Prompt 9

When asked if Heart of Darkness is a racist work or not, I find it to be a bothersome question that stirs a pot which shouldn't even really be touched. What I mean by this is that the relevance of Heart of Darkness being a racist book is little, if any. This book was written 1899; of course it is racist. Let us consider the times and the circumstances of this book rather than setting it to today's standard of suitable literature. When Heart or Darkness is read in the classroom, it definitely teaches a lesson on racism, and it is an unavoidable topic when discussing the work; nevertheless, this does not imply that the work is inappropriate to study due to its language or perspective on race. Yes, what happens in this novella is dehumanizing to the African-American race. Yes, the perspective from which this story is told is entirely racist. Just because these assertions are true does not make this book any less of a book with literary merit. This book reflects the time it was written during and is an accurate representation of what life was like in Africa in 1899. Why would we ever hide the truth from any reader simply because the book is racist? All in all, my view on the racist qualities of this book are that they are meant to analyzed in the literature, not taken personally.

Prompt 18

Heart of Darkness caught my attention from the start, simply because the title is such a significant aspect of the novella. There are many reasons as to why the title is what it is, and it ranges from the literal to the metaphorical in meaning. The novella addresses some key issues about race; its entire purpose centers around the subject of race during this time (in 1899). Color is a very important issue in this book, especially whether something is light (or white) or dark (black) in meaning and in skin color. Another reason why this is the title is because of the location this book is set in. Africa is and just about always has been a "dark" spot in our world, because it is underdeveloped and filled with third world countries. Lastly, this book shows off the wickedness of man's dark hearts. Because these Europeans address black men as "savages," "niggers," and other offensive titles all throughout the work, it just goes to show how dark man's heart truly is. Conrad indubitably had a motive behind his title, and whether it has to do with man's naturally wicked ways or the physical location of the book, it is important to appreciate and recognize the meaning behind the title.