In what ways does power effect individuals and society?
To what extent can we truly know different cultures and individuals?
What is the value of personal experience and first -hand accounts?
 Joseph Conrad
 1857-1924
 Born to Polish aristocracy
 Family was politically
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ostracized due to his
father’s support of the
Polish lower classes and
renouncement of Russian
occupation
Parents died young
Conrad longed to see
Africa
Travelled abroad as a
mariner for 15 years
Retired to London where
he focused on his writing
 While working as a
mariner on the Congo
River, Conrad kept a
diary (“Congo Diary”)
 This became the basis for
Heart of Darkness (1902)
 Height of the “Scramble
for Africa” (1800-1900)
when European
superpowers were racing
to colonize the continent
 Frame story from the
perspective of Charlie
Marlow.
 The story opens from the
perspective of an unnamed
listener sailing with the older
Marlow as part of a crew on
the Thames river in London.
 Marlow takes over telling his
story of sailing down the
Congo River in Africa to find
the mysterious Mr. Kurtz.
THEMATIC IDEAS
MOTIFS
 The corrupting influences
 Lightness and darkness
 Observation and
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of power
Man’s inhumanity to man
Racial inequality
Gender inequality
Nature as adversary
Hypocrisy of imperialism
The cruelty and futility of
greed
Quest for self-knowledge
Absurdity of evil
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eavesdropping
Interiors and exteriors
Wildness of nature
Rivers
Christian allusions
 Frame story
 Literary Impressionism
 Three chapters
 Similar to artistic impressionism (Van
 Irony
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Verbal
Situational
Dramatic
Make sure you know the difference
between the three!!!
 Highly symbolic and metaphorical
 Kurtz himself is a metaphor
 Philosophical intentions
 Morality
 Politics—PoCo!!!
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 Imagery and description
 Hearts
 Hell
 Can be distracting, but this is on
purpose…
 A component of LITERARY
IMPRESSIONISM…
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Gogh, Renoir…)
Intentionally ambiguous style—
reader must form conclusions rather
than being told by the narrator
Action is described through the eyes
of the characters in the moment so
details often feel unclear (think of a
slow motion accident)
Concerned with the setting’s
emotional landscape
Emphasis on small, personal details
make it difficult to see a clear picture
of events (think of the necessity of
standing back from an
impressionistic painting in order to
grasp the big picture)
Avoids chronological order and
instead gives information in a way
that forces the reader to focus on how
and why things happen.
 “I saw a face amongst the
leaves on the level with my
own, looking at me very fierce
and steady; then suddenly, as
though a veil had been
removed from my eyes, I
made out, deep in the tangled
gloom, naked breasts, arms,
legs, glaring eyes – the bush
was swarming with human
limbs in movement,
glistening, of bronze colour.
The twigs shook, swayed, and
rustled, the arrows flew out of
them, and then the shutter
came to.”
 One of the most popularly
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referenced texts
Must be read symbolically with a
focus on its philosophical issues
Question perception and
reality—reliability of the
narrator!
Physical and emotional/spiritual
journey
Connection to Season of
Migration to the North
You will ultimately be expected
to write Paper Two on this text,
so complete a THOROUGH,
THOUGHTFUL, and GENUINE
study of the text—NO
CHEATING!!!