2. (1857-1924)

3. HIS LIFE: He was born in the Ukraine; His father was a patriot and a man of letters; His parents died when he was twelve. HIS DREAM Was to go to sea In 1878 he joined an English merchant ship, but his first command came in 1888, and in 1890 he went up the River Congo. This trip left him impressioned for the rest of his life.

4. He write novels and short stories: DFFF Almayer’s Folly An Outcast of the Islands The Nigger of the ‘Narcissus’ Lord Jim Nostromo The Secret Agent Unter Western Eyes Chance Youth Typhoon The Shadow-Line HIS MASTERPIECE

5. A MODERN NOVELIST His works are divided into modern traditional In his novels, his charachter’s adventures centre on the moment of crisis this moment is a He analyses the moment of ISOLATION when commonly held VALUES COLLAPSE. NOVEL TEST OF MAN’S INTEGRITY Containing both of them

6. HEART OF DARKNESS

7. A NOVELLA Heart of Darkness is Conrad’s masterpiece, his most famous work of fiction. 1902; It is based on personal experience. Conrad sailed up the River Congo. Here, he discovered the nature of his own personality and came to a pessimistic conclusion about the nature of ‘civilized’ man. It was the base for Heart of Darkness.

8. Africa was often referred to as ‘the Dark Continent’. In Conrad’s story, is also about the INTERIOR DARKNESS. BUTBUT

9. … The geographical voyage of discovery into the unknown continent corresponds with a voyage of discovery into the self. The ‘dark’ side of man and the hypocrisy of civilization; Colonization as savagery; Reality as each person’s individual consciousness. Principal themes:

10. MAJOR CHARACTERS: MARLOWMR KURTZ The protagonist of Heart of Darkness. Marlow is philosophical, independent-minded, and generally skeptical of those around him. He is also a master storyteller, eloquent and able to draw his listeners into his tale. Although Marlow shares many of his fellow Europeans’ prejudices, he has seen enough of the world and has encountered enough debased white men to make him skeptical of imperialism. The chief of the Inner Station and the object of Marlow’s quest. Kurtz is a man of many talents. He is a man who understands the power of words, and his writings are marked by an eloquence that obscures their horrifying message. Although he remains an enigma even to Marlow, Kurtz clearly exerts a powerful influence on the people in his life. His downfall seems to be a result of his willingness to ignore the hypocritical rules that govern European colonial conduct: Kurtz has “kicked himself loose of the earth” by fraternizing excessively with the natives and not keeping up appearances; in so doing, he has become wildly successful but has also incurred the wrath of his fellow white men.

12. SUMMARY

13. Heart of Darkness: The Devil of Colonialism The story begins in London, in a boat moored on the River Thames. Marlow, the protagonist and storyteller, criticizes the colonialism. Violence on the people of Africa are highlighted. Natives wear iron collars They are in file European people exploit African’s resources Nature polluted by Europeans people

14. The figure of Kurtz The figure of Kurtz represents the exploitation of Africa’s resources. Kurtz and the Congo are compared. Kurtz’s heart is dark as the Congo’s jungle. Kurtz is at the same time: Valued for his capacity as exploiter Hated from his company Considered like god from the natives

15. «The horror, the horror» Marlow said this words while he was dieding. His words represent the horror of colonialism.

16. THE END Domenico Capuano Federica Tarzia Federico Seccia Rossella Landucci