http://www.utm.edu/staff/lalexand/brnovel/Heart.htm (You will need to copy and paste the link into the address bar) Read the information contained on the link provided as historical context for Heart of Darkness. Your forum for this week is a response to that information. What stands out as being significant to you and why? Explain in depth the different elements that you feel will be important as you read the novel. Your response must be at least 100 words, and you need to read and respond to at least two of your classmates in a manner that promotes discussion (not, "I agree, great response.").
54 Comments
Gallagher Martin
9/11/2014 01:02:10 am
From reading that small, little passage, I am know very excited to read Heart of Darkness. What I found the most interesting, is how it is an actual experience that the author was there for in person. What did the author see that was so terrifying, so excruciating, so awful in that African Congo? I can only imagine the images, but I am intrigued to see the images that are going to be put into my mind when I read. The passage spent a lengthy portion talking about the racism involved. When you combine the 18th century, with an entire continent of native Africans, there's going to be some controversy. But what stands out to me, is that there wouldn't have been much controversy surrounding the use of the "n" word. Now days, it's unacceptable, but it was just another word to describe a person of color back then. I don't believe the author was racist, he just lived in a different time. Some people will argue that point, and perhaps my view on that will change once I've read the book. Racism is a touchy subject in America, but what we must remember when reading this book is that it was written in the 18th century. We're in the 21st century now. Times have changed. Words have different meanings and we react differently to those words now. When reading, we all just need to relax and remember the author's perspective is different than ours.
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Laura Peck
9/11/2014 04:11:30 am
I completely agree with you that using the "n" word to describe a person of color was something generally accepted at the time and not seen as offensive as it is today. It was just a different time. The author's perspective is different from ours, and it has been shaped by other experiences we cannot claim. It is important that this was preserved in literature to aid in the remembrance of the past. Do you think that it helps us look back and recognize the great "victory" we have gotten to in equality?
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Gallagher Martin
9/11/2014 04:24:26 am
I don't know if the word I would use is victory. We've defiantly grown a lot since the 18th century to say the least, but I would say the real battle between race still hasn't came. You're completely right that as a nation, we've succeeded in limiting racism, but at this time in the author's life, race didn't quite mean the same thing as it would in the very near future. Also he's in Africa. Now I'll be honest, I'm not too caught up on my history so I don't quite know the racial struggles going on in Africa. I do know in the early 1900's the Congo went through something worse than the Holocaust. Most African Natives were black so obviously there wouldn't be any problem between the natives, but what was the relation with visiting whites like the author? To answer your question, yes, I do believe we can look back at how far we've come, but the author wasn't American so it doesn't directly involve "us." I think a lot of the questions we have will be answered after we read the book.
Mallory Harger
9/11/2014 04:15:20 am
This is a very interesting take on the passage. But it seems to my that in society today, the "n" word means nearly nothing. I can't even go a day without hearing it said down the hallway to a friend or in a rap song. Maybe we can relate more to the author's time period than we think.
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Nate
9/11/2014 04:16:37 am
I noticed in the post we read that Conrad himself may not have been racist, but painting the picture of a racist Englishman. It should also be noted that he only uses the insult after that character abused another in some manner. I think at the time this was written, it was starting to be known that calling someone a ****** was in fact an insult. Thoughts?
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Laura Peck
9/11/2014 04:07:57 am
Not only do Conrad’s experiences directly affect the story of Heart of Darkness, but it also sounds like his pessimistic view of life in general found its way into his storytelling. I think it will be important for me to remember that “Conrad is a master at using irony and deception.” Perhaps, while reading his work, I will need to read more in between the lines. It will definitely be a “thinking” book rather than a leisure book. I think it will also be important to remember that English was not his first language, and even more important to realize that he was a sailor. Some of Heart of Darkness was probably shaped by these experiences, making the book more real to life and reachable. His experience in Congo also affected him in a strange way mentally...this probably led to his pessimistic attitude apparently evident in his writing.
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Gallagher Martin
9/11/2014 04:13:19 am
But the fact that he is pessimistic throughout the book really sets up his theme. And with a title like "Heart of Darkness" do you really expect Green Eggs and Ham, or do you expect Heart of Darkness? You brought up a good point about how English is not his first language so it will be important to read between the lines, as you mentioned, and look carefully what he really means to say. I think that's why we read the "How to Read Literature Like a Professor" before because we will have to be reading between the lines. So you made a good point about reading between the lines, and yes the book may be pessimistic, but that sets up the ultimate mood and will really go with the title of this book.
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Laura Peck
9/11/2014 04:18:19 am
I think his pessimism is a good thing...it probably sets a tone for his story, and it also makes his writing his own.
Josie McClendon
9/11/2014 04:19:45 am
It is important to remember that Conrad's first language was not english but it was also mentioned that he had a great ear for the language and would be able to pick on the meaning behind what english speaking people meant behind their words. This could help play into the fact that "Conrad is a master at using irony and deception"
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Mallory Harger
9/11/2014 04:09:17 am
The part that stood out as significant to me while reading the historical background for Heart of Darkness would have to be the author’s trip to Africa and his constant changing of class. As the website states, Joseph Conrad had always dreamed of going to Africa. He saw many things in Africa that affected the story of Heart of Darkness. Not only did he experience several horrors while in Congo, Conrad felt them for the rest of his life due to his never-ending sickness. The other part that stood out to me was the constant class changing. While sailing around the world, Conrad often gambled and ended up having huge amounts of debt. Conrad married and his wife and two sons lived in poor conditions. After his works finally started to get recognition, Conrad’s financial status changed. He and his family were no longer part of the poorest people.
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Nate
9/11/2014 04:20:47 am
I'd like to speculate on what horrors he witnessed. Do you think it was primal, such as cannibalism, or just the enormous shock of being in a completely different landscape? Was his illness a reaction to his shock, or was it something different? I'm interested to see what other symptoms present in the book.
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Stephanie Farney
9/12/2014 04:23:55 am
I think it was culture shock, to be quite honest. He traveled to Congo from "civilization". The African culture is much different from the English culture, so I believe that it was the different landscape that shocked him in addition to the culture of the people who lived in it. His illness could possibly be related to the stress that comes with culture shock, since stress can make you more prone to diseases. That combined with the fact that he probably had not been exposed to the diseases in Africa most likely led to his illness.
Hannah Marshall
9/11/2014 04:23:58 am
I agree with Conrad's wanting to sail around the world and explore new places. I think after his visit to Africa he was shaken up a bit and maybe he regrets ever going. I also think that because of all the choices he made during his life, he never would have written such a deep, and powerful book and he never would have received the credit for his work of literature. For that his family could still have been struggling in the lower class.
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Amanda Wilde
9/14/2014 04:38:20 am
When you're talking about class, I agree that he probably did have culture shock coming from the English culture to a poorer area in Africa. He probably did not know how to live or adapt to his new area which may have led to his lower class title.
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Riley Burghart
9/14/2014 11:55:38 am
I think Conrad found his way to entrap readers in his novel by using this tactic. The way he says things that glitter are actually not as they seem makes the whole novel suspicious in it's being. If pretty is bad, ugly is good, black is white, white is black; I'm already lost! But I crave to wonder what his initial thought was when writing out each of the pages. What did his thought on a specific page contribute to his story?
Nate
9/11/2014 04:11:23 am
So Conrad was an interesting fellow. By changing the standard "Light is good, dark is bad.", he has the ability to shock and surprise an unknowing reader. I am interested to see what comes of the racial language. By today's norm, it is entirely inappropriate, but it can offer insight into the minds of people, just off of how they refer to one another.
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Dakota Cavanaugh
9/11/2014 04:27:54 am
I think that saying Conrad was an interesting fellow is a bit of an understatement. Conrad had many huge aspirations and followed most of them. He went to Africa, was the captain of ships, and was a well known public author. So, that also offers up the thought of how interesting his writing will be. This literary work should be... different to say the least.
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Madison Hoffman
9/14/2014 08:25:49 am
I agree that Conrad will catch the readers off guard by using deception of light and darkness. Symbols that would usually have the feeling of being good or pure will represent an underlying darkness throughout the story.
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Ian Ediger
9/11/2014 04:12:47 am
I think that the book is going to be very interesting in that it is from the perspective of one of the colonizers, not the colonized. I think that this will provide an interesting counter-viewpoint to the more traditional viewpoint. There are not many well-known books about colonialism that are told from the viewpoint of the colonizer. An important element that would be important would be the reactions of the Africans to Marlowe's presence, and also as him being a racist. This would be important in that it could either make or break his trust with his passengers on his riverboat.
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Gallagher Martin
9/11/2014 04:16:45 am
Is Marlowe a racist or is he simply just living in a different time from us? Your traditional racial slurs now days, were simply normal adjectives to describe somebody colored. I don't believe he is racist, ignorant maybe, but not racist. I think after we read the book, then we can argue whether or not he's racist and maybe my own opinion will change, but for now I don't think we can characterize him as a racist when he lived over two centuries ago.
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Ian Ediger
9/11/2014 04:21:27 am
Even though they were normal adjectives, does not mean that they weren't racial slurs. It may have been the norm to call someone the 'n' word, but that does not mean that it is not a racial slur.
Stephanie Farney
9/12/2014 04:28:52 am
I agree with Ian. During this time frame, white supremacy was a widely held belief, so the 'n' word most likely had a very derogatory connotation to it. However, that does not necessarily mean that he was a racist, and it is mentioned that he did not call every African the 'n' word.
Paul Lansaw
9/11/2014 04:14:41 am
The most interesting thing I personally saw was that Conrad wanted to things and reached those goals; he wanted to go to the congo as a child and he did,he wanted to sail so he worked on a ship. The question that came up asking about if Conrad was racist or not was stupid in my opinion,in order for a character to be portrayed well,you must emulate all of their characteristics if the author was to leave out the use of the "n" word the reader wouldn't feel the hate the Africans did at the time which would make it harder for the reader to feel empathy. All issues aside I think the book will be an interesting read with some controversial issues we will have great discussions about.
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Laura Peck
9/11/2014 04:17:12 am
I think you're right about it being important he reached his goals. I never thought about how much completing a task can affect your attitude or thought process. Do you think the fact that he accomplished these goals affected his view of anything or his writing?
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Mallory Harger
9/11/2014 04:20:23 am
I believe him accomplishing these goals affected Conrad's writing in a huge way due to what the goals were. Going to Congo was a goal of Conrad's and without experiencing the shocking things he did, who knows in Heart of Darkness would even be a book.
Dakota Cavanaugh
9/11/2014 04:22:48 am
I think that saying the proposition that Conrad was racist is stupid is somewhat out of place. During the time period, blacks had still not made a huge appearance on the civil rights scene, so racism was a common mindset. That being said, without looking into it thoroughly, just assuming that Conrad wasn't racist is preposterous.
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Josie McClendon
9/12/2014 04:27:59 am
Yes he did want to do a lot and he did accomplish most of them. However, wouldn't the outcomes not being what he expected change his outlook on life?
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Hannah Marshall
9/11/2014 04:14:53 am
I think a lot of his success came from being on the sea and being in England. I also think that the traveling he did affected his writing. Based on his travels to Africa, I would say the Congo is where his writing starts to fade into this black mess and his thoughts get so clouded from what he saw there. Whatever he saw in Africa has scared him and he shares his depression and darkness through his book "Heart of Darkness." Something that caught my eye while reading the summary is the use of the word "nigger." How the word developed into such a derogatory term nowadays, was used in the common English language. Its Latin root, neger, is black. Times have changed and while reading this book we will have to have to read it with an 18th century mindset.
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Amanda Wilde
9/14/2014 04:40:55 am
I agree that the use of the "n" word in his time was more acceptable and common than it is now. People may call him a racist now but I agree with you saying that we "have to read it with an 18th century mindset."
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Madison Hoffman
9/14/2014 08:32:51 am
I agree that Conrad may not have been a racist himself, but he had to portray the common language during that time. I think it's interesting how English wasn't his first language but he had to incorporate the language that was popular at that time.
Dakota Cavanaugh
9/11/2014 04:19:21 am
I believe that reading this book will potentially be a challenge. Conrad has a very pessimistic outlook on life due to his rough childhood and his trials while in the Congo. That being said, it sounds as though this is a prominent tone in the writing of "The Heart of Darkness." So it may be tough to stay interested since it is written in a depressing manner. Also, the amount of irony and subtle details within the story seems to be great. Due to this, reading carefully will be absolutely crucial. Otherwise, it will be easy to skip over potentially important parts of the story. Overall, it sounds like a very influential piece of literature in the world of anthropology, and that means that there are things within the text that are very though provoking. With that In mind, I am excited to have the opportunity to read "The
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Corben Davis
9/14/2014 12:44:46 pm
I agree that you may not get the whole story of the book if you don't read over everything in deep meaning. With Conrad's use of deception and irony it'll probably be really easy to skip over something that you shouldn't have. So yes reading this book carefully and between the lines is very crucial.
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Stephanie Farney
9/11/2014 04:27:57 am
The author's trip to Africa stood out to me as important. Conrad had dreamed of visiting Africa, but upon doing so, he was plagued by a variety of horrors, both physically and mentally. The things that he experienced while visiting Congo directly affect the story, and this will be an important thing to keep in mind as we are reading it. His use of irony also stands out to me. Light is typically associated with purity and goodness. In The Heart of Darkness, however, Conrad associates it with deceit and danger. His use of irony and deception is something else we should watch for as we read the book. In addition to these, The Heart of Darkness is a social critique. The book attacks colonialism in Africa and the selfishness associated with the civilizing work that was being done in Africa during this time frame. Conrad hides this very well, however, so it is important that we read between the lines as we read this book.
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Corben Davis
9/14/2014 12:39:56 pm
I agree that we need to read more between the lines, but more so to catch the irony. Like you said light is usually a good thing, but he uses it a different way and to catch his use of irony, I think we're going to have to read a little more into it.
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Josie McClendon
9/12/2014 04:15:01 am
Authors always pull from their own lives and experiences but the experiences that Joseph Conrad went through are strange and, in my opinion, will be vitally important to the story. Conrad's life was always changing. This was because he had goals for himself and he did whatever to took to reach his goals. Visiting Africa was one of his goals but seeing the terrible things would greatly contribute to his attitude and writing. I believe that English being Conrad's second language will alter his writing style. However, knowing that he is “a master at using irony and deception” he will use this deception to his advantage.
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Alexis Young
9/14/2014 02:46:55 pm
I agree that Conrad's life experiences have impacted the story "Heart of Darkness" tremendously. Without these awful experiences, Conrad probably would have never thought to write this book. His traumas caused by the Congo has a great impact on his pessmistic view of life and will be portrayed in this book.
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Amanda Wilde
9/14/2014 04:35:16 am
What stood out to me while reading this passage was the way that Conrad's attempted to kill himself in his early years. He shot himself in the chest which is where the heart is located, then proceeded to call his book "The Heart of Darkness." Remembering what Megan taught the class about the heart being the source of life or emotional housing unit, I wonder if this played a role in naming his book. Also, reading of the horrors he witnessed in Africa sounds as though this book will be a tough one to handle. I am very interested in learning of what was acceptable in his time of writing such as the use of the "n"word. I am pretty excited to start this book!
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Riley Bahre
9/14/2014 10:05:46 am
I hadn't considered that point before. Though I'm fairly certain the name refers to the location itself (as well as his experiences), the matter of his heart does seem a bit suspicious. Why the heart, in particular? Surely he had access to more convenient alternatives like, say, a shot through the Brain! Nevertheless, maybe his attempt on his own life is symbolic in the sense of an ethical (if somewhat vain) cleansing... Or maybe he was just wanted there to be a chance that he would live. Either way, you make an interesting point.
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Riley Burghart
9/14/2014 11:50:13 am
That is an interesting thought. I didn't stop to realize that "Heart of Darkness" could have been referring to his own heart full of sadness. I thought it was more of a reference to the class systems, but it could have very well been his own personal self. Remembering what Megan talked about spurs a lot of questions toward why he played with death and why he felt and suffered the way he did.
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Megan Avila
9/14/2014 02:01:53 pm
I agree that the heart is significant in this matter. I mean, if the title of the book had been "Mind of Darkness", the content matter could have (and most likely would have) changed entirely. If this had been the case, Conrad would've used more in depth thought processes that held pessimistic roots. This is opposed to emotionally charged writing an author would typically use while writing about matters pertaining to the heart.
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Madison Hoffman
9/14/2014 08:12:46 am
One thing that stood out as significant to me is that the novel is told by an unnamed narrator and that it is more than just an adventure. This reminded me of the chapter Every Trip is a Quest (Except When it's Not) from How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I think an important aspect to the novel will be the deception. When something is supposed to seem light or shines, it may actually mean that there is darkness underneath. Another important part will be the use of racism and how it was different during that time.
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Sierra Gant
9/14/2014 12:49:21 pm
I agree that with the title Heart of Darkness there has to have more of a deeper meaning than it just being an adventure story in the Congo. I also see what the connection with the chapter in How to Read Literature Like a Professor. They are on adventure through the Congo, but there should be a hidden self growth that occurs.
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Riley Burghart
9/14/2014 09:33:47 am
The irony that Joseph Conrad hides away in his book intrigues me the most. I enjoy discovering how creative and sneaky an author can truly be. For the critics to say that his secrets lie in the light and the glitter, I can not stop thinking about how much I can dive into this novel now and become more thought provoking. When I read Heart of Darkness, now, the ideas of sparkle and light may still deceive me, but now I at least have a warning. That being said my focus and the class's focus must be at an all time high when diving into this classic. With so much information carefully hidden away between clever rhetorical strategies, it may be hard to understand the novel if small parts are missed or misunderstood for that matter.
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Corben Davis
9/14/2014 12:29:38 pm
What stood out to me was the part in Conrad's biography where it said he suffered psychological and spiritual shock from the African congo. You hear stories of people who go into war have those effects, but what could he possible have gone through to suffer such shocks. I think it might be interesting to read the thing that he saw and encountered to understand why this happened to him. I think the most important thing I need to remember when reading this is that this was a different time and things were a lot different, such as using the 'n' word just to describe another black man.
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Sierra Gant
9/14/2014 01:19:56 pm
I think what will be the most interesting is reading what he saw like you said. What could've messed someone up so badly? It's beyond our imagination I'm sure. I'd like to put myself in his shoes to better understand what he means. I'm thinking he'll have lots of metaphors for us to decipher.
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Sierra Gant
9/14/2014 01:12:23 pm
I think the fact that Joseph Conrad shot himself in the chest is indeed significant to title of his book, because of what we know about the heart symbolically. The despair and darkness in his heart is probably reflective in the Heart of Darkness. His book probably secretly tells the personal story of his heart that it's not just about an adventure through the Congo. I also think it's important that it's a framed narrative. The unnamed narrator keeps you curious as to who it is that's talking and what they have to do with the story. It's also important that the author himself experienced the Congo. We will probably get an inside look on what the Congo did to Conrad psychologically which will help us understand him more as the author.
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Alexis Young
9/14/2014 01:35:53 pm
I strongly agree with you about the title "Heart of Darkness" relating to his suicide attempt. As Amanda mentioned earlier, it kind of gets us thinking about Megan's chapter of HTRLLAP; hearts are extremely symbolic. Also the fact that his trip to the Congo caused massive psychological damage is also something to pay attention to.
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Alexis Young
9/14/2014 01:35:58 pm
I strongly agree with you about the title "Heart of Darkness" relating to his suicide attempt. As Amanda mentioned earlier, it kind of gets us thinking about Megan's chapter of HTRLLAP; hearts are extremely symbolic. Also the fact that his trip to the Congo caused massive psychological damage is also something to pay attention to.
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Alexis Young
9/14/2014 01:36:09 pm
I strongly agree with you about the title "Heart of Darkness" relating to his suicide attempt. As Amanda mentioned earlier, it kind of gets us thinking about Megan's chapter of HTRLLAP; hearts are extremely symbolic. Also the fact that his trip to the Congo caused massive psychological damage is also something to pay attention to.
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Alexis Young
9/14/2014 01:36:12 pm
I strongly agree with you about the title "Heart of Darkness" relating to his suicide attempt. As Amanda mentioned earlier, it kind of gets us thinking about Megan's chapter of HTRLLAP; hearts are extremely symbolic. Also the fact that his trip to the Congo caused massive psychological damage is also something to pay attention to.
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Megan Avila
9/14/2014 02:07:11 pm
I agree with the fact that Conrad's decision to shoot himself in the chest played a huge role while he was establishing the plot for Heart of Darkness. Would you expect a optimistic ray-of-sunshine to write a book with such a twisty title? Or would you suspect that it was someone who, rather, was dealt too many bad cards over the years? Conrad's personal life is definitely a factor to keep in mind.
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Alexis Young
9/14/2014 01:28:28 pm
Just by reading this small amount of information makes me feel like I know almost everything about Conrad. Obviously he's had a pretty rough life - all of his writings, as the website said, are pretty pessimisstic, and it's clear to see why. However, whay really stood out to me was how he had always wanted to visit Africa, and when he did, it was the worst experience of his life. This is obviously ironic. But, without Conrad's awful experiences, we would never be able to fully grasp his view of "darkness." Also, I don't see why everyone is so hyped up about the "n" word. We hear it or see it almost on a daily basis; Conrad is just using it in its proper text. I'm just pretty interested to read about his experiences from the African Congo.
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Megan Avila
9/14/2014 01:48:02 pm
I believe that Joseph Conrad's ailments in the real world significantly impacted the characters he created. As stated in the third paragraph on the website, "He suffered psychological, spiritual, even metaphysical shock in the Congo, and his physical health was also damaged; for the rest of his life, he was racked by recurrent fever and gout." Conrad could have harbored negative feelings that stemmed from the illnesses he contracted while in the Congo. With a title that essentially consists of nothing but negativity, it's more than likely that Conrad was not hoping to strike optimism into the hearts of the readers. Also, the title of the story itself is also significant due to the fact that, as taught in class, matters of the heart rarely just cause physical ailments. Conrad's own personal life greatly impacted his literary creations. Would you expect an individual that was perfectly content with their life to write novels that titles alone sounded utterly depressing? Conrad's life, by no means, was stellar. He was poor. He was sick. He was in trouble often due to poor behavior. The ailments that Conrad struggled with outside of his writing are truly significant and should be taken into consideration.
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Riley Bahre
9/14/2014 03:20:22 pm
I completely agree (though your point is effectively summarized in the previously assessed passage). Conrad's life, to the very end, was plagued with misery and disappointment. It's a miracle that he lived long enough to inscribe his thoughts in the first place... Though that begs the question; how? I mean, yes it's stated that he has ambitions to travel along the river ways of the ivory market, but that really just worsened his condition. If his spirit was utterly broken, I don't even think he would've driven himself to write this novel in the first place; he probably would've just given up and followed through with another attempt on his life. While it's indisputable that his writing is based almost entirely in his nightmarish existence, maybe there's a slight chance that his writing includes a motivation for him to live. I dare say this motivation could even be as ambitious as his pessimistic writing style.
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