Intro Paragraph: Heart of Darkness essay

In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, the actions of power-hungry Kurtz are better understood after an analytical interpretation of Fredrick Karl's Psychoanalytical Criticism.  In Heart of Darkness, the actions of European Ivory hunter Kurtz are understood by the reader from a Psychoanalytical perspective.  While Kurtz, a high-class European, claims to be in Africa on an Ivory-hunting business trip, he is a megalomaniac who uses his profession as a facade for his strive for power.  Furthermore, Karl would argue that the Kurtz has created for himself an alter-persona and has become entrapped and obsessed with his fantasy of power.  "He (Kurtz) must continue to assert himself, a megalomaniac in search of further power" Karl.  Karl's inference to Kurtz's obsession with power actualizes the "Ivory-hunters" lifestyle and makes comprehendible to the reader the reason as to why Kurtz behaves as he does.  While Kurtz is a successful Ivory hunter in Africa, this megalomaniac's profession has taken a back seat to his addiction to power, and is just a facade to conceal his true intentions of remaining in Africa.

"Heart of Darkness, then, is concerned with moral issues in their most troubling sense; not only as philosophical imperatives, but practically as they work out in human behavior."  This quote from Karl is what I will set the foundation of my essay on.  I find it important to further analyze what Karl is implying when he speaks about characters in Heart of Darkness, and the decisions that they make.  These decisions are even more noteworthy when they are "in their most troubling sense", or between two poor choices.  Furthermore, I plan to analyze the motives behind the actions of Kurtz, and interpret if his actions were based on economical interest, or solely because of his thrive for power.

Essay Ideas: Heart of Darkness

The main idea of my essay will revolve around Kurtz, and how his quest to find ivory is facade for his hunger of power, and his desire to obtain complete dominance while in Africa.  Moreover, this ties in with Frued's idea of how individuals make decisions based on their inner evil when there is no one else to control them, and no rules either.  My ideas are still formulation; however, this seems to be the focus of esaay thusfar. 

Phycological journey

Often, when an individual is stagnant in his or her speech, the cause is largely because of uncertainty, a fear, or a lack of knowledge.  However, in Heart of Darkness, the reader is able to follow the phycological journey of Marlow through his speeches, of course, but even more subtly, though the patterns in his speech that can reveal certain emotions.  For example,  Marlow's stagnant speech, often broken up by a hyphen in the middle of his diction, can indicate fear or uncertainty in his train of thought as he is articulates a point and thinks about Kurtz.  Moreover, this stagnant consistency is Marlow's speech offers a nice contrast to the more formal, easy read narrator.  In conclusion, as the reader follows Marlow on this physical and phycological journey, it is important to analyze and interpret when pauses in Marlow's speech occur, and what they may reference to.      

Heart of Darkness: page 430 #6

The painting of "a woman draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch" can represent several things to Marlow, but I think the most prevalent could be the search for something new.  As the lady holds the torch, it appears she may be searching for something with the light from the flame, similar to what Marlow is doing, searching.  However, the flame also reveals the injustice of what the Europeans are doing to the Africans.  The Painting could be Kurtz's way of warning individuals who pass, stating that upon searching for things, dangers may occur.  While Marlow may have an unshared prior experience which causes him to feel even more scared when traveling, he continues his journey.  The painting can also be foreshadowing or an ominous warning; stating that 'ahead lies darkness'.  Lastly, Kurtz's blindfolded lady could be more than just a warning, but may also represent the fact that the Europeans do not realize the harm they are instilling on the Africans; or, they are "blind" to the effect negative affect they have.  Personally, I think Marlow would agree with the painting, and he would realize that while the Europeans may have a good intent, but their detrimental affect on African society out weighs their few positive contributions.   

Heart of Darkness: page 429 #2

Marlow begins his tale of a journey to the heart of darkness with an account of London in "very old times, when the Romans first came here" because the Roman invasion was similar to that of English colonization to Africa.  Romans brought with them the life styles they already obtained, including food, housing, technology and culture, and upon English colonization to Africa, the situation was similar.  Moreover, the older English days are portrayed as uncivilized and barbaric and Marlow expressed that when "entering the darkness", the colonizers should be prepared to face savagery and hardship.  In conclusion, Marlow might introduce Africa as he does to instill a certain feeling toward to country he will soon travel in, thus, giving the reader a better understanding of his hardships to come.