Heart Of Darkness Vs. Sweetheart Song Of Tra Bong Analysis

Heart of Darkness V. Sweetheart Song of Tra Bong Conrad illustrates the idea that Kurtz has been consumed by the darkness of the wild and loses his self, and morals to where he is nothing but an empty human shell, While O’ Brien explores the idea that Mary Ann has this idea that she has found her sense of belonging but in all actuality has been destroyed but the war. Renn G. Neilson writes that “Given the popular analogy that Kurtz represents European imperialism, this passage suggests that the power of expression enables imperialism to establish itself” (41). Kurtz is this symbol used to show how ugly this company is and how greed was this darkness. Kurtz is given this power and it makes Kurtz this greedy, hollow human. In “Sweetheart Song

Renee Faubion explain how Mary Ann was used as a way to show how every one of these men are going through the same thing Mary Ann is going through but it is not shown “Similarly, in Rat’s hands, Mary Anne’s experience becomes a way for the men to understand their own experiences: “What happened to her [: : : ] was what happened to all of them” (326). In each work it is using this technique of symbolism to show the evils of the war and ivory trade. In the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad his character Kurtz loses his morals and self to greed, and from being away from civilization. Before Kurtz loses himself he was known as this great chief by Marlow and the crew and is currently at one of the trading post in the jungle. Kurtz is this highly respected man and Marlow though very high of him.

Both of their works were supposed to create this bigger picture of how things really are, how terrible they actually are and things we never really see. In Heart of Darkness Kurtz last words were “The horror! The horror!”(348) he has turned into this reflection of the company. Renn G. Neilson writes “The “horror” is that they lie. Imperialists create illusions which permit them to tap a “contemptible, deceitful flow from the heart of an impenetrable darkness” (42). We don’t see the side of “the horror” that Kurtz is representing because of how horrible it is the company would not sell the ivory they kill for if the truth was shown. Renee Neilson explains that O’ Brien’s character Mary Ann was an exaggeration to shoe these men that this is the truth, this is why they are becoming “Their truthful relation of their own lives necessitates the distortion of hers” (327). Conrad and O’ Brien wanted to state the ugly truth of each side which was the war and the ivory