The Oppression Of Women In Joseph Conrad's Heart Of Darkness

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In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad men, particularly Marlow, ten to leave women in the dark for their own sake. Marlow has a set image on woman and believes they can not face reality. As Marlow is on a journey to Africa his remarks about women help support Conrad’s claim that men find woman a threat to their power. While on his journey, Marlow encounter the real world and finds out how cruel and odd it can be. Marlow’s aunt tells him that she is ready for a job, and to help her get one. The author states, “It’s queer how out of touch with the truth woman are. They live in a world of their own...” The aunt is excited for a job because she does not know the reality of one. Marlow discourages the aunt and encourages her to just keep dreaming. Marlow believes that women are always dreaming and are living in a fantasy. Marlow Doesn't want woman to excel, but would rather them stay in their fantasy world for their own safety. The author states, “We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own, les ours get worse”. Marlow believes that if we expose woman to reality the world would get worse. He also believes that woman can not hand reality, and if they were exposed to it they would fall. …show more content…

When Marlow encounters a women warrior he is shocked. The sight of a women in reality makes him feel less of himself. The author states, “She turned away slowly, walked on following the bad and passed into the bushes to the left. Once only her eyes gleamed back at us in the dusk of thickets before she disappeared”. The sight of the women warrior made Marlow and the man of patches feel threatened. In fact, the man of patches threatens to shoot her isf she came closer. The sight of the warrior made the men feel less powerful. The warrior was able to show power through silence while the men resort to violence. This helps prove the authors claim that men feel threatened by

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