heart-of-darkness

HeartofDarknessBasedonJosephConrad’sownexperiencetravelinguptheCongoRiverintotheAfricaninterior,HeartofDarknessfollowsthedisturbingjourneyofEnglishivory-tradingagentMarlowintothejunglesofAfricainsearchofamysteriousmannamedKurtz.Whatisthestoryabout?HeartofDarknessexposesthemythbehindcolonizationwhileexploringthethreelevelsofdarknessthattheprotagonist,Marlow,encounters—1）thedarknessoftheCongowilderness,2）thedarknessoftheEuropean’scrueltreatmentofthenatives3）theunfathomabledarknesswithineveryhumanbeingforcommittingbrutalactsofevil.2.BriefAnalysisofHeartofDarknessPartIIISetting(背景）Character（人物）Plot（情节）Pointofview（视角）Theme（主题）Style（风格）Symbolism（象征）WhenMarlowandhiscrewlaterreachKurtz’sstation,theyaremetbyaRussiantraderwhoassuresthemthateverythingisfine.TheyfindthatKurtzhasmadehimselfaprovidencewiththenativesandhasgoneonbrutalraidsinthesurroundingterritoryinsearchofivory.SummaryofPartIIIMarlowandhiscrewtaketheailingKurtzaboardtheirshipanddepart.KurtzislodgedinMarlow’spilothouseandMarlowbeginstoseethatKurtziseverybitasgrandioseaspreviouslydescribed.Duringthistime,KurtzgivesMarlowacollectionofpapersandaphotographforsafekeeping.OnenightMarlowhappensuponKurtz,obviouslyneardeath.AsMarlowcomescloserwithacandle,Kurtzseemstoexperienceamomentofclarityandspeakshislastwords:“Thehorror!Thehorror!”MarlowbelievesthistobeKurtz’sreflectionontheeventsofhislife.MarlowdoesnotinformthemanageroranyoftheothervoyagersofKurtz’sdeath;thenewsisinsteadbrokenbythemanager’schildservant-“MistahKurtz—hedead.”a.SettingWhenandwheredoesthestoryhappen?Specificlocation:innerstation/Marlow’sstreamerLocation:Congo,Africa(thejungle,thetrees,thefog,thescarydarkness…)Time:Latterpartofthe19thcentury,probablysometimebetween1876and1892.Marlow’sadventuretakesplaceintheCongoFreeState,anareathatatthetimewasthepersonalpropertyofLeopoldII,kingoftheBelgians.by1899,whenHeartofDarknessfirstappeared,thegrimconditionsthatactuallyprevailedthereandthegrotesquelyinhumanetreatmentoftheAfricannativeswerebecomingwidelyenoughknowntocreateaninternationalscandal.Socialbackground:b.CharacterWhoareinthestory?Marlow,thenarratorTheprotagonistandmainnarratorofthestory,hestumblesintoAfricalookingtosailasteamboatandrescuingKurtz.Kurtz’sdevotedcompanion,heisanidealisticexplorerwhohaswanderedtotheCongoonaDutchship.HeissoyoungthatitisuncertainwhetherornothefullyunderstandswhatheisdoinginAfrica.Heismoreorlessattractedtotheglamorofadventure.RussiantraderHeisinchargeofthemostproductiveivorystationintheCongo.Haileduniversallyforhisgeniusandeloquence,KurtzbecomesthefocusofMarlow’sjourneyintoAfrica.Heistheuniquevictimofcolonization;thewildernesscaptureshimandheturnshisbackonthepeopleandcustomsthatwereonceapartofhim.Kurtz,themaincharacterMarlow’sdirectsupervisor,heisahard,greedymanwhovaluespowerandmoneyaboveallelse.ManagerKurtz’sAfricanmistressAfiercelybeautifulwomanloadedwithjewelrywhoappearsontheshorewhenMarlow’ssteamerarrivesatandleavestheInnerStation.SheseemstoexertanundueinfluenceoverbothKurtzandthenativesaroundthestation.LikeKurtz,sheisanenigma:sheneverspeakstoMarlow,andheneverlearnsanythingmoreabouther.c.PlotHowdoesthestoryhappen?HeartofDarkness(1902)Marlow,anEnglishman,tookaforeignassignmentfromaBelgiantradingcompanyasaferry-boatcaptaininAfrica,essentiallyalongCongoriver.Marlow’sduty:Heisemployedtotransportivorydownriver.However,hismorepressingassignmentistoreturnKurtz,anotherivorytrader,tocivilizationinacoverup.Theplot:itisastorywithinastory,orframenarrative.ThestoryfollowsMarlowasherecountstoagroupofmen(hisCongoleseadventurer)aboardashipanchoredintheThamesEstuary,fromduskthroughtolatenight.Thepassageoftime,andthedarkeningsky,duringthefictivenarrativeparallelstheatmosphereofthestory.Theplot:alsoaflashback:MarlowtoldfiveoldwhitemenonaboatontheThamesabouthisstorywhenhetookthejobasacaptainofasteamshipinAfrica.ThenovelendswithMarlowandthefivewhitemenontheboat.ThemiddlepartismainlyabouthowMarlowtookthisjobandwhatKurtzandCongolookedlikeandhowMarlowtriedtotakeKurtzhome.Unfortunately,Kurtzdiedonthewaybackhome.Chronologicalorder/timeorderMarlow’sexperienceintheinnerstationConflict:tobringKurtbackornot?Climax:Kurtz’sfinaldeathd.PointofviewWhoistellingthestory?FirstPerson(CentralNarrator):MarlowMarlowhimselftellstheframedstorysomostofthenarrationwithinthenovelistoldfromhispointofview.e.Style1).Conrad’sproseisadifficultanimaltowrestle.Itseemslong-windedandtedious,butissurprisinglypoetic.Hisveryexistencewasimprobable,inexplicable,andaltogetherbewildering.Hewasaninsolubleproblem.Itwasinconceivablehowhehadexisted…Examples:他的存在本身就是一件大不可能、不可思议而且完全令人迷惑的事，他是个解不开的谜。他是如何生存下来的…是不可理解的。“…butIassureyouthatnever,neverbefore,didthisland,thisriver,thisjungle,theveryarchofthisblazingsky,appeartomesohopeless,andsodark,soimpenetrabletohumanthought,sopitilesstohumanweakness.”我敢向你保证，这片土地、这条河流、这带丛林，以及这阳光灿烂的苍穹本身从来从来没有让我感到如此绝望、如此黑暗、如此让人无法渗透、对人类的弱点如此地毫无怜悯。2).AlthoughHeartofDarknessisrathershort,itseemslikealongreadbecausethereissurprisinglylittleaction.3).Thetextisverycerebral–th