Heart of Darkness Study Questions Chapter 1 1. The setting of the story begins on the Nellie‚ a ship. The turn of the tide is significant because it gives the men on board extra time to talk‚ and Marlow begins telling his story. In addition‚ symbolically‚ the turning of the tide conveys a change‚ and perhaps‚ foreshadowing of the story. The author spends a lot of time dealing with light because it is the main symbol in the novella. Light and darkness are universal symbols that represent good and
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The novel opens with the Nellie‚ a small ship‚ dropping an anchor in the Thames River. This unnamed narrator names the men on board the ship‚ the Director of Companies‚ the Lawyer‚ the Accountant‚ and Charles Marlow. The unnamed narrator thinks about the long history of British exploration and conquest with fondness as he looks over the river. After two or three small paragraphs the point of view shifts to Marlow‚ who becomes the main narrator of the rest of the novel. He observes to several friends
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Joseph Conrad’s “The Heart of Darkness” takes place on the deck of the Nellie. Marlow begins to tell his story about the time he ventured out on a steamboat up the Congo River. He discovers “The Company”‚ a larger ivory trading firm and there witnesses tragedy‚ corruption‚ waste‚ and chaos. It “has been one of the darkest places of earth” (Conrad 5) Marlow said once. After‚ Marlow stumbles upon the introduction of the “ Marvelous” Mr‚ Kurtz‚ The Company’s best agent. Marlow initiates the repair of
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Society’s Foible: The Horrors of Imperialism In Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness‚ Conrad epitomizes his very own experiences through an intense and slightly exaggerated story. Conrad creates the character Charles Marlow and has Marlow recount his expedition of the Congo River in Africa. The story follows the disturbing journey Marlow took by working for a Belgian company and quest to find a mysterious man named Kurtz‚ who has become power-driven and insane. Along the way‚ Marlow discovers
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Racism in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad’s work might be looked at in different perspectives‚ such as a critical work of imperialism‚ or might even be considered an ironic novel with racism portrayed in it‚ due to the way Charles Marlow perceives and describes all there is around him. I personally believe that a racist is that one who firmly believes in the inferiority of people because of different factors such as skin color‚ culture‚ language‚ etc; or mainly those who participate in acts that
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The Role of Women in Heart of Darkness These days‚ women are as successful and as career-oriented as men. This fact is punctuated by the fact that women are now experiencing stress and disease that used to be the constant companions of men in the workforce. Such is the price of equality and career mobility! However‚ in the early 1900s‚ females were still held to be less viable than men and in stories were often portrayed as subservient and weak and thus cast in inferior roles to men. At this
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In Dark Heart of the Night‚ political upheaval triggers a multitude of questions that challenge the patriarchal society in Mboasu‚ in Central Africa. As a rebel group comes in and creates turmoil in the small village of Eku in the span of a single night‚ there is a shift in the gender hierarchy from man to woman when the chief gets decapitated as a symbol of weakness in his leadership‚ and strength in the young man who performed the decapitation. In that horrific night‚ members of the village began
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mouse shivering while trembling in fear. As the analyst draws closer‚ the mouse’s heart skips a beat. When the analyst reaches‚ the mouse tries to dodge the hand. He grasps the mouse’s body; the mouse tries to squirm out of his hand but no luck. The analyst grabs his long needle and inserts it into the mouse’s blood. The mouse was agonizing in pain. The chemical courses through the mouse’s veins. Its heart beat starts slowing down. The mouse closes its eyes and hopes for the best. It took
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There’s nothing in the world so demoralizing as money.” Since the beginning of time‚ humans have associated money with tearing away people’s goodness or‚ for a more known example‚ the saying that money is the root of all evil. In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness‚ Kurtz exemplifies this exact situation of becoming somewhat addicted to gaining riches and lets his darker side take control. This tragic obsession eventually leads to his character’s downfall. Kurtz is a character who takes his success
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At the start of the novel‚ Marlow‚ along with the four other men‚ watch the Director of Companies. Marlow makes this note about him while the Director is looking seaward: “It was difficult to realize his work was not out there in the luminous estuary‚ but behind him‚ within the brooding gloom” (1). One would think that the Director’s work would be in the future‚ out before him and waiting to be taken care of. However‚ Marlow’s remark that the Director’s work is actually behind him is quite the contrary
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