Introducing Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

Quickwrite Take a few minutes to ponder the following question: What restraints prevent us from yielding to our darkest compulsions?

Locating the Text Congo River

The Congo River

Pre-Colonial Prosperity The Kingdom of the Congo was a well-run imperial federation The Kingdom of the Congo was a well-run imperial federation Rich in ivory and rubber and known for advanced work in copper and iron Rich in ivory and rubber and known for advanced work in copper and iron Participated in thriving slave trade Participated in thriving slave trade

King Leopold II & The Congo

The Congo Free State European nations negotiated for African territory at the Berlin Conference in Leopold made an individual claim for the Congo, establishing The Congo Free State.

The Congo Free State Leopold sent Henry Morton Stanley to negotiate with the Congolese Offered chiefs trinkets or cloth if they would place an “X” on a document they couldn’t read

Cheap Labor…Barbaric Practices Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their wives and children captive until each man’s quota was met. Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their wives and children captive until each man’s quota was met. Many who resisted were killed on the spot. Many who resisted were killed on the spot.

Quotas, Death, and Hands Between and estimated 8-10 million died due to murder, mistreatment and starvation.

“Human Rights” Movement Public pressure eventually forced Leopold to sell the Congo Free State. It became The Belgian Congo in 1908.

Imperialism The policy of extending a nation’s authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony (the predominant influence, as of a state, region, or group, over another or others) over other nations. Includes the system, policies, or practices of such a government.

Imperialism “ Robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale. ” --Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness Content & Style Elements From the introduction: “It’s about our capacity for idealism, as well as our capacity for deterioration; our desire for brotherhood and our propensity to solitary crime…Marlow’s journey up the Congo is a journey into the heart of man’s darkness.”

Heart of Darkness Content & Style Elements “…it’s about personal strength and integrity and a psychological study” in which “our best chance for survival, moral survival, lies in frankly recognizing the infinite capacity for reversion and crime that slumber in all our unconscious minds.”

Heart of Darkness Content & Style Elements Frame narrative Frame narrative It may be uncomfortably “wordy…At times it seems Conrad and Marlow seem to want to erect a screen of words between themselves and the horror of a half- remembered experience…” It may be uncomfortably “wordy…At times it seems Conrad and Marlow seem to want to erect a screen of words between themselves and the horror of a half- remembered experience…”

Heart of Darkness Content & Style Elements No chapters, only sections and long narrations. Lots of subtext—underlying meaning or what is between the lines. No chapters, only sections and long narrations. Lots of subtext—underlying meaning or what is between the lines. Look at mood, tone, SETTING, symbolism, and imagery. Look at mood, tone, SETTING, symbolism, and imagery.

It’s all about the journey Marlow has returned from his (archetypal) journey, so this implies that…? Marlow has returned from his (archetypal) journey, so this implies that…? He has changed As you read listen for two voices: As you read listen for two voices: The naïve narrator who hasn’t yet faced the darkness The naïve narrator who hasn’t yet faced the darkness The one who speaks with undertones of knowledge and hindsight The one who speaks with undertones of knowledge and hindsight

Homework 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.

Homework Make a list of 5-7 purposes the opening scene serves with regards to mood, characterization, setting, tone, theme(s)/ideas established. This need not be written as a formal narrative…but expect that you’ll add on to this in class…

Early Modernism & Impressionism As we view the image on the next slide, follow along and respond on your handout

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.