Heart of Darkness Themes Essay - 1654 Words

Jacob Lachini Ms. Batten ENG 4U1-03 Monday, October 29th, 2012. Literary Criticisms in Relation to Heart of Darkness Interpretation is the revenge of the intellect upon art. Even more. It is the revenge of the intellect upon the world. To interpret is to impoverish, to deplete the world -- in order to set up a shadow world of meanings,† Susan Sontag. It is a persons interpretation of any form of literary work that defines itself, what the author intends a reader to discover may be completely different from what the reader interprets. In the novel, The Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, a reader can understand and identify the thematic aspects of the novel by studying the literary criticism theories of historicism,†¦show more content†¦I wasnt very interested in him. No. Still, I was curious to see whether this man, who had come out equipped with moral ideas of some sort, would climb to the top after all and how he would set about his work when there (Pg. 102). Marlow’s concerns are questionable due to the fact that he has never even met Kurtz and if the readers understand wh y Marlow is concerned, they will further their understanding of the novel. Marlow’s complexity is difficult to understand, however, by studying the literary criticism theory of psychoanalytic, we can identify the relationship between Marlow and the author and the choices he makes throughout the novel. Studying the Marxist theory of literary criticisms can help readers better understand the context of the novel. In the novel, Marxist theory can help readers identify the economic situations throughout the novel. This is portrayed through the accountant in white, the conditions of the chain gang and the fire in the shed. The economic situation in the novel is portrayed by the white men’s wealth and the native’s slavery. The accountant in white portrays his character as an arrogant human being and he flaunts his arrogance. Marlow describes the accountant in white, â€Å"His appearance was certainly that of a hairdressers dummy; but in the great demoralization of th e land he kept up his appearance. Thats backbone. His starched collars and got-up shirt-fronts were achievements ofShow MoreRelated The Theme of Darkness in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay1340 Words   |  6 PagesThe Theme of Darkness in Conrads Heart of Darkness Works Cited Not Included It has been said that although Conrad may not have been the greatest novelist, he was certainly the greatest artist every to write a novel;. I feel that this is an apt description of Conrads writing style in Heart of Darkness (1902), as he paints many verbal pictures by using expressive words and many figurative descriptions of places and people. An extensive use of words relating to colour, is evident throughoutRead MoreExamining Themes in Heart of Darkness Essay844 Words   |  4 Pages Joseph Conrad wrote the book, Heart of Darkness, in 1898. 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