The Meaning Of Heart Of Darkness Essay - 1138 Words

Nishi Natalia AP Literature Comp The Meaning of Heart of Darkness Although, as a society, we discourage the process of not judging a book by its cover, we have all been guilty of doing it at some point. The first item we look at when we pick up a new book is the title and the cover as a whole. These are two key components when it comes to using our heuristics to decide if a book is worthwhile reading or not. With only two items to judge by, each has to hold significant importance in order to draw a reader into reading the novel. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad represents a mysterious title to draw readers into reading the novel, but hold a much more significant underlying meaning which represents many elements in the novel, while also symbolizing external concepts in the overall plot. The title represents many important elements such as the character of Mr. Kurtz and others, to the setting of Africa in the novel, and to the concept of the evil nature of imperialism outside of the novel. Through the title, Conrad has created significance for elements of the novel creating a very large impact on readers of the book. One way in which the title can be interpreted is to symbolize the interior of Africa called the Congo. The text considers the deep jungle of Africa as the heart of darkness both for its untamed and hostile wilderness and for its supposed savages who hang out there practicing certain non-European customs such as cannibalism. The major and significantShow MoreRelated The Meaning of Heart of Darkness in the Post-Colonial Climate3726 Words   |  15 PagesThe Meaning of Heart of Darkness in the Post-Colonial Climate Since its publication in 1899, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has rarely been disputed on the basis of its literary merits; in fact, it was long seen as one of the great novels of the burgeoning modern era, a sort of bridge between the values and storytelling styles of the waning Victorian period and those of the modern era (Gatten), and regarded a high-ranking space amidst the great literature of the century, if not theRead MoreAllegorical Meanings of the Journey Depicted in Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness 1112 Words   |  5 PagesFor decades, Joseph Conrad’s The Heart of Darkness has been appreciated, studied, and speculated upon. 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Kurtz’s Intended, in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, is this kind of character. The unnamed woman only appears for a brief period at the end of the novel, but Conrad includes her for three very crucial reasons. He has Kurtz’s fiancà ©e appear to provide a justification forRead MoreEssay On The Journey In Heart Of Darkness769 Words   |  4 PagesThe movement in Heart of Darkness represents the journey in and out of literal and figurative darkness of the story. It represents the literal journey in and out of darkness because the main character describes the journey in and out of Mr Kurtz’ ivory cabin as the journey in and out of the ‘heart of darkness’. Another journey in and out of the darkness of the story is the moral darkness of the story when the main character makes more and more twisted decisions as the story goes on. 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I agree that the terms and wording of this novel are racist and very inappropriate for today’s world to use, but we have to remind ourselves of the time period in which this was written. Conrad’s use of racist remarks like â€Å"savages† and the â€Å"N† word to label the Africans inRead MoreGender Role In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness Essay1430 Words   |  6 PagesGender Role In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness For the most part people who read Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad may feel that the novella is strictly a story of exploration and racial discrimination. But to Johanna Smith who wrote â€Å"’Too Beautiful Altogether’: Ideologies of Gender and Empire in Heart of Darkness† it is much more than that. Johanna Smith along with Wallace Watson and Rita A. Bergenholtz agree that throughout Heart of Darkness there are tones of gender prejudice, but the way