensuing his
demise is what discerns him from a savage. Marlow threw him overboard, and
though his concerns were heavily dwelling upon his own discomfort with his bloody
shoes, he gave him a softer death than what would have happened to him had he
been left on the shores of the land. Earlier in the passage Marlow explained that the
cannibals projected a large amount of self restraint when they did not eat their
fellow seamen, but rather they ate what was left on the land. Knowing this
information, Marlow chose not to deal the Helmsman this deck of misfortune and
hand him a more respectable way of going out. The fact that he made no noise, I
believe, did little to diminish his confirmation in the world. Though the Heart of
Darkness heavily prioritizes the idea of affirmations in reality, I believe the death of
the helmsman gave Marlow a new perspective in his own pre established reality.
Why does nature refute imperialism?
Nature has the ability to rejuvenate itself, and spring back from detriments forced
upon it. It remains constant, and if disturbed, returns to that pre-set constant. This is
displayed in Marlow’s description of the reaction if nature to the intrusion of Kurtz
upon it. “But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a
terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things
about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he
took counsel with this great solitude—and the whisper had proved irresistibly
fascinating. It echoed loudly within him because he was hollow at the core” (167)
This displays the idea that nature is omniscient. It is objective, and displays a truth
that cannot be altered. As Kurtz was enveloped within nature, he lost the ability to
justify his ideals, and all that he held as true fell away. He realized that the only
constant truth is within nature, and this realization resulted i the destruction of his
former self. This is also evident in Marlow’s description of how Kurtz had changed.
“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. I had—for my sins, I suppose—to go
through the ordeal of looking into it myself. No eloquence could have been so
withering to one's belief in mankind as his final burst of sincerity.” (192) Kurtz’s soul
had been altered by the constant reality set by nature. Those in Europe supported
imperialism, and therefore one reality supported another to create a baseline – that
imperialism was necessary and appropriate. When that support fell away, Kurtz was
left with the reality set by nature, which contradicted his own. As the support fell
away, he could no longer justify his reality, and therefore was toppled. Nature’s
undying truths are universal. They do not change, and they always grow to the
same place. Man can create a reality based on the realities of others, but when
presented with the cold logic of nature, man’s constructions are destroyed.
Why can’t the natives protect their own reality?
The reaction of the natives to imperialism is based in the protection of their reality.
The natives live at peace and with nature. This contrasts with the Europeans who
take advantage of nature at every turn, and fight it to achieve dominance. The
natives wish to protect their reality,
and as the natives are at one by nature, their reality is then set by nature. This is
evident when Marlow considers whether or not they will be attacked by the natives,
“But what made the idea of attack inconceivable to me was the nature of the
noise—of the cries we had heard. They had not the fierce character boding
immediate hostile intention. Unexpected, wild, and violent as they had been, they
had given me an irresistible impression of sorrow.” (121) This expression of sorrow is
caused by the destruction of their reality. As the Europeans enter, and destroy
nature, the reality of the natives is astride along with it. As the natives have their
base of reality threatened, they must fight to protect it. This idea is apparent again
when the natives do attack. “The action was very far from being aggressive—it was
not even defensive, in the usual sense: it was undertaken under the stress of
desperation, and in its essence was purely
protective.” (123) The natives are not out to kill the Europeans simply because they
are savage, the natives must be aggressive, because violence is the only thing the
Europeans seem to respond to. Therefore it is out of desperation that the natives
react, not out of aggression.
Why does Conrad juxtapose light and dark?
The question is a bit vague, but the actual answer creates quite a bit of analysis
Conrad juxtaposes light and dark in order to show the true
interchangeability of them. Light is easily replaced by darkness, and will almost
always be replaced by darkness. Conrad uses this to show that people that perceive
themselves in the light, and judge the dark, and evil, are often in the dark
themselves. Marlow states that “You looked on amazed, and began to suspect
yourself of being deaf--then the night came suddenly, and struck you blind as well.”
Darkness, and seeing darkness, can truly blind one. It is merely the perception of
light and dark that causes them to see things that way. If one perceives something
as dark, then that does not mean that it is in the dark, but rather that person may
be blind to the truth, if such truth even exists. There is no such thing as light and
dark because they are one and the same.
Why does sunshine have no joy to Marlow going up the river?
This is a great question, but the commentary does little to explain it.
While sunshine is typically associated with happiness and joy, it reflects the
lack of those motions to Marlow as he is going up the river because he feels he is
travelling towards a part of the Earth that is still primitive. He believes that
knowledge and civilization are key to people’s success and happiness, so going
back to this area that seemed like the “earliest beginnings of the world, when
vegetation rioted on the earth and big trees were king”(23) was like travelling back
in time. “There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine”(23) because he is travelling
to a place filled with the primitive natives, who he refers to as savages multiple
times throughout the story, and he can visibly see the lack of civilization and the
missing knowledge and advances that he had known in Europe.
1. Why do Kilgore and the other soldiers have a disregard for danger?
Kilgore and his soldiers disregard danger because ignorance gives them a
sense of comfort. If they ignore the problems, which include defeat, injury, and
the possibility of death at any moment, they are able to better execute what
they are told to do – shoot the Vietnamese. Kilgore especially does not want his
soldiers to think about the danger they are putting themselves in because he
does not want them questioning why they are in battle. He, along with every
other Colonel, wants his soldiers to be distracted and therefore gives them
orders such as surfing or watching women dance on stage. Coppola is thus
again ridiculing the absurdity of war and the American mentality that changes in
times of war. The soldiers participating are oblivious and only know to follow
orders. The only reason they would need to question their actions in attacking
the Vietnamese would be if their own lives were at danger because people are
only concerned with themselves. However, if they are constantly kept busy with
absurd activities in times of war like surfing underneath flying bombs and
searching for mangos where there could be poisonous snakes, the soldiers do
not develop a sense of fear or danger, and they can continue killing the
Vietnamese.
Why is it important for Kurtz to be given up as a sacrament at the end of Apocalypse
Now?
It is crucial for Kurtz to be sacrificed because in the midst of all the problems,
someone is to blamed for in order for all the chaos in the world to end. Kurtz’s
mores differ from the commanders who are a part of the Western civilization,
therefore this declares Kurtz as an outcast that would bring forth a downfall for the
belief that the civilization that the existing society already holds in the eyes of the
Western society. The ideals Kurtz spreads is seen as leading the entire civilization
towards a downfall and as something that should be stopped. People often feel
uncomfortable around those who process thoughts in contrast from their own
methods and see those as lepers, which is exactly how the commanders see Kurtz.
Kurtz understands and accepts his destiny because his eventual death would
embody his mores as he is offered as the Martyr of his movement. The purpose for
Kurtz’s death would solely be to universally set the standards in terms with the
Western Civilization. Hence Willard brutally exterminated Kurtz with a machete and
is compared to the sacrificing of a cow, because this is a practice that is often used
for subjects that hold no major value and the commanders thirst for the same
insignificant treatment for they see Kurtz as a pariah that has absolutely no worth.
As any despot can become obsessed with power, Kurtz is given an overwhelming
amount to the point where the natives treat him like a god. Also, just like Greek
myths of where the gods punish and terminate the leaders who act as if they are
gods, Kurtz is no longer deified and is sacrificed the same way a cow is offered as a
sacrament to a god. In the end, Kurtz’s death connotes the end of warfare, illudes
the importance of accepting beliefs and having frank motives that would bring forth
a time like the Pax Romana.
Why do the soldiers become savage when accompanied by women?
I was really impressed with both the uniqueness of the question, and the depth of
the answer. It’s not perfect, but it does show insight.
The soldiers become more savage around women because the women symbolize
home and when they are around them their desperation to go home ignites their
primal instincts to pine after the females referring back to the USO performance.
During the USO performance the soldiers began to chase after the women
performing on a stage behind the gates. As the primal instincts of the men grew
stronger, their behavior struck chaos across the board. The men chased after the
women and a few ended up hanging onto the helicopter even though it was flying
away. However, they eventually fell into the water, ultimately broadcasting their
madness and intrinsic cravings for, women and home. These soldiers know that
they may be destined to be killed at any moments because they are in the midst of
war and so getting even a small portion of their cravings satisfied meant the world
to them. Since all they know is that the time they have in the present may be the
only time left for them, their limitations are cut short and they gave into their
savagery as they strayed away from the social mores that are considered as a norm.
This concept most closely relates to existentialism, which is the approach that
emphasizes the existence of individuals and responsibilities that individuals must
take in response to their actions. Their actions were a result of them simply trying to
carpe diem with the time they had and as a result caused pandemonium, which
resulted in the rarely mentioned women and embodiment of their home to flee
from their reach. The American soldiers needed a way to get away from Essentially,
the men were more savage around women because they just wanted quench their
thirst for the home they yearned for and to get away from their present duties that
was to slaughter those that went against the American beliefs.
Why do the men on the boat paint his face? Why are masks significant and how do
they relate to shadows?
Again, a very unique approach. This person went beyond class notes.
The masks act as a second identity for the men aboard, allowing them to escape
reality and ignore their atrocious activities. Similarly, the shadows act as disguises,
covering up the atrocities the men do. The first time Lance paints his face is after he
takes drugs. He literally covers his face with the mud and creates a camouflage.
Camouflage is meant to hide someone, it disguises them against their background.
Similarly, the camouflage used by Lance allows him to become disguised within his
surroundings. By becoming disguised, he detaches himself from Vietnam. This
detachment allows him to ignore the atrocities going on around him. By utilizing a
mask, he is no longer Lance, but a soldier in Vietnam. This second identity allows
him to escape reality, or Lance world, and enter into a completely different sphere
where his actions are justified due to the war. Similarly, prior to killing Kurtz, Willard
paints his face in camouflage. Initially, Willard is confused about whether he should
kill Kurtz or whether he should let him live. However, he decides to kill him. The
camouflage in this scene insists that Willard is not comfortable with his decisions.
He feels that he must hide behind a mask in order to go through with the killing. By
putting on the mask, he becomes a different person. Therefore, in his justification,
he is not killing Kurtz but the person behind the mask is. In addition the mask cover
Willard’s eyes and so he does not have to bare witness to his own actions, reality. In
both situations, the masks function to give the individual a different persona so they
can go through with the atrocities of war. Accompanying the masks, is the idea of
shadows. During the killing of Kurtz, the scene is light from the behind. This effect
creates a shadow on the characters and their actions and allows audiences only
sees the silhouettes of Kurtz and Willard. The actions take place in the darkness or
the shadows, hiding what is truly going on. The only image that people receive are
the movements but they can not see the details. Therefore, the shadows in this
scene act as a disguise for the slaughtering of Kurtz. The shadows used by Coppola
act as a mask not for the individual but for the individuals actions. The relationship
between the masks and shadows work together to disguise the atrocities of the
Vietnam war/reality. The masks disguise the individuals. They allow the individuals
to detach from reality and become different personas, personas that do not have to
bear witness to the crimes they commit. The shadows act as disguises for the
actions. They provide darkness where no one will see the horrible things which
occur.
Why is the only image of women in a sexual manner and why are the costumes that
the women are wearing, telling of the savage nation the Americans have built in
Vietnam?
The women and are pure entertainment to prevent the thought of death and the
heaviness of war to creep back into the mens mind. However, the representation of
women is significant in developing the role of the Americans as the Cowboys and
the Vietnamese as the Indians, and illustrating that the American inference in
Vietnam has caused destruction. The only instance with women is the USO
performance organized by the Americans. The performance reveals the rising
sexual urges of the Americans as the whoop and holler at the girls. When watching
the women, the men can not hear the attacks or bombs being dropped outside.
During this time, the men are not in Vietnam, they are in America. This truly
American show, takes the soldiers back to their American lifestyle and allows them
to forget about their current situation in Vietnam. Therefore, the show acts as
distraction for the men. The few minutes that it goes on the men forget the
murders and the horrors of war and all they care about are the women. However,
the role of the women extends further than distractions for the war-torn men. The
women's costumes, that of cowboys and indians, is representative of the current
situation in Vietnam. Cowboys are generally equated to the West in America. The
Cowboys went into the west and removed the Indians against their will. Unable to
fight, the Indians were forced to leave. This area of America was identified as a
primitive land and due to that it was also lawless. This depiction is a parallel to the
situation in Vietnam. The Cowboys are representative of the Americans. The Indians
are representative of the Vietnamese.The West is a symbol for Vietnam. Prior to the
American interference, everything was fine. The Indians (Vietnamese) were living
their lives normally. However, the Americans came, made the place a lawless land,
as illustrated by the continuous slaughtering of innocent lives, and now have begun
relocating the Vietnamese. All Vietnam is, is a modern wild wild West and this is
due to the interference of the the Americans in the daily lives of the Vietnamese.
Therefore the show put on by the Americans, feature women in scandalous
costumes not only distract the men from the war, but also to parallel the situation
going on in Vietnam
Why is Willard completely in the dark shadows after he emerges from slaughtering
Kurtz?
Willard blends in with the dark shadows after he emerges from slaughtering
Kurtz because through his murder of Kurtz, he has gained Kurtz’s heart of darkness.
Before Willard killed Kurtz, his face was covered in half light and half dark, indicating
that he was bouncing between the polar ends of civilized and savage. He did not
yet discover his heart of darkness. However, Willard’s slaughter of Kurtz marks his
transition from being a civilized man trapped in a savage environment into one who
gives into his innate heart of darkness. Comparatively, when Kurtz was alive, his face
was completely covered in darkness during his first encounter with the half light
and half dark Willard. Furthermore, Kurtz dies in the dark with his last words, “The
horror! The horror!” These faceless feature of Kurtz blended into the dark indicates
that Kurtz embodies the heart of darkness, which exists in every man. This heart of
darkness, when in civilization, is hidden; but when removed from civilized society, is
visible and dominates over the light. By spilling Kurtz’s blood on his hands, Willard
is becoming one with Kurtz. He is bringing out his innate heart of darkness that was
merely hidden in his past life in civilization and discovered in the midst of
wilderness. After his discovery of his heart of darkness, Willard becomes the new
Kurtz. The natives bow down and worship him, acknowledging him as their new
god. Therefore, Willard’s finding of his heart of darkness leads him to find home in
the dark shadows.
Why does the music become more and more disorderly and alien as Willard
approaches Kurtz, while more orderly music is used when Americans are in the
scene?
Very impressed with many aspects of this question and answer. This person clearly
thought long and hard making connections.
This difference in music represents the conflicting values of the Americans and of
Kurtz. For the Americans, the music is more relatable to the audience: classical
music while the Americans attack the Vietnamese village from helicopters, or rock
music at the USO. This music represents American values, things that are familiar to
us that we’ve heard before; essentially western music and culture. However, as
Willard and his crew are on the river heading to Kurtz, the music transitions to
something more alien, something unfamiliar that most people would not hear on a
daily basis. These different styles of music are completely different in terms of what
they mean, and when the music transitions from one mode to another, it is always a
jarring experience because they sound so different. The alien music might not
resonate with the audience because we are a western audience used to the other
mode of music played, but that is the same thing with what the commanding
officers thought of Kurtz’s values. Kurtz’s values are like the alien music we hear,
something unfamiliar that we wouldn’t listen to for pleasure at all. As the crew
approaches Kurtz, the music changes accordingly to correspond with the shift of
values from Western to Kurtz-like savagery.