Introducing Joseph Conrad’s Introducing Joseph Conrad’s

Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness

QuickwriteQuickwriteTake a few minutes to ponder the following Take a few minutes to ponder the following

question:question:

What restraints prevent What restraints prevent us from yielding to our us from yielding to our darkest compulsions?darkest compulsions?

Locating the TextLocating the Text

Congo River

The Congo RiverThe Congo River

Pre-Colonial ProsperityPre-Colonial Prosperity

The Kingdom of the The Kingdom of the Congo was a well-run Congo was a well-run imperial federationimperial federation

Rich in ivory and rubber Rich in ivory and rubber and known for advanced and known for advanced work in copper and ironwork in copper and iron

Participated in thriving Participated in thriving slave tradeslave trade

King Leopold II & The King Leopold II & The CongoCongo

The Congo Free StateThe Congo Free State

European nations negotiated for European nations negotiated for African territory at the Berlin African territory at the Berlin Conference in 1884. Leopold made Conference in 1884. Leopold made an individual claim for the Congo, an individual claim for the Congo, establishing The Congo Free State.establishing The Congo Free State.

The Congo Free StateThe Congo Free State

Leopold sent Henry Leopold sent Henry Morton Stanley to Morton Stanley to negotiate with the negotiate with the CongoleseCongolese

Offered chiefs trinkets Offered chiefs trinkets or cloth if they would or cloth if they would place an “X” on a place an “X” on a document they couldn’t document they couldn’t readread

Cheap Labor…Barbaric Cheap Labor…Barbaric PracticesPractices

Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their wives and work by holding their wives and children captive until each man’s children captive until each man’s quota was met.quota was met.

Many who resisted were killed on the Many who resisted were killed on the spot.spot.

Quotas, Death, and Quotas, Death, and HandsHands

Between 1895-1908 and estimated 8-Between 1895-1908 and estimated 8-10 million died due to murder, 10 million died due to murder, mistreatment and starvation.mistreatment and starvation.

““Human Rights” Human Rights” MovementMovement

Public pressure Public pressure eventually forced eventually forced Leopold to sell the Leopold to sell the Congo Free State. It Congo Free State. It became The became The Belgian Congo in Belgian Congo in 1908.1908.

ImperialismImperialism

The policy of extending a nation’s The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic by the establishment of economic and political hegemony (the and political hegemony (the predominant influence, as of a state, predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or region, or group, over another or others) over other nations. Includes others) over other nations. Includes the system, policies, or practices of the system, policies, or practices of such a government.such a government.

ImperialismImperialism

““Robbery with violence, aggravated Robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale.murder on a great scale.””

--Heart of Darkness--Heart of Darkness

Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style

Elements Elements From the introduction: From the introduction: ““ItIt’’s about our s about our

capacity for idealism, as well as our capacity for idealism, as well as our

capacity for deterioration; our desire for capacity for deterioration; our desire for

brotherhood and our propensity to brotherhood and our propensity to

solitary crime…Marlowsolitary crime…Marlow’’s journey up the s journey up the

Congo is a journey into the heart of Congo is a journey into the heart of

manman’’s darkness.s darkness.””

Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style

Elements Elements ““……itit’’s about personal strength and s about personal strength and integrity and a psychological studyintegrity and a psychological study”” in in which which ““our best chance for survival, our best chance for survival, moral survival, lies in frankly moral survival, lies in frankly recognizing the infinite capacity for recognizing the infinite capacity for reversion and crime that slumber in all reversion and crime that slumber in all our unconscious minds.our unconscious minds.””

Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style

Elements Elements Frame narrativeFrame narrative

It may be uncomfortably It may be uncomfortably ““wordy…At wordy…At

times it seems Conrad and Marlow times it seems Conrad and Marlow

seem to want to erect a screen of seem to want to erect a screen of

words between themselves and the words between themselves and the

horror of a half-remembered horror of a half-remembered

experience…experience…””

Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style

Elements Elements No chapters, only sections and long No chapters, only sections and long

narrations. Lots of subtext—narrations. Lots of subtext—underlying meaning or what is underlying meaning or what is between the lines.between the lines.

Look at mood, tone, SETTING, Look at mood, tone, SETTING, symbolism, and imagery.symbolism, and imagery.

ItIt’’s all about the journeys all about the journey

Marlow has returned from his Marlow has returned from his (archetypal) journey, so this implies (archetypal) journey, so this implies that…?that…?

He has changedHe has changed

As you read listen for two voices: As you read listen for two voices: The naïve narrator who hasnThe naïve narrator who hasn’’t yet faced t yet faced

the darknessthe darknessThe one who speaks with undertones of The one who speaks with undertones of

knowledge and hindsightknowledge and hindsight

HomeworkHomework

Read the opening scene of Heart of Darkness, starting from the beginning up through Marlow's first words. Stop when you get to the end of the paragraph that begins, “He broke off.”  It's about 3 or so pages.  The exposition does many, many things; pay particular attention to how Conrad is setting up his character and the situation.

HomeworkHomework

Make a list of 5-7 purposes the Make a list of 5-7 purposes the opening scene serves with opening scene serves with regards to mood, regards to mood, characterization, setting, tone, characterization, setting, tone, theme(s)/ideas established. This theme(s)/ideas established. This need not be written as a formal need not be written as a formal narrative…but expect that you’ll narrative…but expect that you’ll add on to this in class…add on to this in class…

Early Modernism & Early Modernism & ImpressionismImpressionism

As we view the image on the next As we view the image on the next slide, follow along and respond on slide, follow along and respond on your handoutyour handout

STEP 1: What is this?STEP 1: What is this?

Response

Consider your notes from last night on the opening scene of Heart of Darkness. On the same paper, write a brief comparison/contrast response that analyzes how what Conrad is doing with language is similar to the effect created by Monet in this painting.

Creating Mood

And now your turn!

Select a “mood” from the envelope and work with a partner to craft a mood narrative—a brief creative story that evokes this feeling or creates an atmosphere WITHOUT using the mood term or an obvious synonym.