Heart Of Darkness Part 1 debrief

What is the heart of darkness?

• africa, congo river
• savage = darkness
• anthropomorphized the continent?

Where do we see scientific racism?

• Phrenology, head and then mental state changes
  • implies Africa is so horrible that its traumatic
  • size of skull used for racism
• Described in parts instead of individuals
  • Not a specific human, but rather masses of limbs

What narrative techniques does Conrad use to distance readers from the plot?

• Frame based story
  • Modernism (don't know if what we are told is accurate)
  • Contrast with frankenstein frames: we always have quotes
• Narrator disagrees with Marlow?
• Past tense
• Marlow has two modes: one that's dreamy and abstract for describing the nature and the blacks, while the other is normal-ish for talking to whites.
• Jumpy narrative
  • Doesn't always distinguish between thoughts and events
  • Passage of time isn't clear
  • Fog
• No names other than Kurtz
  • descriptions, but no other actual names
• Marlow emotions
  • Marlow stops talking when it gets too intense, pausing before resuming

• So ingrained in the characters and society in the book that it feels natural in the context of the book, but when talking about it in our social context the whole thing feels very racist

What do we know about Kurtz

• Highly effective at collecting ivory
• Seen as a genius or superhuman
• Holds power and strength
• In charge of a trading post
• Local figurehead
• Pioneer into the heart of darkness
• People are upset that he's so good
• Mostly heard about through rumors
• Rumored sick

Painting pg. 29-30

• Impressionist? Not too modern or surreal but not too many things going on at once
• European expansion into africa
  • Blindfolded and carrying a torch into the darkness
  • blindfold - don't know whats going into
  • torch to civilize the natives
• She's a woman?
  • The position of a european women
  • He thinks they should be kept ignorant of the situation and of all the darkness in the world
  • Women bring light but are kept ignorant of the darkness?
  • The company is willfully blinding itself to the dehumanization
• darkness -> torchlight -> makes her sinister (light reflecting on her face) although she was originally stately
• Seems sinister to an outsider, but the woman doesn't think she's sinister
• Acting as a beacon to other people, blindly leading
• Why did Kurtz paint it?
  • Kurtz is a beacon?
  • Why does Kurtz see himself as blindfolded (juxtaposition with other's description)
  • If he identifies with the painting, why did he paint a woman?
• Draped?
  • Not pants
  • Statue of liberty
  • Justice
• Juxtoposition between light and dark

Religious Vocab

• Painting
• philanthropy
• Saints
• Devil/God knows
  • Seen as blasphemy during the time
• River has/is a devil/god
• Devils of stuff that compel the whites
• Inferno
• River as snake
• Other small references