Introducing Joseph Conrad’s Introducing Joseph Conrad’s
Heart of DarknessHeart of Darkness
QuickwriteQuickwriteTake a few minutes to ponder the following Take a few minutes to ponder the following
question:question:
What restraints prevent What restraints prevent us from yielding to our us from yielding to our darkest compulsions?darkest compulsions?
Locating the TextLocating the Text
Congo River
The Congo RiverThe Congo River
Pre-Colonial ProsperityPre-Colonial Prosperity
The Kingdom of the The Kingdom of the Congo was a well-run Congo was a well-run imperial federationimperial federation
Rich in ivory and rubber Rich in ivory and rubber and known for advanced and known for advanced work in copper and ironwork in copper and iron
Participated in thriving Participated in thriving slave tradeslave trade
King Leopold II & The King Leopold II & The CongoCongo
The Congo Free StateThe Congo Free State
European nations negotiated for European nations negotiated for African territory at the Berlin African territory at the Berlin Conference in 1884. Leopold made Conference in 1884. Leopold made an individual claim for the Congo, an individual claim for the Congo, establishing The Congo Free State.establishing The Congo Free State.
The Congo Free StateThe Congo Free State
Leopold sent Henry Leopold sent Henry Morton Stanley to Morton Stanley to negotiate with the negotiate with the CongoleseCongolese
Offered chiefs trinkets Offered chiefs trinkets or cloth if they would or cloth if they would place an “X” on a place an “X” on a document they couldn’t document they couldn’t readread
Cheap Labor…Barbaric Cheap Labor…Barbaric PracticesPractices
Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their wives and work by holding their wives and children captive until each man’s children captive until each man’s quota was met.quota was met.
Many who resisted were killed on the Many who resisted were killed on the spot.spot.
Quotas, Death, and Quotas, Death, and HandsHands
Between 1895-1908 and estimated 8-Between 1895-1908 and estimated 8-10 million died due to murder, 10 million died due to murder, mistreatment and starvation.mistreatment and starvation.
““Human Rights” Human Rights” MovementMovement
Public pressure Public pressure eventually forced eventually forced Leopold to sell the Leopold to sell the Congo Free State. It Congo Free State. It became The became The Belgian Congo in Belgian Congo in 1908.1908.
ImperialismImperialism
The policy of extending a nation’s The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic by the establishment of economic and political hegemony (the and political hegemony (the predominant influence, as of a state, predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or region, or group, over another or others) over other nations. Includes others) over other nations. Includes the system, policies, or practices of the system, policies, or practices of such a government.such a government.
ImperialismImperialism
““Robbery with violence, aggravated Robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale.murder on a great scale.””
--Heart of Darkness--Heart of Darkness
Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style
Elements Elements From the introduction: From the introduction: ““ItIt’’s about our s about our
capacity for idealism, as well as our capacity for idealism, as well as our
capacity for deterioration; our desire for capacity for deterioration; our desire for
brotherhood and our propensity to brotherhood and our propensity to
solitary crime…Marlowsolitary crime…Marlow’’s journey up the s journey up the
Congo is a journey into the heart of Congo is a journey into the heart of
manman’’s darkness.s darkness.””
Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style
Elements Elements ““……itit’’s about personal strength and s about personal strength and integrity and a psychological studyintegrity and a psychological study”” in in which which ““our best chance for survival, our best chance for survival, moral survival, lies in frankly moral survival, lies in frankly recognizing the infinite capacity for recognizing the infinite capacity for reversion and crime that slumber in all reversion and crime that slumber in all our unconscious minds.our unconscious minds.””
Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style
Elements Elements Frame narrativeFrame narrative
It may be uncomfortably It may be uncomfortably ““wordy…At wordy…At
times it seems Conrad and Marlow times it seems Conrad and Marlow
seem to want to erect a screen of seem to want to erect a screen of
words between themselves and the words between themselves and the
horror of a half-remembered horror of a half-remembered
experience…experience…””
Heart of DarknessHeart of DarknessContent & Style Content & Style
Elements Elements No chapters, only sections and long No chapters, only sections and long
narrations. Lots of subtext—narrations. Lots of subtext—underlying meaning or what is underlying meaning or what is between the lines.between the lines.
Look at mood, tone, SETTING, Look at mood, tone, SETTING, symbolism, and imagery.symbolism, and imagery.
ItIt’’s all about the journeys all about the journey
Marlow has returned from his Marlow has returned from his (archetypal) journey, so this implies (archetypal) journey, so this implies that…?that…?
He has changedHe has changed
As you read listen for two voices: As you read listen for two voices: The naïve narrator who hasnThe naïve narrator who hasn’’t yet faced t yet faced
the darknessthe darknessThe one who speaks with undertones of The one who speaks with undertones of
knowledge and hindsightknowledge and hindsight
HomeworkHomework
Read the opening scene of Heart of Darkness, starting from the beginning up through Marlow's first words. Stop when you get to the end of the paragraph that begins, “He broke off.” It's about 3 or so pages. The exposition does many, many things; pay particular attention to how Conrad is setting up his character and the situation.
HomeworkHomework
Make a list of 5-7 purposes the Make a list of 5-7 purposes the opening scene serves with opening scene serves with regards to mood, regards to mood, characterization, setting, tone, characterization, setting, tone, theme(s)/ideas established. This theme(s)/ideas established. This need not be written as a formal need not be written as a formal narrative…but expect that you’ll narrative…but expect that you’ll add on to this in class…add on to this in class…
Early Modernism & Early Modernism & ImpressionismImpressionism
As we view the image on the next As we view the image on the next slide, follow along and respond on slide, follow along and respond on your handoutyour handout
STEP 1: What is this?STEP 1: What is this?
Response
Consider your notes from last night on the opening scene of Heart of Darkness. On the same paper, 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.
Creating Mood
And now your turn!
Select a “mood” from the envelope and work with a partner to craft a mood narrative—a brief creative story that evokes this feeling or creates an atmosphere WITHOUT using the mood term or an obvious synonym.