Heart of Darkness

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Heart of Darkness

• Symbols
• IdentityKurtz Marlow
• The contrastLight Darkness
• Themes
• Presentation by Lillian, Viola,
• Kate, Mei

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Symbols in Heart of Darkness

• l     Snake is a symbol of evil. Marlow mentions
  that the river was there-fascinating-deadly-like
  a snake. This reference creates a dark image.
  (p.1963)
• l     Fog is associated with darkness. Fog not
  only obscures but distorts it gives one just
  enough information to begin making decisions but
  no way to judge the accuracy of that information,
  which often ends up being wrong. (p. 1989)

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• l    The colors of a rainbow marked on the map
  represent European imperialism in Africa.
  (p.1963)
• Yellow is associated with corruption,
  decay, and most importantly ivory. (p.1963)

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• l  Ivory- represents economic freedom, social
  advancement, and an escape from a life of being
  an employee. The word has lost all connection to
  any physical reality and has itself become an
  object of worship. (p. 1973)
• l  The Whited Sepulcher is Brussels, where the
  Companys headquarters are located. A sepulcher
  means tomb and implies death and confinement. The
  phrase whited sepulcher comes from the
  biblical Book of Matthew. In the passage, Matthew
  describes white sepulchers as something
  beautiful on the outside but containing horrors
  within (the bodies of the dead). (p. 1963, 1975,
  2011)
•  

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• The River Congo-
• 1. The river separates Marlow from the African
  interior, while on the river, he is exterior to .
  
• 2.  It also seems to want to expel Europeans from
  Africa so its current makes travel upriver slow
  and difficult. Besides, going up the river is
  like traveling back to the earliest beginning of
  the world. On the contrast, the flow of water
  makes travel downriver rapid and going down the
  river means to return to civilization.

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• The river also symbolizes rebirth. Marlows
  voyage is like a journey of discovery, both
  externally in the jungle, and internally in
  Marlow's own mind. The deeper he penetrates into
  the heart of the jungle, the deeper he delves
  within himself. Through this journey, Marlow
  realizes something from Mr. Kurtz. He returns to
  civilization with his new knowledge.
• The River Thames is suggested as a peaceful,
  tranquil river. (p.2011) 

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• The wilderness
• It appears solid, immovable, and ominously
  threatening. (p.1979)
• The nativesvoice seems to be coming from the
  wilderness itself. (p.1987)
• The full significant of the wilderness can be
  seen only through Kurtz, because it is he who
  surrenders to the power of wilderness. Through
  the influence of the wilderness, basic human
  nature is revealed in him. ( p. 2007)
• The two black hens represent the savage and
  uncivilized natives. (p. 1962)
• Jupiter symbolizes externally imposed authority.
  (p. 2003)

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A Study of Identity from Kurtz Marlow

• Kurtz
• -- loss of self
• ex. Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the
• gratification of his various lust.
  (2001).
• ex. no restraint, no faith, and no fear.
  (2008).
• -- a cheat for a cheat (by nature)
• ex. the wilderness had found him out early, and
  had
• taken on him a terrible vengeance for the
  fantastic
• invasion (2001).
• ex. The horror! The horror! (2010).

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• Marlow
• -- an exploration of the hidden self
• -- disillusionment
• ex. I went no more near the remarkable man who
  
• had pronounced a judgment upon the
  adventures
• of his soul on this earth (2010).
• -- a study of initiation
• ex. I seem to have lived through (2011).
• ex. It was a moment of triumph for the
  wilderness,
• an invading and vengeful rush which, it
  seemed
• to me, I would have to keep back alone
  for the
• salvation of another soul (2013).

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The Contrast between Light and Darkness 

• I.  The beginning
• (1)   Light knowledge, cognizance, civility and
  civilization
• Example p.1975, p.1959
• (2)   Darkness mystery, savagery and
• uncivilized
• Example p.1968. P.1969

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• II.  Into the heart of the African jungle
• --Marlow begins to understand savagery as a
  primitive form of civilization. Therefore, a
  reflection on his own reality, the light-dark
  metaphor shifts.
• (1)   The light offers Marlow the realization
• Example p.1968
• (2)   The darkness is gloomy and filled with a
  mournful stillness instead of the wanton savagery.

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• Example p.1968, p.1969
• --The partiality and dimness of the light
  reflects Marlows half-awareness.
• (3)   A pun of Marlows understanding of light
• Example p.1969
• III. Marlows conclusion
• (1)   Kurtzs actions reflect human nature.
  P.1999. P.2001
• (2)   All civilizations are shrouded in darkness.
  P.1982. 2017

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Themes in Heart of Darkness

• The Hypocrisy of Imperialism
• Civilization vs. Savagery

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The Hypocrisy of Imperialism

• Marlows journey of torture, cruelty, and
  near-slavery.
• Justifying imperialism with the rhetoric
  trade, civilization.
• suppression extermination expose the evil
  practices behind European activity in Africa
• An oppression of nonwhite is more sinister.

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Civilization vs. Savagery

• The story implies that civilizations are created
  by the setting of laws and codes that encourage
  men to achieve higher standers. Civilization,
  however, must be learned. Like London itself, a
  symbol of enlightenment in the story, was once
  one of the darker places of the earth before the
  Romans forced civilization upon the darker
  tendencies.

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• Civilization acts as a buffer.-- to prevent men
  from reverting back to their darker tendencies
• The tendency to revert to savagery is seen in
  Kurtz.-- throwing off his restraints
• Two opposite examples of human conditionMarlow
  Kurtz
• Civilization is superficial.-- The level of
  civilization is related to the physical and moral
  environment
• Every man has a heart of darkness covered by the
  light of civilization.