Color plays a significant role in our everyday life. We have
favorite colors, we base our clothing on colors that match, we separate our
political views by colors, and perhaps most importantly we separate ourselves
by colors. While Heart of Darkness shows a noticeable division between races,
there is the significance behind many other colors which are mentioned in the
novella.
When
Marlow enters the European office of the ivory company he notices women
knitting black wool. The first association that I made, due to my knowledge of
the ancient world, was that they are most likely symbolic of the fates which
create the thread of life. Due to this association we can assume that the black
color of the wool foreshadows a dark, death-filled fate.
Marlow
also notices a yellow patch on the map. Without this observation the entire
storyline could change as this is when he first sets his mind on Africa. Due to
the fact that yellow is the most luminous of all colors it is often associated
with happiness and optimism; however yellow has also been known to hold a dark
side. The color yellow also symbolizes cowardice, madness, and is a color of
caution and physical illness. This is highly significant because the color of
yellow drawls from in and Marlowe is instantly filled with optimism; however,
when he actually reaches the country of Africa he experiences madness.
The
manager’s paleness is also mentioned with in Heart of Darkness. While this could very easily just be a part of
characterization there's perhaps something more. After a person dies they begin
to turn pale. So this could quite possibly foreshadow the death which is a
result of the orders of the manager.
I'm impressed at the connection you made between the fates and the women knitting, I would have never came to this conclusion. The darkness of the wool connects with the darkness of the journey he is soon to embark on, making it act as a tool of foreshadowing. I also like the contradiction you mention between the color of yellow and what it can symbolize. Analyzing these colors in the way you did provoked a lot of thought for me, especially when it comes to color in literature or even movies.
ReplyDeleteThe connections you made with the color are astounding to say the least. The one about the fates shocked me a little, but once I read it, I could see how that inference is correct. The yellow color which shows both the happiness and madness of Africa was also an intelligent move by Conrad. He spells out perfectly what is going to happen and only those who think about it hard enough can make the connections and see where the novel is going. The manager’s paleness could also be used to show the stark contrast between him and the “fates” shown earlier in the scene. He could possibly be a representation of Charon or Hades, if the Greek mythology streak runs through the scene.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting analysis of the colors described in the novel. Naturally, it is easy to assume that the only significant mention of color is the distinction between the races of people--the black people and the white people. But there are many more possibilities for meaning in the colors described, and a reader should entertain the notion that every detail in a novel has a narrative purpose. I was most interested in the map, because the interesting thing about that yellow area is that it is unchartered. It is untamed. For you to show both sides of yellow, the happiness and the possibility that is associated with it, there also are other negative aspects associated with the color. Beware the yellow!
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