This document provides an overview and analysis of Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. It discusses key details about Conrad's life and experience in the Congo. It also analyzes major themes in the novella such as identity, imperialism, and racism. The document examines Conrad's portrayal of Africans and the controversy over his depiction. It provides analysis of important characters like Kurtz and the unnamed African woman in the story.

2. EART OF DARKNESS

4.  3 Dec. 1857- 3 Aug. 1924
 Russian citizen as born in Ukraine his parents
suffered from imperialism
 Poland- British nationality in 1886… identity
crisis
 Wrote stories and novels
 After 1874 started career as a navy merchant first
with French ships , later with British merchant
marine

5.  Completed in 1892 but published in 1902
 serialized in BLACKWOOD MAG. Feb. April
1892
 Novella and author’s experience in Congo
 Travelogue…. Ancient Mariner by Coleridge
Nellie’s deck.sss
 Modern Library Award in 1998
 67th in top 100 novels of 20th century

6. Identity construction self vas others
Dominant gaze
 Psychologist Eric Ericson’s term of ‘Identity
Crisis’ Webster’s New World Dictionary “the
condition of being uncertain of one’s feelings
about oneself” (1979: 696)

7. IDENTITY FOR AFRICA
 Heart of Darkness symbolizes uncivilization and
uneducated…… identity of Africa
 A continuous noise of the rapids above hovered
over this scene of inhabited devastation. A lot of
people, mostly black and naked, moved about
 like arts. (p. 15) being negro is a sin…
 River Thames (civilization of England) vs Congo
River (uncivilized) looks like an immense snake
uncoiled.

8. CONTROVERSY
 In 1975 the Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe
published an essay, An image of Africa Racism
in Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness'", which provoked
controversy by calling Conrad a "thoroughgoing
racist". Achebe's view was that Heart of
Darkness cannot be considered a great work of art
because it is "a novel which celebrates...
dehumanization, which depersonalizes a portion
of the human race." Referring to Conrad as a
"talented, tormented man," Achebe notes that
Conrad (via the protagonist, Charles Marlow)
reduces and degrades Africans The incident of
Gandhi

9.  In the novel, there is always a crisis of two
identities, Europe is identified with
 the civilized culture, rational, educated,
superior and intelligent but Africa is
 identified with toil, uncivilized,
uneducated, uncultured, dull, irrational,
Conrad
 To me, it is a prison
 How weary, stale, flat and unprofitable seem
to me all the uses of this world, fie on it ah fie
on it, an unweeded graden grows to seed

10. KURTZ…
 All Europe contributed to the making
 of Kurtz (p.59).
 a “Universal genius.” the best agent
 in charge of the humanitarian aid.
international society for the suppression of
savage customs to submit report
 time is out of joint that ever I was born to set it..
 But collecting ivory with a different agenda
 White’s superiority… single white controls the
thousands of African tribesmen.

11.  ‘My intended, my ivory, my station, my river,
 my-everything (p. 58) (Kurtz and Satan) better
to reign in the hell than to serve in the heaven
 A God like figure… the africans worship him (Dr.
faustus) aye arsh wale meri tauqeer……
 He hangs their heads on the bamboos.
 Kurtz history… whites must appear to the
natives as supernatural beings… shooting an
elephant.
 His last words “the horror, the horror, the
horror (p. 86) (macbeth out out brief candle)s

12.  Faustus…. O soul be changed into little water
drops, fall into ocean and never be found…
 Hills and mountains come come and fall on
him, hide him from the heavy wrath of God
 Racial identity

13.  King or ruler for the savages
 Desired to be there for ever
 Representative of imperialism
 The influence of social Darwinism “ certain
group of people were more suitable for
survival than others, they can dominate and
protect the inferior races”

14. IDENTITY FOR AFRICAN WOMAN
 Having no names (misogynist)
 Wajud e zan se ha tasweer e kainat mein rang
 Usi k saaz SE ha zindgi ka soz e daroon
 “She was savage and superb, wild-eyed and
magnificent (p. 78)
 African woman vs European beloved of kurtz
 “ o women you even deceive god, he gave you
one face, u make it another” (hamlet)
 Aina rakh k samnay ya rab wo fitna saz
 Termeem kr raha hay tere shahkar mein

15.  Loyal vas hypocrite
 Ur name was his last words
 A mixture of lie doth always add pleasure
 A brave towards God, a coward for men
beacon
 Having torch in her hand……..