Heart of Darkness Notes Chapter 1

Heart of Darkness:

Notes: Chapter 1 Episode 1(From “I felt as though…set off for the centre of the earth”

·      Always interesting to note that when we start to question the relationship of art and life, we would be asking how a work is related to its author and its readers.

·      This novel was called the first modern novel- powerful creative imagination which in retrospect shed a very bleak light over the west and its civilizing mission at the turn of the 20^th century. It was the new age, scientific and technological progress along with enlightened ideas on the origins of man (Darwinism).

·      Beginning the novel: Appropriate that Conrad started this one on the Thames (The Nigger of the Narcissus ended here.) This novel could be regarded as a continuation. Thames Estuary: contrasts light and darkness, the day ending and the gloom over London. The first narrator (1) opens the novel with Marlow (tested seaman) and 3 landsmen (businessmen too-a director, an accountant and a lawyer- significance?

·      Contrast between traditional symbolism-‘light and dark’- duality in everything to come in the novel- men and their enterprises-enlightenment- morals –ethical questions civilization and its ideals- consciousness and self-knowledge

·      Darkness- ignorance and evil and wilderness

·      First narrator-heroic British conquerors

·      Based on Stanley who was an explorer come journalist who went to find David Livingstone. He was an adventurer who loved by the British people returned to Africa several times. He did seem to enjoy profits from the ivory trade and a fall in popularity with the British people. Brussels- why ‘whited sepulchre’- biblical allusion to the corrupt Pharisees and scribes in the temple (Matthew23:27) hypocrisy and allusions.

·      Company director interviews him and he meets 2 women knitting with black wool. Mythical allusion to watchers over the gateway to the underworld/death.

·      Doctor measures his head? Look at the conversation.

·      Attitude of Conrad over women- Marlow’s aunt? Auntie sees Marlow as an apostle bringing light to the ignorant masses.

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Episode 2:From’I left in a French Steamer…He is waiting’

·      Conrad journeyed to Africa and piloted a river steamer so there are parallels between the ‘young Marlow’ and Conrad although this is not an autobiographical account.

·      19^th century writers were very happy to criticize their society (George Eliot and Charles Dickens) This novel breaks the convention of an omniscient narrator who shared the accepted view of the wider society. Marlow may well be viewed as an unreliable narrator.

·      Mis-en-abyme= telling a story within a story or a framed story.

·      This also contains self-reflexive comments on its own origin and the writing process and storytelling.(Example the first narrator describes Marlow’s narrative; ’seemed to shape itself without human lips’

·      So it is about colonization-follow Marlow’s journey up the river into the African interior. However the search for Kurtz and the subsequent search for Marlow’s inner self will be the result of at least 3 readings of this novel.

·      Contrast between traditional symbolism-‘light and dark’- duality in everything to come in the novel- men and their enterprises-enlightenment- morals –ethical questions civilization and its ideals- consciousness and self-knowledge

·      Changes in country’s fortune UK a place of Darkness now (1900) a leading light in civilization or not??? Ambivalent nature of colonialism.

·      Terms to note: leitmotif- a recurring phrase theme or image in a text

·      Framed story: a story in which another story is told within (flash back style)

·      First narrator-significance on narrative technique.

·      Marlow as second narrator is not as optimistic as the first over the success of colonialism. Looks at this as a test for individuals: Look how the very successful Roman Empire was replaced by the ‘British Empire’

·      Cyclical patterns. Use of 2 narrators move the story away from Conrad’s autobiographical account.

Episode 3:

Along the African Coast Marlow’s first impression ‘the merry dance of death and trade’

·      Marlow’s journey starts and he is on a French steamer to Africa

·      Sees groups of sturdy Negroes paddling in boats… they look real and healthy.

·      ‘Man of War’- firing insanely at the coast---all on board sick—

·      Mouth of the Congo River –river steamer to Outer Station

·      Captain young Swede – colleague recently committed suicide

·      Marlow faces reality of colonial exploitation at the Outer Station.

·      Blasting for a railway- waste of broken materials

·      Black slaves dying- chained together-Dante’s inferno- symbolic of hell –slave trade

·      Chief Accountant ‘apple pie order’

·      200 mile trek to Central Station: ‘become acquainted with a flabby pretending, weak-eyed devil of rapacious and pitiless folly’.

·      When he arrives at the central station-‘flabby devil’ is the manager at Central Station.

·      Steamer sunk by this manager…why?

·      Actual journey and symbolic journey into madness of colonialism

·      Journey to Central Station with another very overweight white man.

·      Manager is suspicious of Marlow and wants to know all about him and his connections in Brussels. (Men who come out here should have no entrails)

·      “-Faithless Pilgrims” ivory is their God!

·      Rivets needed but constantly delay over their supply and it is as if someone is preventing the boat being repaired Why?

·      Does take 3 months for the repair(Manager was quite right in his prediction)

·      Fire starts at the Central Station and an innocent African is beaten up. A bizarre scene with men trying to ineffectively put out the fire.

·      Brickmaker(Manager’s spy) shamelessly pumps Marlow for information which along with the man’s appearance earns him the description of’papier mache mephostopheles

·      One item from this conversation is the painting of a female blindfolded yet holding a lamp. Colonialism and imperialism in one!

·      Kurtz information-from Brickmaker ‘he is an emissary of pity, and science, and progress’. From Manager- Kurtz has been taken ill

·      New gang of virtue=Kurtz

·      Eldorado Exploring Expedition led by the manager’s uncle (looked like a butcher) Exploitation

·      2 leitmotives: 1. ’Out there, there are no external checks (on one’s behavior. 2. Work alone can keep you thinking about the redeeming facts of life. This keeps Marlow on the straight and narrow when he could have turned to the wilder style of living as Kurtz did.

·      Ivory is the major influence on the men/pilgrims

·      Marlow is impressed and coming under the influence of the brooding power of the primeval forests. It’s an enigma.

·      The lust for ivory and the forest (Heart of Darkness) makes men act in a base or lower instinctual way.

·      Marlow had heard about Kurtz from: the accountant, the manager, the brickmaker and he is fascinated as Kurtz is so revered. He is seen as the emissary of light. The others are not ethical; there is inefficiency everywhere and exploitation.