In the novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad uses many literary devices to create, for his readers, a vivid picture of what his definition of light and darkness really is. Conrad suggestively uses a technique whereas for every one character that portrays darkness there is an opposite character that portrays some extent of light. This technique can be explained in the form of comparison and contrast, for instance the “Harlequin” and the Manager. Though these two characters share few comparisons, their contrasts are one in a plenty. The Harlequins character is said to be a Russian man who has an eccentric taste in fashion, coining him the nickname Harlequin. He is also considered the character Kurtz’s “disciple”, because as a young boy …show more content…
Conrad’s very creepy way of vividly articulating the Manager, gives the inkling that he is indeed the darkness that the title exclaims. Though, these characters may seem to be the polar opposite of one another, they do share some defining qualities. Conrad depicts both characters displaying very bizarre behavior. The Managers character, as described previously, has a very cold disposition. He says very random and oddball things, that are not expected of a manager. The Harlequin displays behavior that is less on the cold side and more on the hyperactive side. He is the bubbly, bouncy character of the novella. Some may go as far to say retarded, due to his child-like nature. Another characteristic that they share is that they often tend to babble, but it is a different kind of babbling amongst them. The Manager just kind of talks out of the side of neck, meaning that his words have no meaning which never leads to a result. He loves to hear himself speak. The Harlequin babbles uncontrollably. He speaks on and on about Kurtz, and how great he is, to the character Marlowe. He chatters so much to the point that Marlowe uses him to gain information about Kurtz. Lastly, the traits that the two share are that they are both extremely obsessed with Kurtz. Though, the Harlequin’s obsession stems more from admiration, and the
Once the similarities between Satan and Mr. Kurtz start, they never seem to end. It's as though Conrad
Throughout the first two parts of Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness, the character Kurtz is built up to be this amazing and remarkable man. In the third book, however, we learn the truth about who Kurtz really is. Kurtz cries out in a whisper, "The horror! The horror!"(p. 86), and in only two words he manages to sum up the realization of all the horrors of his life during his time in the Congo.
• What are the characters’ emotions, attitudes, and behaviors? What do these indicate to the reader about the character?
There can be multiple inferences from the clues that Conrad gives us. It is adding to the novel and giving the meaning. It could mean that there is just as much “darkness” in Europe as there is in Africa. Conrad’s main character, Marlow, has never been one that was easy to read or figure out. So why should the intended message be given to us plainly?
An interpretation of Marlow's changing feelings towards Kurtz is that he ends up being disgusted and
Each detail to which your attention is drawn by the Study Guide is part of the puzzle of Heart of Darkness. It is important to notice the details, to ponder them, to see how patterns repeat themselves, and to see how the pieces fit together. Marlow's journey and your reading about the journey require constant alertness, discipline, patience, and a willingness to look for what is not immediately apparent.
There is an abundance of literature in which characters become caught between colliding cultures. Often, these characters experience a period of growth from their exposure to a culture that’s dissimilar to their own. Such is the case with Marlow, Joseph Conrad’s infamous protagonist from ‘Heart of Darkness’. Marlow sets off to Africa on an ivory conquest and promptly found himself sailing into the heart of the Congo River. Along the way he is faced with disgruntled natives, cannibals, and the ominous and foreboding landscape. Marlow’s response to these tribulations is an introspective one, in which he calls into question his identity. This transcending of his former self renders the work as a whole a
However, Stevenson uses the graphic novel form to subvert these stereotypes of hero, villain, and monster through Nimona’s cute character design and visual comedy. As Mihaela Precup notes, Nimona’s round figure, boisterousness, and “deceptive smallness” make her an endearing character, and the reader identifies with and supports her despite her supposed monstrousness (Precup, 7). By depicting Nimona as a funny, cute character, Stevenson not only subverts the hero/villain binary in the novel but also the process of labeling others based on appearances, an
Darkness is a major theme in The Heart of Darkness. Kurtz is unaware of his own darkness which leads to his downfall. He cannot see what kind of person he has become and how the darkness of the jungle has completely taken over him. The jungle is so secluded and mysterious that it actually influences Kurtz’s bad behavior. Kurtz becomes greedy and powerful but never realizes that this behavior is bringing him down until he is on the verge of death. Kurtz last words, “The horror! The horror!”(63) show Kurtz’s realization that the darkness had consumed him. Kurtz himself is one of the biggest examples of darkness in this book.
Harlequin characters have acted as a precursor to the modern model of clowns. Within the Italian genre of the commedia dell’arte. Within this genre, the harlequin is a stock character recognized for foolish behavior and stupidity. These traits have traditionally defined the character, and are often the core components of the character’s emotional and psychological depth. However, the figure has been portrayed as a more complex character. A clear contrast between the idiotic nature of the traditional archetype and the psychologically-developed persona is displayed in the differing portrayals in Carlo Goldoni’s The Servant of Two Masters and Molière’s The Imaginary Invalid.
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a story about a man named Marlow and his Journey into the African Congo. By reading the novel and understanding all the imagery Conrad has inserted, we can get a better understanding of the
Marlow tells us about the Ivory that Kurtz kept as his own, and that he had no restraint, and was " a tree swayed by the wind” (Conrad, 209). Marlow mentions the human heads displayed on posts that “showed that Mr. Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts” (Conrad, 220). Conrad also tells us "his... nerves went wrong, and caused him to preside at certain midnight dances ending with unspeakable rights, which... were offered up to him” (Conrad, 208), meaning that Kurtz went insane and allowed himself to be worshipped as a god. It appears that while Kurtz had been isolated from his culture, he had become corrupted by this violent native culture, and allowed his evil side to control him.
Within the text of Heart of Darkness, the reader is presented with many metaphors. Those that recur, and are most arresting and notable, are light and dark, nature and Kurtz and Marlow. The repeated use of light and dark imagery represents civilization and primitiveness, and of course the eternal meaning of good and evil. However, the more in depth the reader goes the more complex it becomes. Complex also are the meanings behind the metaphors of nature included within the text. It represents a challenge for the colonists, often also signifying decay and degeneration. Finally Kurtz and Marlow represent imperialism and the colonists. All these metaphors come together and contribute not only to
The story’s two major characters are both considered as a stereotype character. Their roles were easily known as the author clearly discussed their parts and physiognomies in the story.
At first Marlow was speechless to finally have met this seemingly "idol." Yet, after having spent time with Kurtz and getting to know his character, Marlow finds out for himself that Kurtz really was not the person that the stories had described him to be. Heart of Darkness is an accurate example of how stories can be a negative impact upon an individual. An accumulation of false information can be deceiving, as well as, misgiving- and in Marlow's case, disappointing.