The first thing which struck me as I started Heart of Darkness was Conrad’s use of dark diction and a gloomy tone. This is evidenced by his description of the air as “dark…condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding over the biggest, and greatest, town on earth. Such a gloomy tone is to be expected in a book entitled Heart of Darkness. Surprisingly, the tone does seem to change in the next page. Through the author’s descriptions of the river Thames as serene and beautiful, his obvious love and admiration for the river is almost tangible.
I certainly feel that Marlow’s seemingly random description of the Roman occupation of Britain and how the land must have seemed to them savage is very important. It serves a greater importance than just a trivial rant. I think, and this is only a guess, that it may foreshadow how he feels when he visits Africa.
The underlying danger of such a quest into the Dark Continent is symbolized in several ways. First, it is through Marlow’s recounting of the manner in which the captain, Fresleven, was found. The ferocity of the natives and their subsequent disappearance is both mysterious and dangerous. The second way in which it is symbolized is through the uncanny old woman who sits knitting in the drawing room. Her scrutinizing gaze holds everyone who passes through, and the fact that only half of the people she views will ever see her again adds to the danger of their quest.
Marlow’s encounter with the physician and his desire to measure Marlow’s head for science seems to me to imply racism. He seeks to understand the difference that would make some people wish to go to the Dark Continent and also to see how the size of their skull changes after encounters with the natives. The most obvious form of racism is the deplorable way the black “criminals” are treated. Their condition at the hands of the white man is atrocious. This is highlighted through the contrasting images of the black slaves and the white accountant. The slaves are practically dying from mal-nutrition while the white accountant is happily fed and decadently clothed.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI think your instinct about the purpose of the anecdote about the Romans is on the right track. Keep it in mind. I think also the conflict between the uncertainty and ambivalence Marlow feels about his early experiences in Africa and his love of the river and his awe of nature bears continued thinking. Keep noticing how he changes and grows in this regard. I share your incredulity at the accountant. This is one of the first places when I notice Conrad's use of unequivocal irony. my favorite ludicrous description is the "apple-pie order." As if one could even think of something as pleasant as apple pie in such a hellish setting!