Introducing Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Literary Terms to Know roman a clef symbol motif allegory allusion Apostrophe Syntax psychoanalytical and reader-response literary theory

Quickwrite Take a few minutes to ponder the following question: What restraints prevent man from yielding to his dark compulsions?

Locating the Text Congo River Main geographical feature of the book Reflects Conrad’s own experience as well as a deep symbolic meaning The Congo river is the fifth largest river in the world

The Congo River The river and its tributaries serve as a 7,000 mile series of connected waterways—a highway into the African interior

Pre-Colonial Prosperity The Kingdon of the Congo was a well-run imperial federation Known for advanced working in copper and iron Rich in ivory and rubber Participated in thriving slave trade According to the first Portuguese explorers, the Kingdom of the Congo was a well run state Ne Vunda Kongolese ambassador to the Vatican, 1608

King Leopold II & The Congo Lived 1835-1909, King 1865-1909 Congo Free State

The Congo Free State Leopold sought the ability to use the river to gain access to the rich rubber supplies in the interior As European nations negotiated and agreed to respect each others’ claims to African territory, Leopold made his claim for the Congo Berlin Conference 1884-1885

The Congo Free State Leopold sent the famous explorer of Africa, Henry Morton Stanley, to negotiate with the Congolese Chiefs offered trinkets or cloth if they would place an “X” on a document they couldn’t read These treaties, along with Leopold’s proclaimed goal to end slavery and promote free trade, led the European countries to recognize Leopold’s claim to the territory in 1885 http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=dpx5hy5TejE&feature=youtu.be Berlin Conference 1884-1885

Cheap Labor, Barbaric Practices Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their wives and children captive until each man’s quota was met. Many who resisted were killed on the spot. Others were beaten with cruel whips called chicotte, made from dried hippo hide with sharp edges.

Cheap Labor, Barbaric Practices During the years from 1895-1908 it is estimated that 8-10 million people died due to murder, mistreatment and starvation Quotas, death, and hands for bullets

“Human Rights” Movement Public pressure eventually forced Leopold to sell the Congo Free State. It became The Belgian Congo in 1908 The Belgian Government ended the worst of the atrocities, but still controlled the fate of the African natives “for their own good” The Congolese were never consulted about their future

Imperialism Imperialism: The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony (the predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others) over other nations. Includes the system, policies, or practices of such a government. “Robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale.” Heart of Darkness, page 70 Semi-autobiographical

Heart of Darkness Content & Stylistic Elements Frame story What’s the premise? From the intro: “It’s about our capacity for idealism, as well as our capacity for deterioration; our desire for brotherhood and our propensity to solitary crime…Marlow’s journey up the Congo is a journey into the heart of man’s darkness” It may be uncomfortably “wordy…At times it seems Conrad and Marlow seem to want to erect a screen of words between themselves and the horror of a half- remembered experience…”

Heart of Darkness Content & Stylistic Elements “…it’s about personal strength and integrity and a psychological study” in which “our best chance for survival, moral survival, lies in frankly recognizing the infinite capacity for reversion and crime that slumber in all our unconscious minds.” No chapters, only sections and long narrations. Lots of subtext, but you are now pros with this! Look at mood, tone, SETTING, symbolism, and imagery

It’s all about the journey Marlow has returned from his (archetypal) journey, so this implies that…? He has changed Therefore, as you read listen for the two voices of the narrator: The naïve one who hasn’t yet faced the darkness The one who speaks with undertones of knowledge and hindsight

First Scene Make a list of 5-7 purposes the opening scene serves with regards to mood, characterization, setting, tone, theme(s)/ideas established

But First, Some Classwork An introduction to Early Modernism & Impressionistic Writing Impressionistic style: Many vague pieces coming together to form the big picture, requires reader to make their own big picture, reliance on artist’s (Marlow’s) rendition of images/events, subjective, things change moment to moment, focus on emotional landscape – seemingly unimportant details add up to create some idea/feeling As we view the image on the next slide, follow along and respond on your handout

STEP 1: What is this?

Homework Consider your notes from last night on the opening scene of Heart of Darkness. Write a brief comparison/contrast response that analyzes how what Conrad is doing with language is similar to the effect created by Monet in this painting.