How Do Conrad and Butcher Use of Image of Decay to Convey a Sense of Danger?

With Close reference to two extracts, how do Conrad and Butcher make use of image of decay to convey a sense of danger?

Images of decay to convey a sense of danger is presented in both extracts, ‘Heart of Darkness,’ on the subject of its ‘Nature.’ Marlow felt endangered in his exploration, as Butcher from ‘Blood River,’ who claimed that, the vast majority of deaths’ are the result not of combat, ‘but of the Congo’s decay.’ The idea that since Conrad’s time, Butcher assents that the Congo is going backwards in terms of development, where machinery for combat was not significant.
Human decay in ‘Blood River,’ is quite perceptible about the ‘sickly child.’ The use of a premodifier can cause anxiety and worry towards the reader and himself. It can easily be conjured up in Butcher’s mind as human decay because of the ‘fever’ and being ‘wide –eyed,’ signify a slow death.
Use of simple sentences; ‘Do you have any medicine?’ I asked. She shook her head,’ is used to create a sense of stark reality that there’s no solution of survival, only death. Marlow portrayed the Congo as human; use of personification. He described it performing ‘the merry dance of death.’ The use of personification is affected when exaggerating Congo’s behaviour when wiping out its intruders. This use of language creates a symbol for Marlow to relate and connect to throughout his journey.
Genre is also worth taking into account. In ‘Blood River,’ the use of mystery is clear when Butcher quoted ‘hidden African world.’ This brings to mind how dangerous the country is and for that reason, he’s unaware what the country is offering him; visual encounter of ‘human bones.’ The adjective ‘hidden’ is very effective lexis when describing the overall factor of the country which is untouched, full of secrets and unwanted.
Butcher described the setting as ‘abandoned,’ and the use of a semi-colon after ‘abandoned’ create an impression of nervousness because the people are not protected from the ‘avoidable disease.’ So people are dying causing decay in the atmosphere and surroundings.
In ‘Blood River,’ the use of hyperbole where he described his feelings when he was getting into the ‘canoe.’ Apparently it ‘was a moment for only modest celebration.’ This suggests to the readers, that Butcher is much safer on the boat than on land and this has an effect on his feeling which is apprehension. After seeing the decay, it’s like he’s put in danger as well, and he can’t wait to get on the boat away from it all.
Similarly, the unknown and mystery are somewhat evident for example; Marlow was told about a man who ‘hanged’ himself and he wanted to know why he died, the Swede Captain said ‘Who knows? The sun too much for him or the country perhaps.’’ This sense of mystery can easily be associated with decay because of its connotation such as, death and rotting because it’s a country with no self control.
The setting appeals to the senses for example when Marlow describes the ‘atmosphere’ as ‘earthy.’ This creates a sense of dampness and grimness. He too described the ‘catacomb’ as being ‘overheated,’ this appeal to the sense of touch as being hot, discomforting and ill-tempered.
In ‘Heart of Darkness,’ Marlow described an abandoned boat as being ‘limp like a rag.’ The use of simile is drawn between two different things creating an effect. The way it was depicted, it made it sound as if the Congo herself easily wrecked the boat with no difficulty and the structure of the boat is fragile and lifeless, just like a rag.
The Captain ends most of his speech with an exclamation mark for example, ‘Hanged himself!’ Exclamation mark is a good use of hyperbole when creating an impact of danger and warning for the reader to see. The phrase ‘Hanged himself’ was repeated twice. This suggests to the reader that the Captain was making it clear for Marlow the danger that are out there, where human suffering occur, and their decay are left in the wilderness, in ‘Heart of Darkness.’
The use first person narrative but in ‘Heart of Darkness,’ the narrative voice is a story within a story and this is known as frame narrative. You known that the main story about the Congo is told by Marlow, he acts as the link for the readers to know what the book is mainly about, but the actual story teller is unknown and this create sense of mystery. Using Marlow to tell the story can easily depict the images of decay from his personal experience. It’s like he’s informing the other crew members the danger the Congo is providing for them. Equally in ‘Blood River’ it is written in the first person because of the use of personal pronoun, ‘I.’ this is effective especially when the writer is developing a connection between him and the readers. The use of ‘I’s’ makes the novel more personal and makes it sound realistic for example ‘I found the Congo a relentlessly punishing place to travel.’ It makes the reader agree with Butcher’s opinions and they will become attach to him and at the same time, it’s grabbing their attention. This was his intention because Butcher wants his reader to know the dangers that are out there, and making the putrefying environment clearer. The use of pronouns allow the readers to realise the degree of waste created by decay, and Butcher feels defenceless because he struggles to steer away from the ‘turmoil’ of decompose, causing a sense of danger by not allowing him to feel ‘relax.’
Characterisation is fundamental to contemplate. Characterising Marlow as a man, he possesses both knowledge of travelling because he’s a ‘seaman’ and audacity, while Butcher possesses awareness and understanding about its history about the ‘nineteenth-century explorers,’ who explored the same route, but he has no confidence when he says, ‘sitting in that canoe on the Congo River for the first time was a moment for only modest celebration.’ This suggests that he can’t handle the danger on land and he’s much safer on the river. That’s why Marlow’s attitude towards decay differs from Butcher’s. Marlow concern towards the environment’s fester is apparent to him because, as a traveller the reader would suggest that Marlow would already experience human death in his previous journey as a ‘seaman’. Whereas in In ‘Blood River,’ Butcher’s individual experience is important for example, he stated about ‘peering’ into the hidden African world ‘with my own eyes.’ This shows that he cannot keep away from the decompose grimness and therefore, this create a sense of realism by saying ‘my own eyes,’ in addition to the non-fiction novel compared to Marlow’s experience which is fictional, so it doesn’t have that same effect of realism. Butcher focuses on human decay because he may have researched about the Congo and its country and he knows what to expect. Human decay is more apparent to him because, it’s his first time in seeing human decay or suffering, just like the ‘sickly child’ on the boat. ‘Heart of Darkness’ was set in the 19th Century where infectious diseases are a health threat, accounting for at least 50% of all deaths. Malaria and aids are the main infections, but back then, medicines to prevent these problems were not invented, so death was enormously widespread. Even though ‘Blood River’ was set in the 21st Century and medicines were now easily obtained; those who are living near the Congo are living in the past, and diseases are still a major health threat particularly among infants. So Butcher shaped is novel through the use of research and linguistic technique; inflection. Where the word changes to show possession for example, ‘Congo’s decay. ‘In ‘Heart of Darkness,’ Conrad use the same technique for example, ‘whose banks’ and ‘whose waters.’ This highlights nature’s personal weapon and exhibit its dangerous threat to those who are travelling along the river, and to indicate its dangerous threat to the readers. It gives the Congo a sense of identity which is negative. Change in language is quite apparent between the two extracts and this is known as diachronic change; change of language over time. In ‘Heart of Darkness’ Conrad uses the word ‘amongst,’ this particular phrase has dated and it’s less common in standard everyday speech. Many authors’ writing in the 19th Century such as Conrad would have been up with ‘lowth’s grammar, an idea of correctness and formal grammar,’ over time, it’s less common to use that word but instead use the phrase ‘among.’ So the register in Conrad’s writing is quite formal in his novel while the register in Butcher’s writing is slightly informal because he is a journalist, and his language is quite colloquial. The causes of colloquialism I Butcher’s writing due to cultural change because, in the 21st people have free will to write in their own style, while Conrad’s culture is all about Standard English. Both extracts, their main themes are journey, mystery and decay because every description they stated is about their journey being surrounded by death and risk taking. In conclusion, both extracts show the theme of ‘danger’ through the use decay and death. Use of modifiers are use to create an effect of danger from their observation, which is well displayed. However, they convey danger differently because, ‘Blood River’ mainly exaggerate human decay and ‘Heart of Darkness’ use environmental decay to show danger.