The European, White Male vs. the Other in Heart of Darkness
The novella Heart of Darkness has, since it's publication in 1899, caused much controversy and invited much criticism. While some have hailed it's author, Joseph Conrad as producing a work ahead of it's time in it's treatment and criticism of colonialist practices in the Congo, others, most notably Chinua Achebe, have criticized it for it's racist and sexist construction of cultural identity. Heart of Darkness can therefore be described as a text of it's time, as the cultural identity of the dominant society, that is, the European male is constructed in opposition to "the other", "the other" in Heart of Darkness being defined as black and/or female. Notions of cultural identity are largely constructed through language and setting and are essential to the reader's understanding of the text.
While many characters are critiqued or criticized by Conrad for their exploitation of Africa and it's inhabitants, they remain the dominant and superior race, both according to Conrad, and his primary narrator Charlie Marlow. The African characters are not only constructed as "other", but also as inferior and to an extent subhuman. This is evident through their lack of language or voice throughout the text. Africans are denied language, and are instead granted "grunting" noises and a "violent babble of mouth sounds" relegating them to an inferior status.
Only on two occasions are the natives given language and expression by the author. Firstly, when cannibalism is seen to overcome them, and one of then when asked what they will do with the body of one of the dead crew, replies "Eat 'im". The second occasion is when the enigmatic figure of Kurtz...
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...constructing women as the "other", not being able to cope with the truth and facts of life, Conrad asserts the superiority and dominance of the white male.
In Heart of Darkness, cultural identity and the dominance of the European, white male is constructed and asserted through the constructions of the "other", that is the African natives and females, largely through language and setting. Thus, while claims of Conrad's forwardness in producing a text that critiques colonialism may be valid, Heart of Darkness is ultimately a product of it's time and therefore confirms the contextual notions of difference.
Bibliography
Conrad, J. Heart of Darkness. London: Penguin Group. 1995.
Achebe, C. An image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness 1975.
Sarvan, C.F. Racism and Heart of Darkness 1982.
Why is Huck Finn so superstitious? Has Huck's father had a large influence on Huck?
Children would search the streets for anything that they could melt down to make steel. School mates would compete with each other to see who could bring in more. Home cooking was no longer allowed, all pots and pans were to be melted down, along with all other house hold items of any use.
Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness uses character development and character analysis to really tell the story of European colonization. Within Conrad's characters one can find both racist and colonialist views, and it is the opinion, and the interpretation of the reader which decides what Conrad is really trying to say in his work.
William Blake, was born in 1757 and died in 1827, created the poems “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” and Proverbs of Hell. Blake grew up in a poor environment. He studied to become an Engraver and a professional artist. His engraving took part in the Romanticism era. The Romanticism is a movement that developed during the 18th and early 19th century as a reaction against the Restoration and Enlightenment periods focuses on logic and reason. Blake’s poetry would focus on imagination. When Blake created his work, it gained very little attention. Blake’s artistic and poetic vision consists in his creations. Blake was against the Church of England because he thought the doctrines were being misused as a form of social control, it meant the people were taught to be passively obedient and accept oppression, poverty, and inequality. In Blake’s poems “The Lamb,” “The Tyger,” and Proverbs of Hell, he shows that good requires evil in order to exist through imagery animals and man.
The Romantic Era brought the time of William Blake, when his talent of artistry emerged with many unusual Renaissance of talents.William Blake was on 28 November, 1757 in London, Europe. He was an extraordinary child out of rest of his six siblings, in which two of them died in his early childhood. Starting from his early childhood, William Blake talked about having strange visions such as at the age of four he saw god putting his head to the window and around the age of nine, when he was walking through the landscape area; he saw a huge tree that
William Blake was born in Soho, London in 1757 along with six other siblings. As a child Blake talks about having visions dealing with angels and God. He began as an engraver and was thought to stay an engraver for the rest of his life. During the 18th and 19th century engravers were known as one of the most skillful people rather than being known as artistic. Later on in his life he expressed himself through poetry. His poetry consisted of his views on social, political and religious injustices during his lifetime. Blake believed in the imagination, democracy, and in the individual, which reflects in the 18th and 19th century Romanticism movement. Although Blake was a religious man who practiced Christianity, he believed the Bible was a form of control, he was a nonconformist radical who criticized political issues by writing a couple of poems that provoke a sense of exposer to the issues during the time, and he also criticized social issues by disagreeing with the actions of the people and the government.
In the Homer's epic poem the Odyssey, there are many themes that serve to make a comment about the meanings of the story. The theme of women in the poem serves to make these comments but also establishes a point of view on women in the reader. From this point of view, a perspective is developed into the "best" and "worst" in women. Achievement of this is through the characterization of many women with single notable evil qualities. Similar to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, Eve like the many women in the Odyssey brings about pain and suffering for mankind. Contrary to the depicting of women as roots of evil, the reader sees the other traits of women that are most desirable. The roles of these women are achieved by their portrayal throughout the poem. This in return has a significant affect on how the poem and the message that is conveyed.
Stauffer, Andrew M. "The first known publication of Blake's poetry in America" in Notes and Queries v43, n1 (March, 1996): 41-43.
Blake had an uncanny ability to use his work to illustrate the unpleasant and often painful realities around him. His poetry consistently embodies an attitude of revolt against the abuse of class and power that appears guided by a unique brand of spirituality. His spiritual beliefs reached outside the boundaries of religious elites loyal to the monarchy. “He was inspired by dissident religious ideas rooted in the thinking of the most radical opponents of the monarchy during the English Civil War “(E. P. Thompson). Concern with war and the blighting effects of the industrial revolution were displayed in much of his work.
William Blake first started to draw before he became a writer. His father James knew from the beginning that his son was extremely talented. From early childhood Blake spoke about of having visions, where he saw God. That’s when they realized that Blake had talented and his parents decided to home school him. He is and will always be one of Britain’s finest poems, writers, and painters. One of the most talented people of the 18th century. William Blake was born on November 28, 1757 in London. He was not recognized much during his lifetime. Blake was the one of the seven children of James and Catherine. William growing up wasn’t a fan of school. He only went
strengthens his viewpoint and regards Frost as ―one of the most intuitive poets [. . . h]e sees
...is overall truth and spent his life trying to dispel the conventional wisdom of the Church during that time. In any case, there are many different ways that William Blake's work can be interpreted, and on many different levels. The only one that truly matters is the one that touches the reader. It is what Mr. Blake would have wanted.
In a time when the country is re-examining and mending many of its "walls" Robert
What are the definitions of poor and poverty? Many people hear the words poverty and have different meanings, so how do we know which definition and I poor is the correct one? According to many people poverty may mean a person who does not have any money to do the things they want to do, however most people can afford to live only on the things they truly need. This is just one example; there are many other definitions of the word poverty. Then what do people consider to be the meaning of the word poor? Some may say poor is not having enough money for that extra something at the supermarket or at the mall. What exactly are the true definitions of each word, and how do you tell the words apart and how do you know what to believe.
Frost was a rural Yankee whose writings reflect everyday experiences-his own experiences, but was one who saw metaphorical dimensions in the everyday things he encountered. These everyday encounters held ground as his subject manner, combined with the rural setting of New England nature, seasons, weather and times of day. Frost’s goal was to write his poetry in such a way that it would cover familiar ground, but in an unfamiliar way or uncommon in expression.