"Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad - A character analysis of Kurtz.

Character Analysis Kurtz Kurtz is the man who Marlow searches for through the Congo. Marlow's search develops into an obsession and when the search has ended, he only finds a shadow of a man that was once Kurtz. Kurtz was a man who had achieved great things in his life, inspiring each person he had come across and was expected to accomplish more. He came into the Congo with great plans for civilizing the natives, however he became greedy, which ended up being the subject of his own demise. 'I had immense plans...I was on the threshold of great things'. Kurtz's main characteristics were his ability to talk passionately to people and inspire them with his words. He had a charisma that made people feel that he was some kind of a genius. Kurtz was a very talented human being, gifted in many areas. He could not be pinned down to a specific talent. He was seen as a great musician to his cousin that Marlow visits, a brilliant politician and leader of men to the journalist and a genius and humanitarian to his intended. Marlow views him as a universal genius. Kurtz is a round character, who is explored deeply and at times, almost to deep. He is neither the protagonist nor the antagonist, but he is a complex main character within the novel. In places where Kurtz is described, there is imagery of darkness and foreboding evil. Kurtz was an exaggeration of the white people who had

  • Word count: 618
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The Heart of Darkness Marlow's story of the Roman Conquest of Britain as an Allegory to Marlow's experience in Africa

Name: Janaty Kondos English course work The Heart of Darkness Marlow's story of the Roman Conquest of Britain as an Allegory to Marlow's experience in Africa In the first scene of the novel, Marlow sits on a boat and meditates like a Buddha. He looks at the water and as the sun sets and darkness comes, he starts describing the river and its history. He says that people come and go but the river stays. If you pass through it, you can feel the history of it. He starts talking about very old times when Romans first came to England. And he starts talking about the journey of a Roman soldier on his way to "the very end of the world". He talks about all of the things that go through the soldier's mind, and why the soldier remains despite the difficulties. By the end of the story, with Kurtz's death, the reader discovers there is a connection between this opening scene and Marlow's experience in Africa. Everything that the Roman soldier has been through and thought is the same as what Marlow has been through and thought. In the opening, Marlow says," I was thinking of very old times, When the Romans first came here, nineteen hundred years ago - the other day ...Light came out of this River since - you say Knights". He talks here about when Rome was the most powerful country and dominated many countries in the world .At that time; the measurement of power was taking land and

  • Word count: 2692
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Critical review of Joseph Conrad's

The understanding of evil and its genesis could not be achieved without submerging into the reality of iniquity. In Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness", Marlow went through an unsurpassable physiological burden of the Congo River to understand the mystic and the brilliance of Kurtz's dark and destructive mind and soul; the resemblance of true evil. This novel portrays the tragic outcome of the severe European dominion over the helpless African population and the destruction of fundamental human conventions and beliefs. The ignorance and misunderstanding with which the colonists were driven to imaginary wealth and authority nourished the hidden potential of evil that lies within each person and brought a great wave of disaster to the Congo River. The novel places us into the epicenter of mysterious Congo Jungle, full of darkness, savagery, greed and death. Marlow is another ruined soul trying to conquer the desolation and disturbance of the Congo River. The gloominess of the setting is encouraged by dirty with silt river water, and hot tropically climate; which at times is almost excruciating. The journey up the river might symbolize a road to hell, encountering no salutary and positive things, yet encouraging suffering and physiological breakdown. The story takes places during a turbulent colonial period of Africa. This factor clashes the two opposites: "civilized"

  • Word count: 995
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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Compare how two authors use the elements of a ghost story in 'The Old Nurse's Story' and 'The Darkness Out There'. Which text do you think is the most effective and why?

Coursework Poonam Paw-10E Compare how two authors use the elements of a ghost story in 'The Old Nurse's Story' and 'The Darkness Out There'. Which text do you think is the most effective and why? A ghost story is a story intended to scare and entertain. They are almost like horror stories; the only difference is that they aren't always gory. They are told in many different forms, books, theatre and also in films. Ghost stories have been significant for 100's of years, and are a very popular form of entertainment. There are many different types of ghost stories, however I am going to look at only two main types. I will study a contempary ghost story, and compare it with a 19th century ghost story. Although both these stories are written at different periods of time and are distinct, they share some similar ingredients. They usually consist of supernatural occurrences, bad weather, strange noises, nighttime and isolation. All these conventions are combined together to make ghost stories effective. They create an eerie effect, and send shivers down our spines. The two stories that I will compare are called 'The Old Nurse's story' by Elizabeth Gaskell, and 'The Darkness Out There' by Penelope Lively. The 'Old Nurse's Story' was first published in 1850. It is a Victorian ghost story, and therefore has many

  • Word count: 1780
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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A Critique on Hobo, by Robert Bloch.

Khalid Attia English Language and Literature Mr. Roy Short Stories 'Inside Stories' A Critique on Hobo, by Robert Bloch The story opens with a man called Hannigan 'on the lam again', leaving a town he calls 'Knifeville' for reasons which are later revealed. From the offset we realize that this man is a Hobo, as suggested in the title, traveling from town to town to find refuge and avoid the so-called 'Knifevilles'. As soon as he hops into 'an empty', the smell and the lighting reflect the mood and ambience of the boxcar. The word 'musty' resonates in one's mind as being a smell closely related to death, although not relating to smell but to darkness, also touching on the idea of death. He feels the 'perspiration trickle down' his body, as if already frightened. 'That's what Sneaky Pete did to a man'. At this point we think that 'Sneaky Pete' is a person and is what is making Hannigan perspire; we become wary of the boxcar and Hannigan's surroundings. As the train picks up speed and moves on we see the lights as a 'solid neon chain'. Again 'Sneaky Pete' is mentioned but by now we realize that it is most probably alcohol as he mentions it several more times in the story and every time it is more and more closely related to alcohol rather than a person. Hannigan shrugs, trying to convince himself that he drank to celebrate his leaving

  • Word count: 514
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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How does the preparation for the river journey at the start of Heart of Darkness prepare the reader for the themes, imagery and narrative technique of the remainder of the novel?

How does the preparation for the river journey at the start of Heart of Darkness prepare the reader for the themes, imagery and narrative technique of the remainder of the novel? The tone at the start of the novel is grim and sets the scene for the rest of the narrative. This is shown when the frame narrator says brooding gloom and mournful gloom (page 31 and 33) it can give the idea that the rest of the novel will follow path and be grim as the first pages are. It also introduces the themes of the rest of the novel when the frame narrator talks about Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Franklin who were involved in Imperialism, this is introduced with such phrases as bearing the sword, and often the torch (page 32) this gives an idea that the men who have left the Thames bear the sword and torch of Imperialism and that the frame narrator is no doubt in favour of Imperialism. The first pages also show us that there will not only be a frame narrator as he talks first, but also there will be another narrator, of course who is Marlow you can see this when Marlow refers to Romans coming down the Thames and invading. Imagery is introduced when the frame narrator sees London as the scared fire of civilisation (page 32) and Marlow sees London as one of the dark places of the earth (page 33). These phrases give contrasting views, the frame narrators of light with reference to fire and

  • Word count: 2954
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius By Lucius Maximus, Later Known as Gais Lucius Maximus Augustus

Chloe Port 10TA The Eruption of Mount Vesuvius By Lucius Maximus, Later Known as Gais Lucius Maximus Augustus Suddenly the streets of Pompeii were surrounded by darkness, an eerie darkness that did not seem to clear but to flood the town. Was this the beginning of the end? Everybody began to flee from the forum running as fast as they could leaving their masters behind. A large black cloud was growing and growing. It seemed to take over the heavens and began spewing ash from every direction. A shadow of poisonous gas was flowing, causing many to fall to the floor to their deaths . Nothing could be seen through this fog of ash and smoke, many husbands were identifying wives and children by their voices. Some prayed to die others to live for the sake of loved ones and family. I could not believe that people were willing to hold their hands up to the Gods. I wanted to survive this test of the heavens. My ears had got used to the cries of the babies, the wailing of the mothers and the shouts of the men often exclaiming that there could not possibly be Gods and that the end of the world was upon us. The earth was trembling and the ground shook beneath us. All we could do was pray, whether it was to live or to die. Our lives were being held in the palms of the

  • Word count: 241
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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When one reads the novel Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, and watches the movie "Apocalypse Now," common parallels will be found.

When one reads the novel Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, and watches the movie "Apocalypse Now," common parallels will be found. Characterizations, themes, and symbolism remain mostly the same while the plot is changed. The main characters in the novel, Marlow, and in the movie, Willard, when compared to the main character from the novel The Stranger, by Albert Camus, Meursault, similarities and differences can be found. The contrast and commonness between Joseph Conrad's novel and the movie help on to understand different ways of dealing with the situations when thinking of the previous novel by Camus, and how Meursault may have acted. The characterization in both the novel Heart of Darkness and the movie "Apocalypse Now" are mostly the same. The main characters represent the same person in the same situations although the names are different. In the novel Marlow was "a seaman...but a wanderer too" (pg. 67). In the movie Willard is a Captain in the army. Both, the novel and the movie, have the character of Kurtz. . In the novel Kurtz is a Colonel while in the novel he is a trader. Kurtz is depicted as a higher being, almost like a god, with his disciples (Apocalypse Now). The novel shows Kurtz as a man of great power. In both he is listened to. "You don't talk to that man - you listen to him" (pg. 127 and movie). In the novel, when Marlow met Kurtz, he was

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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According to Seamus Deane, Translations is a play about

According to Seamus Deane, Translations is a play about "the tragedy of English Imperialism". How far would you agree with this statement in relation to both Translations and Heart of Darkness? INTRO Although the location, language and structure of Brian Friel's Translations differs unmistakably from that of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the topic of colonisation remains central to both. While the supposed sophistication of 'civilised' colonists is deconstructed in Conrad's novella to reveal man's common 'darkness', Friel's play deals with the ways in which the consciousness of an entire culture is fractured by the transcription of one landscape (Gaelic, classical and traditional) for another (Anglo-Saxon, progressive and Imperialistic). Friel uses the apparently passive plotting of an Ordnance Survey map to emphasise the loss of indigenous Irish tradition, social history and heritage felt by the natives of County Donegal in Ireland. The translation of the place-names automatically eliminates the secrets buried within the original name; it distorts rather than restores the ontological nature of the place-name. Friel uses Owen to expose the Imperialist outlook on 'standardisation' during his battle with Yolland over "Tobair Vree": He begins a long discourse on how Tobair Vree came to acquire its name, identifying a well that once existed nearby and has long since

  • Word count: 1936
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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DIscuss The Title Of Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness'

Discuss the title of Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness' 'Heart of Darkness' is considered to be the first example of 'modernist literature'. It was written in 1902 by Joseph Conrad, who was a Polish novelist, though he wrote many of his works in English. 'Heart of Darkness' is one of the first novels in which the writer removes the use of grammar and punctuation, in order to convey a 'stream of consciousness', like we are viewing the events of the novel from the perspective of the protagonist. The novel is set in Africa, along the river Congo, at around 1902, the peak of colonialism, and the point at which The British Empire covered a third of the world. However, this was, the 'peak' of the British Empire - the empire did not grow after this point. After the Boer War in South Africa, Great Britain had started to decline. Slavery also began to decline, it was outlawed in Britain, but a blind eye was turned towards slavery in the Dark Continent. The West carried on with their occupation of Africa, under the pretence that they were was spreading Christianity, and bringing the 'light of civilisation' to the 'Heart of Darkness', i.e. Central Africa. In a nutshell, 'Heart of Darkness' is about the journey of a man named Marlow into Africa. The main journey is the narrated tale, of the protagonists' physical journey, as he goes deeper and deeper into the heart of the jungle, or the

  • Word count: 1423
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: English
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