Humanities Heart Of Darkness Essay
Heart of Darkness
Humanities I
Throughout history, mankind has struggled with various groups of people and their inclination to subjugate other cultures. Whether it is for a matter of power of image, man has resorted to the usage of harsh tactics and inhumane behavior in order to obtain domination. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, deals with this concept. In the story readers observe the main conflict between protagonist- European society, and antagonist- native Congo culture. Roland Barthes said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Similarly, Heart of Darkness, displays the inhumane behavior of man towards another, without a clear explanation of why. The Europeans felt superior and as a result, proceeded to take full advantage of a ‘backwards’ people. Joseph Conrad’s main character, Marlow, displays characteristics which are different from the normal Europeans. He can see the wrongdoings that are taking place within the Congo. He keeps his humanity, with the risk of losing it quickly after being immersed in the new savage environment. Without set rules in a society, people will resort to primal instincts and their subconscious id. At one point in the novel, a man named Fresleven, who was originally a gentle man, soon gave into the barbaric ways within the jungle and lashed out against another man. As Barthes quote stated, “literature is the question minus the answer”, Fresleven a character within the work of literature acts in a way which makes the readers wonder what exactly was going on within the man’s mind, but are left without the answer to why he did what he did. “-I heard the original quarrel arose from a misunderstanding about some hens. Yes, two black hens. Fresleven-that was the fellows name, and Dane- thought to himself how wronged in the bargain, so he was sent ashore and started to hammer the chief of the village with a stick. Oh, it didn’t surprise me in the least to hear this, and at the same to be told the Fresleven was
Humanities I
Throughout history, mankind has struggled with various groups of people and their inclination to subjugate other cultures. Whether it is for a matter of power of image, man has resorted to the usage of harsh tactics and inhumane behavior in order to obtain domination. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, deals with this concept. In the story readers observe the main conflict between protagonist- European society, and antagonist- native Congo culture. Roland Barthes said, “Literature is the question minus the answer.” Similarly, Heart of Darkness, displays the inhumane behavior of man towards another, without a clear explanation of why. The Europeans felt superior and as a result, proceeded to take full advantage of a ‘backwards’ people. Joseph Conrad’s main character, Marlow, displays characteristics which are different from the normal Europeans. He can see the wrongdoings that are taking place within the Congo. He keeps his humanity, with the risk of losing it quickly after being immersed in the new savage environment. Without set rules in a society, people will resort to primal instincts and their subconscious id. At one point in the novel, a man named Fresleven, who was originally a gentle man, soon gave into the barbaric ways within the jungle and lashed out against another man. As Barthes quote stated, “literature is the question minus the answer”, Fresleven a character within the work of literature acts in a way which makes the readers wonder what exactly was going on within the man’s mind, but are left without the answer to why he did what he did. “-I heard the original quarrel arose from a misunderstanding about some hens. Yes, two black hens. Fresleven-that was the fellows name, and Dane- thought to himself how wronged in the bargain, so he was sent ashore and started to hammer the chief of the village with a stick. Oh, it didn’t surprise me in the least to hear this, and at the same to be told the Fresleven was