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Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness. Joseph Conrad. Joseph Conrad Born in Russia-ruled part of Poland 1863 Family exiled because of revolutionary activities 1873 Dropped out of school to join French merchant marines 1878 Joined a British ship 1886 Becomes a British citizen

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Heart of Darkness

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  1. Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad

  2. Joseph Conrad • Born in Russia-ruled part of Poland • 1863 Family exiled because of revolutionary activities • 1873 Dropped out of school to join French merchant marines • 1878 Joined a British ship • 1886 Becomes a British citizen • 1890 Trip into the “Heart of Darkness” • 1895 Begins writing, publishes Almayer’s Folly • 1899 Heart of Darkness • 1913 Finally finds success • 1924 Refuses offer of Knighthood; Dies • “The pages of the story are the product of experience. … I lived that life (on the sea) fully, amongst its men, its thoughts and sensations.” • It wasn’t until later that people noted his books are “deeply pessimistic visions of the complexity of the human struggle.”

  3. History of Imperialism in the Congo 1482 European explorers first discovered the Congo River 1877 American explorer Henry Morton Stanley discovers that the river extends 1,600 miles and that only part is passable 1878 King Leopold II founded Belgian colony 1885 Creation of the Congo Free State (International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs) 1888-92 Ivory exports rose from 13,000 pounds to over 250,000 pounds 1890 Brussels Act is signed limiting the slave trade but forced labor continues with appalling brutality 1892 All natural resources declared the property of Belgium (Traders pushed deeper into the jungle - inspiration for Kurtz’s inner station) 1890s Great Britain takes first place in ship building and shipping 1890s Antwerp and London are centers of ivory commerce 1890s Christian missionaries are very active in the Congo

  4. Perspectives Joseph Conrad’s Anti-imperialism Anti-racism Conrad is concerned with the British calling themselves an empire when they can’t even take care of their own people. Narrator’s  Marlow’s  Kurtz’s  Reader’s  Conrad seems to assert from the very beginning that even though people experience or listen to his story, they will gloss it over with their own presumptions.

  5. The Meaning lies outside of the text.  “We” create the meaning  “We” can’t trust anyone in the novel  The responsibility to make meaning is ours “I” Marlow Kurtz

  6. Heart of Darkness Motifs 1. Circles, center, heart, middle 2. Women’s role in corruption Themes 1. Alienation & Loneliness 2. Order & Disorder 3. Duty & Responsibility 4. Deception & Hypocrisy 5. Sanity & Insanity 6. Doubt & Ambiguity 7. Race & Racism 8. Violence & Cruelty 9. Moral Corruption

  7. Freud’s Structural Model of Personality (Id, Ego, Superego) ** (adapted from http://www.allpsych.com/psychology101/ego.html) ID The part of our personality containing our primitive impulses such as sex, hunger, and anger. Important part of our personality because as newborns, it allows us to get our basic needs met Freud believed that the id is based on our pleasure principle.  In other words, the id wants whatever feels good at the time, with no consideration for the reality of the situation.  EGO Part of the personality which maintains a balance between our impulses (id) and our conscience (superego) Based on the reality principle.  The ego understands that other people have needs and desires and that sometimes being impulsive or selfish can hurt us in the long run.  It’s the ego's job to meet the needs of the id, while taking into consideration the reality of the situation

  8. Freud’s Structural Model of Personality (continued) SUPEREGO Part of the personality that represents the conscience The moral part of us that develops due to the moral and ethical restraints placed on us by our caregivers and society Many equate the superego with the conscience as it dictates our belief of right and wrong.   The healthy individual is one in which the ego is the strongest so that it can satisfy the needs of the id, not upset the superego, and still take into consideration the reality of the situation. EGO If the superego becomes too strong, the person is driven by rigid morals, judgmental and unbending in his or her interactions with the world. If the id gets too strong, impulses and self-gratification take over the person’s life Super Ego id

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