Heart of Heart of DarknessDarkness

An Brief Look at Conrad’s An Brief Look at Conrad’s Life and Works, Themes and Life and Works, Themes and Motifs in Motifs in Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness, ,

and and Apocalypse NowApocalypse Now

Joseph Conrad’s LifeJoseph Conrad’s Life

His father and His father and mother, Apollo and mother, Apollo and Ewa, were political Ewa, were political activists. activists.

Joseph Conrad’s LifeJoseph Conrad’s Life Apollo tried to educate his son Apollo tried to educate his son

himself, he introduced him to himself, he introduced him to the work of Dickens, Fenimore the work of Dickens, Fenimore Cooper.Cooper.

In 1874, Conrad went to In 1874, Conrad went to Marseilles France and joined the Marseilles France and joined the Merchant NavyMerchant Navy

Gun running for the Spanish and Gun running for the Spanish and a love affair led to a suicide a love affair led to a suicide attempt.attempt.

Joseph Conrad’s LifeJoseph Conrad’s Life Conrad eventually Conrad eventually

became a British became a British merchant sailor and merchant sailor and eventually a master eventually a master mariner and citizen mariner and citizen in 1886.in 1886.

Writing took a Writing took a physical and physical and emotional toll on emotional toll on Conrad. The Conrad. The experience was experience was drainingdraining

Some of Joseph Conrad’s Some of Joseph Conrad’s Works:Works:

Lord JimLord Jim (1900) (1900) Heart of Heart of

Darkness Darkness (1902)(1902) Under Western Under Western

EyesEyes (1910) (1910)

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness BackgroundBackground

With the help of a relative in With the help of a relative in Brussels he got the position as Brussels he got the position as captain of a steamer for a Belgian captain of a steamer for a Belgian trading company.trading company.

Conrad had always dreamed of Conrad had always dreamed of sailing the Congosailing the Congo

Had to leave early for the job, the Had to leave early for the job, the previous captain was killed in a previous captain was killed in a trivial quarreltrivial quarrel

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness BackgroundBackground While traveling from Boma (at the mouth) to While traveling from Boma (at the mouth) to

the company station at Matadi he met Roger the company station at Matadi he met Roger Casement who told Conrad stories of the Casement who told Conrad stories of the harsh treatment of Africansharsh treatment of Africans

Conrad saw some of the most shocking and Conrad saw some of the most shocking and depraved examples of human corruption he’d depraved examples of human corruption he’d ever witnessed. He was disgusted by the ill ever witnessed. He was disgusted by the ill treatment of the natives, the scrabble for treatment of the natives, the scrabble for loot, the terrible heat and the lack of water. loot, the terrible heat and the lack of water.

He saw human skeletons of bodies left to rot He saw human skeletons of bodies left to rot - many were bodies of men from the chain - many were bodies of men from the chain gangs building the railroads. gangs building the railroads.

Dysentary was rampant as was malaria; Dysentary was rampant as was malaria; Conrad had to terminate his contract due to Conrad had to terminate his contract due to illness and never fully recoveredillness and never fully recovered

THE CONGOTHE CONGO

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness Narrative StructureNarrative Structure

Framed NarrativeFramed Narrative Narrator beginsNarrator begins Marlow takes overMarlow takes over Narrator breaks in occasionallyNarrator breaks in occasionally

Marlow is Conrad’s alter-ego,Marlow is Conrad’s alter-ego, he he shows up in some of Conrad’s shows up in some of Conrad’s other works including “Youth: A other works including “Youth: A Narrative” and Narrative” and Lord JimLord Jim

Varied InterpretationsVaried Interpretations Many different interpretations have been Many different interpretations have been

put on this book:put on this book: Some see it as an attack on colonialism Some see it as an attack on colonialism

and a criticism of racial exploitation and a criticism of racial exploitation Some see Kurtz as the embodiment of all Some see Kurtz as the embodiment of all

the evil and horror of the capitalist society. the evil and horror of the capitalist society. Others view it as a portrayal of one man’s Others view it as a portrayal of one man’s

journey into the primitive unconscious journey into the primitive unconscious where the only means of escaping the where the only means of escaping the blandness of everyday life is by self blandness of everyday life is by self degradation. degradation.

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness Themes Themes & Motifs& Motifs

DarknessDarkness Primitive Impulses (Kurtz, previous captain, Primitive Impulses (Kurtz, previous captain,

etc.)etc.) Cruelty of Man (Kurtz and Company)Cruelty of Man (Kurtz and Company)

Lies/HypocrisyLies/Hypocrisy (Marlow chooses Kurtz evil (Marlow chooses Kurtz evil versus Company’s hypocritical evil)versus Company’s hypocritical evil)

Imperialization/ColonizationImperialization/Colonization (Belgian (Belgian Company)Company) GreedGreed Exploitation of PeopleExploitation of People

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness Themes Themes & Motifs& Motifs

Role of WomenRole of Women Civilization exploitive of Civilization exploitive of

womenwomen

Physical connected to Physical connected to PsychologicalPsychological

BarriersBarriers (fog, thick forest, (fog, thick forest, etc.)etc.)

RiversRivers (connection to past, (connection to past, parallels time and journey)parallels time and journey)

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism Marlowe, the narrator, describes how difficult Marlowe, the narrator, describes how difficult

conveying a story is: "Do you see the story? Do conveying a story is: "Do you see the story? Do you see anything? It seems to me I am trying you see anything? It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream--making a vain attempt, to tell you a dream--making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the because no relation of a dream can convey the dream-sensation, that commingling of dream-sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible, which is the being captured by the incredible, which is the very essence of dream . . .No, it is impossible; very essence of dream . . .No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one's existence--that which any given epoch of one's existence--that which makes its truth, its meaning-- its subtle and makes its truth, its meaning-- its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. penetrating essence. It is impossible. We We live, as we dream--alone . . ." live, as we dream--alone . . ."

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism

Marxist: You can see Marxist: You can see Heart of Heart of DarknessDarkness as a depiction of, and an as a depiction of, and an attack upon, colonialism in general, attack upon, colonialism in general, and, more specifically, the and, more specifically, the particularly brutal form colonialism particularly brutal form colonialism took in the Belgian Congo. took in the Belgian Congo. the mistreatment of the Africans the mistreatment of the Africans the greed of the so-called "pilgrims" the greed of the so-called "pilgrims" the importance of ivory to the the importance of ivory to the

economics of the system. economics of the system.

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism Sociological/CulturalSociological/Cultural:: Conrad was Conrad was

also apparently interested in a more also apparently interested in a more general sociological investigation of general sociological investigation of those who conquer and those who those who conquer and those who are conquered, and the complicated are conquered, and the complicated interplay between them. interplay between them. Marlow's invocation of the Roman Marlow's invocation of the Roman

conquest of Britain conquest of Britain the ways in which the wilderness the ways in which the wilderness

tends to strip away the civility of the tends to strip away the civility of the Europeans and brutalize them Europeans and brutalize them

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism

Psychological/Psychoanalytical:Psychological/Psychoanalytical: Conrad goes out of his way to suggest that Conrad goes out of his way to suggest that in some sense Marlow's journey is like a in some sense Marlow's journey is like a dream or a return to our primitive past--an dream or a return to our primitive past--an exploration of the dark recesses of the exploration of the dark recesses of the human mind. human mind. we are all primitive brutes and savages, we are all primitive brutes and savages,

capable of the most appalling wishes capable of the most appalling wishes and the most horrifying impulses (the Id)and the most horrifying impulses (the Id)

we can make sense of the urge Marlow we can make sense of the urge Marlow feels to leave his boat and join the feels to leave his boat and join the natives for a savage whoop and holler natives for a savage whoop and holler

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism

Religious:Religious: Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness as as an examination of various aspects an examination of various aspects of religion and religious practices.of religion and religious practices. the role of Christian missionary the role of Christian missionary

concepts in the justifications of the concepts in the justifications of the colonialistscolonialists

the dark way in which Kurtz fulfills the dark way in which Kurtz fulfills his own messianic ambitions by his own messianic ambitions by setting himself up as one of the local setting himself up as one of the local gods gods

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism

Moral-Philosophical:Moral-Philosophical:

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness is is preoccupied with preoccupied with general questions general questions about the nature of about the nature of good and evil, or good and evil, or civilization and civilization and savagery savagery

Review of CriticismReview of Criticism

Formulist: Formulist: Threes: There are three parts to the Threes: There are three parts to the

story, three breaks in the story (1 in story, three breaks in the story (1 in pt. 1 and 2 in pt. 2), and three pt. 1 and 2 in pt. 2), and three central characters: the outside central characters: the outside narrator, Marlow and Kurtznarrator, Marlow and Kurtz

Contrasting images (dark and light, Contrasting images (dark and light, open and closed)open and closed)

ModernismModernism Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness was published in the Late was published in the Late

Victorian-Early Modern Era but exhibits Victorian-Early Modern Era but exhibits mostly mostly modern traitsmodern traits::

an interest in an exploration of the psychological an interest in an exploration of the psychological an awareness of primitiveness and savagery an awareness of primitiveness and savagery

as the condition upon which civilization is as the condition upon which civilization is builtbuilt, and therefore an interest in the experience , and therefore an interest in the experience and expressions of non-European peoples and expressions of non-European peoples

a skepticism that emerges from the notion that a skepticism that emerges from the notion that human ideas about the world seldom fit the human ideas about the world seldom fit the complexity of the world itself, and thus a sense complexity of the world itself, and thus a sense that multiplicity, ambiguity, and irony--in life and that multiplicity, ambiguity, and irony--in life and in art--are the necessary responses of the in art--are the necessary responses of the intelligent mind to the human condition. intelligent mind to the human condition.

Apocalypse NowApocalypse Now Apocalypse NowApocalypse Now is a film is a film

that was directed by Francis that was directed by Francis Ford Coppola Ford Coppola starring starring Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall and Marlon Brandoand Marlon Brando

This film was based on This film was based on Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.Conrad’s Heart of Darkness.

Coppola takes the story to Coppola takes the story to Vietnam. Captain Willard Vietnam. Captain Willard (Marlow) is sent on a (Marlow) is sent on a mission to kill Colonel Kurtz mission to kill Colonel Kurtz who has gone renegadewho has gone renegade