Prompt 18
The Heart of Darkness. It evokes a haunting reaction from the reader, what mindboggling horrors can come from the heart of darkness? The book Heart of Darkness focuses on the ludicrousness of imperialist excursions, and the negative repercussions of such actions. Darkness is an important motif in the book, as a representative man's ignorance. Darkness is represented by different forms in the novella, the main form of darkness in the surrounding environment which is symbolic of the people in it, and darkness in man's actions/moral obscurity.
The jungle is characterized as dark, and it is natural to assume that the natives who inhabit the area would be morally gray brutish unintelligent people, but Marlow's tale contradicts this hypothesis he describes the natives as relatively calm, and intelligent people, especially the chief/leader of the Cannibals. It is the foreign colonists who are blinded by their ambitions of wealth, and "advancing" the native culture that truly reflect the jungle's dark nature. Their "trade" of forcing the natives into work for their profit constitutes the brand: slavery, which is globally regarded as cruel and dark. The Western people show no restraint once out of their civilized society to help the author demonstrate the ignorance of man. Which is disconcerting, that as soon as social constructs are lifted mankind is capable of sharing the true depth of it's wickedness and darkness, the novella effecting asserts this through the Englishmen's colonies in the jungle through the characterization of their actions. Which is truly what the heart of darkness is: blind ignorance.
Adriane,
ReplyDeleteI find it fascinating how you and Ginny both discussed the concept of "ignorance" in the novel. I had not thought of this concept until I read your posts; however, I have to say that I agree completely. The darkness of ignorance clouds the minds of the men and covers the entire novel as a whole. Furthermore, I agree that the setting is dark (a jungle) and that the natives in the story parallel to the setting (dark skinned Africans). I love your concluding sentence with your discussion of "blind ignorance." I enjoyed your post - Dana Sharma