" Heart of Darkness" by: Joseph Conrad
1.This novel is about Marlow who is a sailor, the story begins in the Congo and he is on his way to meet a man name Kurtz. Marlow begins to see a variety of horrors such as torture and near-slavery within the African culture. Marlows boat has something unfortunate happen to it and the trip is delayed by a couple months, Marlow still is anxious to speak to Kurtz. Finally they get the boat fixed and continue their journey. Marlow soon realizes that Kurtz left his European thoughts and ways behind for human kind. Later on in the novel we find out that Kurtz ordered the Natives to attack the boat when they first arrived. Kurtz is very ill and entrusts his thoughts and legacies to Marlow. Shortly after that Kurtz dies, this causes Marlows already ill state to keep getting worse. The whole point of this short novel is to show how people were losing their humanity and how Marlow wanted to achieve a better lifestyle through Kurtz ways.
2. The major theme of this novel is the absurdity of evil. We see this throughout the novel by the crazy things Marlow sees the workers doing. We can conclude that none of this is actually necessary.
3. The tone of the author is wondering.
-"he kept on looking out past me with fiery, longing eyes, with a mingled expression of wistfulness and hate. He made no answer, but I saw a smile, a smile of indefinable meaning, appear on his colorless lips in that moment." page 151
-" I declare it looked as though he would presently put to us some question in an understandable language." page 123
-"Then I began to look for a ship- I should think the hardest work on earth." page 71
4. Imagery: " the Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river."
Similes: " The sea-reach if the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway." page 65
Descriptive setting: " The sun set; the dusk fell on the stream, and lights began to appear along the shore." page 67
Biblical references: are throughout the whole entire book.
Symbolism: " But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense Snake uncoiled, with its head in the sea.." page 70
Tone: Marlow has many scenes where he is admiring Kurtz throughout the novel.
Rhetorical questions:" Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything?" page 97
Flashback:" Going up the river was like traveling back to the earliest beginnings of the world,when the revegitation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings." page 105
Personification: "death sulking in the air, in the water, in the bush." page 69
Metaphor:" I flew around like mad to get ready, and before forty-eight hours I was crossing the channel to show my employers." page 73
Characterization
1. Direct: In the novel Marlow is described in detail that he is very skeptical of everything around him. In the novel we know that Kurtz is a man of many talents and aspirations.
indirect: In the novel readers can conclude that marlow feels sorrow for the people around him when he sees them in danger or in harms way. Another example is how we can conclude that Kurtz is a very successful man that had a lot of power.
2. This novel is told mainly in dialogue so the syntax and diction doesn't change a lot throughout the novel. The only times where we can see a little change in the syntax and diction is when Marlow and Kurtz are in a conversation, but other then that not much.
3. Marlow the main character (also the protagonist) is a dynamic character. He changes his views and feelings throughout the novel. We see him grow as a character from the beginning and change into someone a little different then from the beginning of the novel. He is considered round because he ultimately changes his views.
4. I felt that I didn't connect with this book to well. I never felt like I wanted to actually meet Marlow or Kurtz or any of the characters presented in this novel. I just feel that I would of liked this book better if it was wrote in a different way, because I personally liked the meaning behind the book. " Marlow ceased and sat apart insisting on silence. The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed somber under the overcast sky- seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness." This is the last quote of the novel and I feel it really shows the kind of man Marlow is, respectful and mindful.
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