In the middle of page 3, the narrator compares stories of seamen to a nut, but he says that Marlow's were a little different, "not inside like a kernel but outside, enveloping tale which brought it out only as a glow brings out a haze, in the likeness of of one of those misty halos that sometimes are made visible by the spectral illumination of moonshine." Explain what you think he means by his comments on the telling of a story? On the “kernel” and “the misty halo”? What do these comments reveal about Marlow? Your response must be at least 100 words. You need to read and respond to at least one classmate, and those responses cannot simply be "agree" or "disagree," but must provoke discussion.
28 Comments
Paul
9/19/2014 04:07:01 am
I think the author was trying to say that Marlows stories grew like old american tall tales; as the story progressed the details were more exaggerated and the characters became more lavished or mythical and by making the remark regarding the kernel of corn was saying his stories "popped" no pun attended..or was it???
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Laura Peck
9/21/2014 11:07:04 am
Do you think these "pops" were the climax of the story or were there more than one of them, creating important supporting details?
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Josie McClendon
9/21/2014 11:19:23 am
Going off of what Laura said, could each "pop" create a chain reaction of events? If one little thing is created to be more lavish, could it effect another aspect of the story?
Dakota Cavanaugh
9/19/2014 04:17:02 am
Conrad says that the only normal thing about Marlow is his knack for telling stories. Other than that, Marlow's stories are completely different from most sailor's stories because his meanings and themes are hidden within the details of the tale. If haze is illuminated by a glow, then you can see the haze. So even though you may see clearly, what you are seeing is hazy and a blur. This is a similar case with Marlow's stories. The meanings are hidden, and so it leaves the stories more open to interpretation of the listener. These comments give insight to Marlow because we can see how unique he is. He is not the average everyday sailor, and has a more insightful side where there is more than meets the eye.
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Megan Avila
9/19/2014 04:23:05 am
I agree with the fact that Marlow's stories are open ended, leaving plenty of room for personal interpretation. Marlow's tales are truly unique, and in turn, the stories can weave highly differing webs in the minds of each reader.
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Riley Burghart
9/19/2014 04:29:39 am
The fact that you said "interpretation of the listener" is a very important aspect of what the narrator was trying to get across about Marlow's story telling techniques. There are many hidden details of his tales, and the fact that the audience has to make up some of the story their self adds to the mystery and excitement of true story telling.
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Hannah Marshall
9/21/2014 11:03:32 am
Maybe Marlow wants us to find the hidden details in his stories because he has many details in his own life, but he keeps to himself. Maybe the background to his very detailed stories comes from a spot in his personal life that he doesn't just talk about, but people need to figure out.
Elijah Brockway
9/21/2014 01:33:02 pm
Beyond needing to interpret the story themselves to find some hidden details - and to add on to what Hannah said - you could easily say that it's possible that Marlow is taking the role of a teacher with this. Sure, he wants to convey his wisdom on to those he's speaking to - but he can't just give it to them, otherwise it's meaningless. It might not be something in his personal life that he doesn't just openly talk about, but it might be some lesson or another that he learned through his experience and that he wants his friends to learn as well - and actually learn it, rather than just having it be told to them.
Riley Burghart
9/19/2014 04:17:45 am
I think Marlow means that a story was exciting if the recipient took the information and developed it with their own twist. People have a better time listening to stories if they have a deeper meaning or a "WOW" moment. The main ideas that Marlow told of were never clear. They only led to the main idea. The audience had to develop their own idea of the overall story making it unique in every way the story could be interpreted. Marlow's habit of twisting the plots of stories added mystery to what the topic was really leading to. This is why the kernel and misty halo got compared to Marlow's stories. He gave the outside (halo/shell) of the story that led up to to focus point (moon/nut) without actually ever revealing it. That's why Marlow's stories were so appealing and interesting to listen to.
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riley burghart
9/19/2014 04:19:20 am
*NARRATOR says that a story
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Dakota Cavanaugh
9/19/2014 04:22:02 am
I think that this is an extremely interesting way of approaching this analysis. I would agree on the fact that Marlow's stories are not at all straight forward. They are very open ended, and it allows the readers to take their interpretations of the story any way they wish. That's what makes Marlow's stories interesting. So, I would agree with you quite strongly.
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Megan Avila
9/19/2014 04:18:27 am
In order to fully understand what Marlow is saying, one must be willing to look deeper, past the exterior layers. Marlow's tales are just as unique as he is. As the reader, we need to peel back these layers and scour the text for a much deeper meaning. Though most stories are told to teach a lesson or to convey a message, Marlow's stories are open ended. What does this mean for us as the audience? It means that anyone who delves into the literature may interpret the meaning differently than the person sitting next to them may. That's the great thing about open ended stories. The take away is different for each individual, and in turn, we can each walk away with a differing stand point. Differing stand points create the breeding grounds for productive discussion, and these discussions help us to not only get insight into another stand point, but to also solidify or disqualify our own thoughts.
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Stephanie Farney
9/19/2014 04:23:11 am
I agree. Open endings allow for flexibility in interpretations, which allows readers to take what they want out of the stories. This really makes them more meaningful to the reader, and it helps the story stick with them.
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Mallory Harger
9/21/2014 05:22:51 am
I like that you described Marlow as having many layers. I think the part that said "not inside like a kernel but outside" really supports your comment because when a kernel is popped, it becomes open and the popcorn has many different ways to crack it open.
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Stephanie Farney
9/19/2014 04:20:35 am
What the narrator is saying is that Marlow likes to tell tales and do so frequently. Unlike most sailors' stories, however, Marlow's are different. Most other stories have a definite meaning. The other sailors tell stories that have hidden meaning, but the meaning is concrete and slightly obvious. It is like searching for a nut inside of a seed. Marlow’s tales, however, have meanings that are more intangible, and the story itself does not completely bring out the meaning. The meaning of his tales are ultimately open to interpretation. This shows us that Marlow is not only unique, but there is also a lot more to him than meets the eye.
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Madison Hoffman
9/21/2014 09:40:13 am
I agree that Marlow's stories are left to interpretation by the audience. Marlow hides the meaning of his stories in the way he tells them and the different details he uses.
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Mallory Harger
9/21/2014 05:16:34 am
I think that it means Marlow’s stories are not only different than a lot of other people’s stories, but full of more detail and adventure. The kernel obviously makes me think of popcorn being popped and maybe Marlow’s stories just pop out of nowhere. He puts everything out there and doesn’t hold anything in. It’s another one of the patterns of inside versus outside. The misting halos comment makes me think of a fog that just surrounds you. Maybe Marlow is one of those people that just completely captures the room whenever he walks in. Overall, I think this sentence really explains Marlow in that he is outgoing and very honest.
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Riley Bahre
9/21/2014 02:50:03 pm
Although I'm not particularly in agreement with your statement, I'd have to say that your stance is actually pretty interesting! While the majority of this audience seems to be delving into the realms of abstract symbolism (myself included) you seem to be perceiving the scripture in a much simpler way, and this actually seems to make the actual story seem more defined and weighted. You're making the story seem as interesting as the plausible symbolism to be spawned from it. Again, while I don't entirely agree with what you're saying, your input may actually be more valuable to consider as we go along. In fact, a more defined perception of the scripture may serve justice to its ironic writing style. Kudos!
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Madison Hoffman
9/21/2014 09:36:45 am
I think Marlow's stories have more to them than the typical stories of a seaman. The meaning behind his stories are found in the way he tells them and not in the actual outcome. Marlow enjoys telling stories and probably incorporates different details that the listener wouldn't expect to hear. I think the "misty halo" part means that the listener has the opportunity to decide what the meaning behind the story is on their own. Marlow leaves a lot of room for the listener to make their own interpretation of the story. Since Marlow allows the listener to create their own interpretation to his stories, I think he is more mysterious.
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Corben Davis
9/21/2014 01:45:07 pm
I agree that Marlow's story seems more interesting than the other other seamens, but you bring up a good point on how it could be because of the way he tells it. Maybe the way he uses his words makes his stories better than the rest of the others.
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Hannah Marshall
9/21/2014 10:58:33 am
Marlow's stories are very different from the other sailors. With the glow of the haze, you are seeing a clear vision of a blur. It leaves the reader to use their imagination with his details in his story. His way of telling stories may not be as clear and concise as the others, but he leaves you wanting to explore more. Some people tell you not to think too much into a persons writing or story, that they just wrote it and it had no meaning behind it. Marlow wants you to dive deep into his stories meaning and the imagery he portrays.
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Laura Peck
9/21/2014 11:06:01 am
I think that the narrator means that usually, the stories told by seamen all lead up to a point in the middle like a climax, however, Marlow's stories all start with much detail and intricacy which is almost more important than the "point" of the story itself. The kernel is used to describe the bulk of a traditional story, it's obviously there and solid, but the misty halo is used to refer to Marlow's stories because while it's there, it is surrounding everything in somewhat of an unclear way. Misty and surrounding like a halo. This shows us that Marlow sees the beauty in details and helps us understand him as a storyteller.
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Sierra Gant
9/21/2014 01:30:48 pm
Marlow leaving his stories open and up to interpretation does help us understand him as a storyteller. He wants the listeners to gain what they think is important. I agree with the comment about the halo. There is something unclear surrounding the story, but it's up to the listener to figure it out.
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Josie McClendon
9/21/2014 11:16:11 am
This forum was one that I had to think a while about. I believe that the narrator is saying that Marlow’s stories are ones that the listener needs to look below the surface and find the meaning behind the story or in other words the “kernel”. Marlow’s stories may be about the same topics as others about seaman stories but his are meant to be thought provoking. As for “the misty halo”, this is meant to show that there is no clear meaning behind every story. Every persons opinion changes what a story means to them and what they get out of it.
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Sierra Gant
9/21/2014 01:24:34 pm
Conrad is saying that Marlow's stories don't have a clear meaning. Usually with other sailors' yarns, the important point or the kernel is "inside the box" and clearly obvious. With Marlow's stories you have to think "outside the box" and think beyond the obvious kernel or importance. His tales were hazy and open to your own personal interpretation. Your own light is shone on the story making the misty halo visible. Conrad also suggests that Marlow's stories are made visible through spectral illumination. Spectral illumination meaning an array of different lights. These lights are many people's interpretations. The purpose of his stories is that you gain some kind of personal insight.
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Elijah Brockway
9/21/2014 01:27:16 pm
When he describes Marlow's tales as being so out of the ordinary for those of a sailor, the narrator seems to be implying that Marlow's stories are never easy to understand - or, at least, to pick the true meaning out of. Sure, you might have the basic story there, the actual words that Marlow is saying as he gives the story, and that's easy enough to see - but Marlow's stories also carry a moral with them, or some sort of message, that is never explicitly stated, something that seems to be missing from the stories most seamen would have told, something that you have to think about and try to find, with the original story itself being simply the method of delivery for that message.
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Corben Davis
9/21/2014 01:38:36 pm
I think Conrad is comparing the Seamen to the inside of nut. They are basic and similar like kernels in a nut. On the other hand it seems like he is comparing Marlow to the outside of the nut, his story is different than the other seaman, different from the inside of a nut. His story illuminates over the others like a halo. I think that these comments reveal that the book is mainly going to be about Marlow's story or stories and that he is going to be a major part of the book. A use a foreshadowing in a way.
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Riley Bahre
9/21/2014 02:22:27 pm
Referring to the notion about the shell, I believe the crack could represent something of an... imperfection. Just as the shell is cracked, our perception of the story being told is severed and imprecise. The listener/reader is unable to fully comprehend the story as the meaning is ultimately undefined. Just as well, the haze serves to compliment this imprecision by leading the audience astray; endlessly searching for an answer that may or may not be there.
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