"True‚ by this time it was not a blank space any more it had become a place of darkness." (Heart of Darkness) Examine the significance of blank spaces’ in THREE novels of the 19th and/or early 20th centuries. The ellipsis in the titular quote refers to an important omission: "it [the blank space] had got filled since my boyhood with rivers and lakes and names. It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over."1 Conrad’s Marlow highlights
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Darkness A prominent‚ recurring theme in Sonny’s Blues is the conceptual tie between light and dark and the beliefs of the narrator and his brother‚ Sonny. In the traditional sense‚ light often symbolizes truth and enlightenment while darkness suggests the abysmal and totally contradicts any notions its opposite may kindle. It can be taken that the narrator chooses the path of light because though he still resides in the same area in which he grew up‚ he has become an educator and escaped a fate
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Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim Many times‚ after a successful novel‚ an author will publish another story very similar to the praised one. Joseph Conrad followed in suit with the previous statement. After the publication of Heart of Darkness in 1899‚ Lord Jim was released in 1900. However‚ according to majority of his critics‚ Conrad’s Lord Jim arguably outdoes Heart of Darkness to be named his best work. Few realize‚ though‚ that Lord Jim was actually started before Heart of Darkness and
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settling in and setting up colonies in Africa. For “Things Fall Apart”‚ this is a major point of attention in the novel‚ and it includes prominently in “Heart of Darkness” also. Both novels demonstrate several of the effects that the white colonists upheld on the area‚ and shows the major influence they had on the natives. For example‚ in “Heart of Darkness” we are shown the influence and power of Kurtz upon the natives residing in the Inner Station‚ where they described him real close to a god. On the
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One World‚ Two Stories Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” are two significant and well-known works treating colonialism in Africa. When reading these two stories‚ one cannot help but realize that though the two authors are making two separate points about two groups‚ Africans and Europeans‚ they both have somewhat of the same theme. In Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” and Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”‚ the theme seems to be acceptance. Both main characters‚ Okonkwo and Marlow
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In fact‚ it has been said that Things Fall Apart was written as a response to another novel‚ The Heart of Darkness. This is because in the latter novel‚ Africa was viewed in a darker light compared to the former novel. Thus‚ it’s natural that there will be differences and similarities between the two novels. However‚ assuming that Things Fall Apart being written as a response to The Heart of Darkness is a fact; there will be more differences than similarities among the two novels‚ especially in terms
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In the twentieth century‚ nihilistic themes‚ such as moral degeneration‚ man¡¯s bestial instincts at the core of the soul‚ and cosmic purposelessness‚ have preoccupied many works of literature and philosophy. Joseph Conrad¡¯s Heart of Darkness is no exception. In his novel‚ Conrad uses a unique writing style to explore man¡¯s fundamental fallibility and moral confusion in an existential world through his character¡¯s journey on the Congo River. The story¡¯s exposition sets the stage as Marlow
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Darkness resides in everyone‚ whether people want to admit it or not. Sometimes the evil is subtle‚ like hidden abuse while other times it is beyond obvious‚ like genocide. Whether it is subtle or known‚ that darkness will eat away at a person’s soul. Kurtz was an intelligent person and respected back home. What happened? He gave into the darkness and unleashed it upon the natives in Africa. In Heart of Darkness‚ Joseph Conrad uses Kurtz’s last words as a recognition of life choices and a proclamation
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In this extract taken from the Novella‚ Heart of Darkness‚ Joseph Conrad explores many elements. Conrad uses a framing narrative; Marlow’s narrative is framed by another narrative‚ in which the reader listens to Marlow’s story told through one of those listening. The narrator remains unnamed as do the other listeners. The narration is told in the first-person plural‚ letting the reader know what each of the four listeners are thinking and feeling. It could be interpreted that the anonymity of the
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the word “darkness” in the title of Conrad’s Heart of Darkness immediately alludes to its relevance to the story‚ but in an unexpected way. While the contrast of light and dark‚ white and black‚ and good and evil is a common theme in Heart of Darkness‚ Conrad essentially reverses the meanings of what is “light‚” or good‚ and what is “dark‚” or evil. Heart of Darkness is about the penetration of a corrupt light into darkness‚ and the consequences that result when the purity of the darkness is tainted
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