Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

One of the darker actions examined in this unit takes place in "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. In this short story, General Zaroff begins hunting a man lost on his island named Rainsford. Bored of the usual game, General Zaroff decides he wants something more exciting and chooses to prey on humans. This ill-judged decision has a domino effect on the plot, ultimately ending in the demise of Zaroff. Nonetheless, an alternate ending besides death could have very well been a possibility. Perhaps, instead of hunting humans, Zaroff decides to open a hunting camp to share his passion for the sport with others. Obviously, his boredom is caused by the island's isolation from society. So, Zaroff could have built homes and started a community or decide to leave the island altogether. Then, the course of this story would have taken a completely different path. Maybe, Zaroff finds a wife, they have children and live happily ever after. If only he was able to overcome his dark side instead of letting it consume him.

     "What does it mean to be human?"  This is a question that is often asked in literary works.  Is it our intelligence that separates us from being like any other animal on this planet or is it something else?  Perhaps it is our ability to feel empathy for other humans and other forms of life.  If this is so, then how is it that we also have violence and wars where humans hurt and kill other humans?  How is it that humans can hurt animals without a second thought, if it's our ability to feel empathy that separates us from them?  Both Philip K. Dick and Kurt Vonnegut explore these questions in their novels Blade Runner (Do Androids Dream

Beyond the shield of civilization and into the depths of a primitive, untamed frontier lies the true face of the human soul. It is in the midst of this savagery and unrelenting danger that mankind confronts the brooding nature of his inner self.  Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, is the story of one man's insight into life as he embarks on a voyage to the edges of the world. Here, he meets the bitter, yet enlightening forces that eventually shape his outlook on life and his own individuality. Conrad’s portrayal of the characters, setting, and symbols, allow the reader to reflect on the true nature of man.

When thinking about morality, it is necessary to consider how aspects from both nature and nurture, along with free will, may form ones moral beliefs and dictate ones moral actions. To understand how moral beliefs as well as actions formulate and operate within individuals and societies, it is imperative that a general definition of morality is laid out. Morality, then, can be defined as ones principles regarding what is right and wrong, good or bad. Although an individual may hold moral beliefs, it is not always the case that moral actions follow. Therefore, in this essay I aim to provide an explanation that clarifies the two and in doing so I also hope to further the notion that one’s moral framework is a product of all three factors; nature, nurture, and free will. The first part of this essay will flush out what exactly morality it and how it manifests similarly across individuals and differently across individuals. Contrariwise, I will then explain how morality manifests similarly across societies and differently across societies. Alongside presenting the information in this order, I will trace morality back to primordial times to showcase how morality has evolved and developed since then, not only from a nature-based standpoint, but also from a

Marlow and the Mariner in Heart of Darkness and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner are both morally ambiguous characters with many similarities. Each embarks on a great journey in which their character is tested numerous times. Their trials lead to many profound revelations about humanity, which are explored in ways only possible because of their hazy morality.

By the definition, “Humanity,” that amounts to a tautology: humanity is that which makes humans human.” (Festa). The humanity of an individual is reflective of its personality. There are characters who are naturally benevolent; some learn through compassion and while others learn through misery. However, in general some are the opposite of benevolent. For instance, some individuals are indeed inconsiderate, arrogant, and most of

People say that I’m too young to have problems in my life but they don’t know that even though I’m only sixteen years old, life forced me to become a mature person at a young age. I see things differently than most teenagers, which means that it’s harder for me to fit in. I’m not good at making friends, I’m very selective but I like to help people if they need me. My crucible started since I came to the United States when I was twelve, and after that my life has been so different.

Arthur Koestler’s Darkness at Noon and Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness offer important realizations about the honest nature of the world through effective portrayals of how truth, or the lack thereof, contribute to the unity of humanity. Darkness at Noon displays an in-depth life story of Rubashov, a man imprisoned for political crimes, who becomes torn between the evolving ideology of the Party and his own moral ideals. Focusing on his incarceration, the story provides effective insight into why Rubashov admits to the absurd charges, despite their falsehood. Heart of Darkness depicts the journey of a man, Marlow, traveling to Africa to finally fulfill his personal obsession of meeting Kurtz, a man of supposedly great integrity and morality. However, throughout the journey, Marlow grows increasingly cynical toward the efforts of Kurtz as he realizes the true nature of these efforts. In both novels, the truth that is useful to humanity is one comprised of lies, which brings individuals together for a unified cause. The falsehood, however, reveals the true nature of the ideology that is filled with actions of oppression and degradation. Koestler’s, Darkness at Noon, and Conrad’s, Heart of Darkness, reveal how truth is useful for purposes of unification among humanity, and falsehood harmful to morality and justness of individuals.

The constant change in scenery throughout the Heart of Darkness contributes heavily to the meaning of the novel as a whole, for it allows the novel’s author, Joseph Conrad, to expand on the effects the physical journey of travelling through the Congo has on the inner mentailites of the characters- Marlow and Kurtz- in the novel. Conrad’s continuous comparisons between characters, their surroundings, and the plot, create the genuine progression of the novel, while the physical journey that is taken allows the characters to make their own discovery of humankind. As Kurtz’s destiny and the struggles he overcomes go on to deeply affect the two characters’ journey through the story’s plot, as everything in the Heart of Darkness is linked or comes back to Kurtz and all the wrongful actions he has committed in the Congo- as he was the perpetrator of all the darkness in the novel to begin with.

The Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is one of the most critically debated novellas of its time. It is about a man, named Marlow, who joins the Trading Company, specifically having to do with the ivory trade, so that he can adventure into the African Congo. The setting of this story is around the time of the colonization of Africa. Due to the time period and the sensitive things that are addressed in the story, there are many ethical decisions and dilemmas found in the Heart of Darkness. This is discovered in the time period itself, in Kurtz’s decisions, and in Marlow’s loyalty.

"The horror, the horror!" Kurtz exclaims prior to his last breath of life on earth. In those final moments, Kurtz was able to say something so true about the whole mess of human life. A life dominated by the fittest, perceived differently through each human eye, and full of judgement lacking understanding of all sides. The various ways the world is viewed causes many problems amongst its people. Whether they are about racism, wealth, or even common sense, conflicts are still subject to arouse. Why? The answer to this is not yet clear because of its complexity and endless variables. Yet what is clear is that it ties into two other aspects-prejudice and social

Heart of Darkness Power is tossed all over the place in the world today. It has messed people up but also helped people in many ways. Power is shown in many different ways and through many different people in the novella Heart of Darkness. In the novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad deconstructs the binary of animals versus humans in order to show the importance of power.

The two major themes of Heart of Darkness are the conflict between “reality” and “darkness,” and the idea of restraint and whether or not it is necessary. Conrad’s passage describing the restraint of the hungry cannibals exemplifies both themes:  It describes how reality shapes human behavior, and contrasts the characters of Kurtz and Marlow.  “Reality,” as it is used here, is defined as “that which is civilized.”

A single influential being or thing, whether we accept it or not, could drastically change our moral self control psychological

n today’s society, the human body is placed on a pedestal for the world to critique. Both women and men are seen as individuals that are supposed to act, dress, and look a certain way. If they falter, they are seen as strange and sometimes called names; this is especially true for women. According to society, man is woman’s better half, and many philosophers have shown interest in this correlation. Beauvoir, in her book The Second Sex, she talks about how women are the “other” and are seen as being less than men are. Also, Young explains in her paper, Throwing Like a Girl, how men and women approach certain obstacles differently. Along with Young’s, paper a company called Always made a promo #LikeAGirl and put into practice what Young states in her paper. Though these philosophers and company have tried to push for woman equality, other companies, such as Hardies, have stopped their efforts. So why do we see women as the lesser half? It is because, how we see the human body, particularly women, is in direct correlation to where and how we are raised.