"Is Heart of Darkness a racist novella

"Is Heart of Darkness a racist novella?" In this essay the question of racism in Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness will be discussed. Using this essay I will attempt to prove that it is not a racist novella. Liberal humanists believe that a text can be taken from the social environment of its origins, placed into any other timeframe and essentially any other environment and still be related with by its readers. Yet apply this theory to Conrad's Heart of Darkness the racial meaning within the text alters. This principal of liberal humanism is essential when considering racism in Heart of Darkness. Due to discrimination laws and human rights, Conrad's use of terms such as "nigger" would be deemed racist and derogatory in today's society, but the society at the time of the texts creation used such terms without any knowledge of the effects the term could cause and the consequences which could entail. Therefore the term had less power, less meaning and essentially in Conrad's Heart of Darkness less malice. This is important for the reader to note before analysing racism in the text. A key factor for readers and critics alike to take into consideration before

  • Word count: 1570
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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'The story I am telling is all imagination. These characters I create never existed outside my own mind.'(John Fowles). Discuss the way in which any two texts studied on the course problematise the process of storytelling and/or the role of the author.

'The story I am telling is all imagination. These characters I create never existed outside my own mind.'(John Fowles). Discuss the way in which any two texts studied on the course problematise the process of storytelling and/or the role of the author. According to Nelson Vieira, John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman: 'falls under the rubric of what is commonly known today as metafiction. Metafictional writers thus operate and function with a freedom of exposing illusion for what it is- a device used to mask narrative as a construct and a figment of one's imagination.'1 John Fowles has no qualms about admitting that literature is, in fact just an illusion. This is most noticeable in his telling the reader that 'The story I am telling is all imagination. The characters I create never existed outside my own mind'2. It seems then, that John Fowles, in destroying the reader's illusion, and also destroys the 'suspension of disbelief necessary in following a story told by an omniscient narrator'3 Fowles' destruction of this suspension of disbelief in reminding us of the fictitious nature of all characters and events taking place creates a gulf between himself, or his story, and the reader. To be drawn into the world of fiction, we must feel that it is true, and that we are a part of a real world, and not merely some illusion or magic trick. It is also impossible for the

  • Word count: 2939
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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"Charlotte's Web": A Place in the Heart.

"Charlotte's Web": A Place in the Heart No matter their age, once a reader begins E.B. White's "Charlotte's Web" they are immediately immersed in the story and eager to embark on an adventure with Wilbur and Charlotte. It is not an easy task to write a novel that can be appreciated by so many. However, within the setting of the Zuckerman's farm E.B. White creates wonderfully diverse characters that the reader can become acquainted with. With these characters the reader learns and experiences situations they have or will encounter during their lives. Charlotte's Web is not simply a story about life on a farm; there is a much deeper level to the narrative. Throughout the pages of his story, E.B. White explores several topics that have significant universal resonance; the gratification of having a loyal friend, the reality of growing up, and the subject of death, something we all fear. The intention of this paper is to exhibit the relevance of these three themes to the story and their role in providing the reader with life lessons. Firstly, I will examine the relationship of Wilbur and Charlotte and how it provides an important message to the readers. Secondly, I will discuss the maturity of Fern and how it changes throughout the novel. And finally I will explore the topic of death and how it is dealt with throughout the text. Wilbur's first encounter with Charlotte comes at a

  • Word count: 1677
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Judith PughMarking Tutor: Mark Brown To what extent are writers also detectives in the novels you have studied?

Judith Pugh Marking Tutor: Mark Brown To what extent are writers also detectives in the novels you have studied? The crime and the detective novel and their conventions have changed considerably over the last century. As societies have changed, these genres have adapted and branched out to meet the needs of writers attempting to express new concerns. Edgar Allen Poe's detective novel, The Murders in the Rue Morgue (1841) follows conventions we would now consider to be traditional in mystery writing. Bearing a close resemblance to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories, we find a detective who relies on reasoning and deduction to solve a mystery that to all intensive purposes appears unsolvable; a locked room mystery such as Doyle's The Speckled Band (1892). In America, between the world wars, emerged the 'hard-boiled' private eye novel, featuring tough private investigators, often themselves outcasts from society. Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett are examples of authors from this school of detective fiction. After the Second World War there was increasingly a feeling that literary fiction was an inadequate means of accurately describing the horrors of the modern world. 'New journalism' emerged, a term coined by Tom Wolfe to describe non-fiction novels by authors such as Truman Capote. His true crime novel, In Cold Blood (1965) is one of the texts

  • Word count: 3953
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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In The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence, Morag Gunn's association with Ella Gerson provides her with opportunities to examine aspects of life that she might not have been exposed to otherwise.

Alternate Group Work Question: Write and approximately 300 word answer for the following: Morag sees a range of choices for women living in the 20th century through the female characters she meets. Choose one or two of the following characters (Mrs. Crawley, Ella Gerson, Mrs. Gerson, Julie Kazlik, Fan Brady) and describe what Morag gets from their relationship. Are there things that she both takes and leaves from her association with them? In The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence, Morag Gunn's association with Ella Gerson provides her with opportunities to examine aspects of life that she might not have been exposed to otherwise. Ella comes into Morag's life during a period of significant change and adjustment, and at a time when she needs support and friendship. Ella, like Morag, is a writer, and they first meet at University. Morag is, at the time, struggling with her insecurity as a writer and with who she is as a person. Ella is able to offer Morag emotional support and understanding that has been lacking for as long as Morag can remember, and for the first time "Morag tells - can she? she does" (196) someone about her writing, her past, and her hopes for the future. Via her friendship with Ella, Morag is exposed to the Gerson family, and to the first loving and warm family experience she has had since her parents died. Morag realizes "that she never knew until now

  • Word count: 420
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Themes within the first chapter of Of Mice And Men

Themes within the first chapter of Of Mice And Men The novel Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck was written during a period in history when life was not very auspicious. It was the time of the depression, which followed The Wall Street Crash. The Wall Street Crash occurred in October 1929 when the stock market crashed, wiping out forty percent of the paper values of common stock. Many Americans lost their life savings. By 1932 approximately one out of every four Americans were unemployed. They received no help from the President at the time, Herbert Hoover, who believed that a person should help themself. It was not until Franklin Roosevelt came into power in 1932, that unemployment fell from 13,000,000 to 8,000,000. Roosevelt spoke of a "new deal" for the American people. The Depression was even more detrimental for the Americans as it went against everything they believed in, in particular The American Dream. The American Dream is basically the idea that every American can be successful and happy and that they, themselves can achieve this. Back in the 19th century, settlers from Europe began arriving in America, intent on starting a new life there. The American government sold families a small piece of land (about a square mile) for $1 an acre, on which to live. They would have to build their own houses made out of sods on it. They would farm it and have to combat many

  • Word count: 1419
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Room with a view E.M.Forster wrote 'A Room with a View' and it was published in 1908. Critically this novel has been treated as a fine example of travel literature, character development and comedy

To what extent can we define Charlotte Bartlett's attitude as Victorian; and how far can we agree with Mr Everson that Lucy Honeychurch is a 'poor muddled girl'? E.M.Forster wrote 'A Room with a View' and it was published in 1908. Critically this novel has been treated as a fine example of travel literature, character development and comedy. Forster's novel was immediately popular with early readers, as he wanted to offer his reader a significantly different perspective of females poised on the edge of a new century. Forster's infatuation with Tuscany and the Italian culture is shown throughout the novel, "Italians are born knowing the way." (Chapter 6) This is brought to life through the changing way of England's history of that time. Whereby Queen Victoria's death, brought her son King Edward VII to the throne, and it was he who worked hard to improve foreign relations and his love of foreign culture and travel ensured that people noticed this attitude and British society grew more tolerant. 'A Room with a View' is in many ways a conventional romantic novel, with any main character we see Lucy Honeychurch develop throughout the novel towards a state of self-awareness and understanding of her own character. The other character is Charlotte Bartlett, both characters hold very different values, which are apparent in their mannerisms and outlook on life. Cousin Charlotte is

  • Word count: 1422
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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An Analysis and Comparison of the reactions towards confinement and dilemma of Lindo Jong, An-Mei Hsu and Mary Maloney.

An Analysis and Comparison of the reactions towards confinement and dilemma of Lindo Jong, An-Mei Hsu and Mary Maloney The three characters I will compare and analysis include; Lindo Jong (from the short story Red Candle by Amy Tan), Mary Maloney (from the short story Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl) and An-Mei Hsu (from the short story Scar and Magpies by Amy Tan). I will be focusing on how these characters react towards their situations of confinement, which they face with different ways. They also face a dilemma and use their own methods solve their problems. The married Mary Maloney; she is a pregnant housewife whom daily waits patiently, her husband's arrival home from work. Her isolation and devotion for her husband seems at vain when her husband declares that he wants a divorce. At this point Mary turns to anger, jealousy and revenge by murdering him. She understands that if she was caught, it could lead to her death and perhaps her unborn child. Mary turns to deceit and covers up any possibility to find her guilty. At Lindo's side of the story, she goes through the terrible experience of being isolated from her family when they leave her with the signed marriage. Living with the Huang family for many years, she bears loathe of being separated from her family, ordered around by the Huangs and to live with her despised marriage. One day she decided to escape

  • Word count: 3665
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Micro Water Management -The Concept, Methods of Intervention And Experience at NBTDP.

A Report on Micro Water Management - The Concept, Methods of Intervention And Experience at NBTDP by Professor S. B. Roy, Chairman IBRAD, Calcutta Introduction The last half of the 20th century was characterised by unprecedented changes and irreversible trends in natural, technological, social, economic and political factors that have affected human life in radical ways. This when combined with population explosion, urbanisation, industrialisation and economic development exerted high pressure and demand on natural resources, most notably on water resources. We need to have an efficient and effective management of our water resource as its demand has increased with the rise in the population growth and the rise in pollution. Firstly comes the policy support and legislation of the country, the attitude and capacity of the state, the local bodies and the local self government to operationalise the rational use of water. Different stakeholders are involved in the different aspects of the water management like that of irrigation, domestic and industrial supply, flood control and so on. Secondly, the interrelationship between the land and water should be viewed as SYSTEM and water as part of the planning process. Thirdly, research and development programmes need to be undertaken on a range of activities like that of water conservation, water quality management, pollution

  • Word count: 5785
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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Murderers and Their Victims.

Murderers and Their Victims In this essay I am going to be comparing two pre-twentieth poems both about murders and their victims. The first is a poem called 'The Ballad of Charlotte Dymond' by Charles Causley. This is a true story of a teenage girl murdered by her lover after he found out she had been having an affair. The second of the two poems is entitled 'The Laboratory' by Robert Browning. This is of a similar nature to the 'Charlotte Dymond' poem but a lot more hatred is felt in this one. Both the poems are old as in 'The Charlotte Dymond' poem it mentions of the girl carrying shillings, which says it is not a recent poem, but more to the point, a public hanging takes place, or so it implies, which strongly suggests it is an old poem. In 'The Laboratory' there is a more obvious clue to suggest it was old. Throughout the entire poem it uses words that no longer hold a place in the English language now days. An example of some words used in the poem like this are, 'signet', which is a type of ring, 'pliest', which means to apply and 'Thus' which means here. In both poems the reason for the murder to take place is all connected to love. In the 'Charlotte Dymond' poem the love felt for Charlotte by Matthew is so immense he is heartbroken to hear of her affair, confused and upset he believes he is doing her a favour and getting rid of her sin by ending her life.

  • Word count: 1921
  • Level: University Degree
  • Subject: Linguistics, Classics and related subjects
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