The Distorted Images in Heart of Darkness
The distorted images in Heart of Darkness
Abstract
In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad exposes the evil of the imperialism and pays sympathy to the oppressed Africans. But affected by imperialist ideology, he serves as a racist and a defender of the imperialism when he attempts to condemn the colonizers. This paper will be analyzing the distorted images in Heart of darkness from the perspective of post-colonialism and Orientalism theory.
The present paper is divided into five parts:
Part 1 is a brief introduction of the author as well as the main idea of the novella. It also makes a clear the writing purpose of the thesis. Namely, to reveal and study Conrad’s imperialist thought in light of the analysis of the distorted images in the novella. Part 2 shows how Africans and Africa are regarded as “other”. Part 3 analyzes the distorted image of the Africans as Orientals. Part 4 gives a reason for Conrad’s Ambivalence thought: Conrad is a British subject. Part 5 is the Conclusion attempts to reaffirm that the novella reveals Conrad’s imperialist thought.
Keywords: Conrad, Heart of Darkness, distorted image, other, post-colonialism, orientalism
Thesis statement
By analyzing the distorted images in Heart of darkness from the perspective of post-colonialism and Orientalism theory, this paper aims to show that Joseph Conrad, under the influences of the penetrating and dominant imperialism ideology of his time, often unconsciously shows his racial discrimination against Africans in his writing.
Outline
1. Introduction
2. The images of the “other” 2.1 The distorted African men. 2.2 The distorted African women. 2.3 The dark river. 2.4 The dark land
3. The image of the “Orientals”
4． Conrad as a British subject
5． Conclusion
1. Introduction Heart of Darkness is one of the masterpieces of Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), one of the greatest English novelists at the end of 19th century. It is a jungle story about a young man named Charles Marlow who
Abstract
In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad exposes the evil of the imperialism and pays sympathy to the oppressed Africans. But affected by imperialist ideology, he serves as a racist and a defender of the imperialism when he attempts to condemn the colonizers. This paper will be analyzing the distorted images in Heart of darkness from the perspective of post-colonialism and Orientalism theory.
The present paper is divided into five parts:
Part 1 is a brief introduction of the author as well as the main idea of the novella. It also makes a clear the writing purpose of the thesis. Namely, to reveal and study Conrad’s imperialist thought in light of the analysis of the distorted images in the novella. Part 2 shows how Africans and Africa are regarded as “other”. Part 3 analyzes the distorted image of the Africans as Orientals. Part 4 gives a reason for Conrad’s Ambivalence thought: Conrad is a British subject. Part 5 is the Conclusion attempts to reaffirm that the novella reveals Conrad’s imperialist thought.
Keywords: Conrad, Heart of Darkness, distorted image, other, post-colonialism, orientalism
Thesis statement
By analyzing the distorted images in Heart of darkness from the perspective of post-colonialism and Orientalism theory, this paper aims to show that Joseph Conrad, under the influences of the penetrating and dominant imperialism ideology of his time, often unconsciously shows his racial discrimination against Africans in his writing.
Outline
1. Introduction
2. The images of the “other” 2.1 The distorted African men. 2.2 The distorted African women. 2.3 The dark river. 2.4 The dark land
3. The image of the “Orientals”
4． Conrad as a British subject
5． Conclusion
1. Introduction Heart of Darkness is one of the masterpieces of Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), one of the greatest English novelists at the end of 19th century. It is a jungle story about a young man named Charles Marlow who
Cited: Achebe, Chinua, Hopes and Impediments: Selected Essays. "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad 's Heart of Darkness." New York: Doubleday, 1989, pp.1-20. Berthoud, Jacques, ed. Joseph Conrad: the Major Phase. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1979. Brydon, Diana. Postcolonialism: Critical Concepts in Literary and Cultural Studies. London and New York Routledge, 2000. Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Shanghai: Shanghai Foreign Language Education Press, 2001. Keith, Ansell-Pearson, eds. Cutural readings of Imperialism Edward Said and the Gravity of History. London: Lawrence & Wishart. 1996 Murfin, Ross Walker, Franklin, ed. Heart of Darkness and The Secret Sharer. New York: Bantam Books, Inc. 1971.