THE HEART OF DARKNESS Billie Cox

Joseph Conrad

1890: Conrad works in Congo—Keeps diary

1899: Heart… published as serialized work (hence 3 sections)

Leopold II of Belgium

Owned the Congo Free State from 1885-1908

Holding company: International African Society

Private army

Forced to cede Congo to Belgium in 1908

More than 10 million Africans died during 15 yrs of Leopold’s rule.

One estimate: 50% of native population killed.

Countless others mutilated.

: Edmond Dene Morel

Almost single-handedly exposed the cruelties of Leopold’s exploitation of the Congo. Led “first great international human rights movement of the 20th Century.”

Roger Casement

The Casement Report (1903) for British Foreign Office detailed atrocities in Congo.

Conrad met him in Africa in 1890; later had long talk with Casement in London: “He could tell you things! Things I have tried to forget…!”

Kurtz’ Prototype?

One story Case told Conrad was about Leon Rom

Officer known for displaying a row of severed African heads around his garden. Wrote book on African customs, painted, & collected butterflies.

19th Century View of Africa:

Place of physical darkness

Paganism

Disease West Coast of Africa was the “White Man’s

graveyard”—half the Europeans who went there died in the first year

Of course, more than 10 million Africans died during the 15 years of Leopold’s rule—but not necessarily from disease

Insanity

Primitive, savage, primordial

natives

Sexuality Polygamy, pervasiveness of syphilis

FOCUSING STUDENTS

IN RESPONSE TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS, BRAINSTORM A LIST OF ANSWERS:

What are the essential attributes of a “civilized society”?

What is meant by “self-restraint”?

What are societal “restraints”?

CONRAD’S THEMES:

EFFECTS OF COLONIALISM/IMPERIALISM (ON

BOTH THE IMPERIALIST AND THE “NATIVE”)

EMPTINESS/HYPOCRISY OF CIVILIZATION

DIFFICULTY/IMPOSSIBILITY OF KNOWING

“TRUTH”

IMPORTANCE OF WORK

NECESSITY FOR SELF-RESTRAINT

THE HEART OF DARKNESS IN EACH OF US

CONRAD’S TECHNIQUES

FRAME STORY

QUEST STRUCTURE: A QUESTER (MARLOW) A PLACE TO GO (CONGO & LATER THE UPPER

STATION) A STATED REASON TO GO THERE (ADVENTURE &

LATER KURTZ) CHALLENGES AND TRIALS EN ROUTE A REAL REASON FOR GOING (SELF-

UNDERSTANDING)

PROLEPSIS AND ANALEPSIS

USE OF DOUBLES

ALLUSIONS AND SYMBOLS