Literary Analysis #4

Heart of Darkness

1.) A sailor named Marlow travels the Congo River in order to meet a man named Kurtz. While traveling through Africa he witnesses the unlawful behaviors and treatments in Central Station. His journey became more difficult as his ship shrunk and had to wait til it was repaired. They came across a caution note near a hut shack with firewood. After all they have seen they expected to find Kurtz dead. Instead they found a nearly insane Russian man who continuously told them not to worry everything was alright. Kurtz had the villagers believing he was  a GOD and raiding everything and anyone while searching for ivory. There was skulls placed around his section that showed what may happen if you crossed his path. His immoral actions had everyone on their toes. Marlow met with Kurtz and heard him out. After Kurtz gave Marlow important and official documents Marlow became sick and can barely function. He then travels to Europe to see Kurtz Intended(fiancee). Even though it has been over a year since Kurtz’s death, she is in melancholy. When she asked Marlow what his last words were, he lied to spare her feelings and said her name.
2.) A theme of this novel may be madness in comparison with power hungry people. Being removed from your normal surroundings and adapting to your new one.
3.) The tone of this novel is doubtful and suspicious. Marlow always refers back to the darkness and fear. 
"A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth."

"I came upon a boiler wallowing in the grass, then found a path leading up the hill. It turned aside for the boulders, and also for an undersized railway-truck lying there on its back with its wheels in the air. One was off. The thing looked as dead as the carcass of some animal. I came upon more pieces of decaying machinery, a stack of rusty rails. To the left a clump of trees made a shady spot, where dark things seemed to stir feebly."

"The great wall of vegetation, an exuberant and entangled mass of trunks, branches, leaves, boughs, festoons, motionless in the moonlight, was like a rioting invasion of soundless life, a rolling wave of plants, piled up, crested, ready to topple over the creek, to sweep every little man of us out of his little existence. And it moved not." 

4.)Symbolism: Light is being transformed into darkness which represents the mysteries and complications of everyday life. The ivory may also be a symbol of lust and greed
Metaphor:(see text below)
Imagery:(see text below for an idea of imagery)
Foreshadow:The doctor warns Marlow of the dangers and madness he would face
Allusion:By referring to the devil brings back the idea of the stories tone being dark and gloomy.

"But his soul was mad.  Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself and, by heavens I tell you, it had gone mad."

"Then I noticed a small sketch in oils, on a panel, representing a woman, draped and blind-folded, carrying a lighted torch. The background was somber – almost black. The movement of the woman was stately, and the effect of the torchlight on the face was sinister." 


"Two women, one fat and the other slim, sat on straw-bottomed chairs, knitting black wool. The slim one got up and walked straight at me – still knitting with downcast eyes – and only just as I began to think of getting out of her way, as you would for a somnambulist, stood still, and looked up. Her dress was as plain as an umbrella-cover, and she turned round without a word and preceded me into a waiting-room." 

“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress; and Kurtz’s life was running swiftly, too, ebbing, ebbing out of his heart into the sea of inexorable time. . . . I saw the time approaching when I would be left alone of the party of ‘unsound method.’”

Characterization
1. Marlow is the most rational character. This could be due to the fact that he has not been around the Congo as long as the others. He is able to see that the natives have more sense then the white Europeans trying to run everything. By mentioning both of their regular names and not tribal, Conrad is showing the importance of Kurtz and Marlow. There's also the cannibals that join Marlow on his voyage. Although they are called cannibals they are able to control their urges very well throughout their journey.
2. The author refers to Marlow and Kurtz by their names which indicates their importance to the novel.
3. Marlow is the protagonist because he is only looking for steamboat yet finds/learns much more than he intended. 
4. I feel as if i met a character. Once again, the author gives the characters a lasting impression. Marlow takes on traits of a Regulus day-to-today human being. He is looking for one thing, finds another, and is curious to learn more. It's human nature.