Portrayal of Light and Darkness through Characters in...

In the novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad uses many literary devices to create, for his readers, a vivid picture of what his definition of light and darkness really is. Conrad suggestively uses a technique whereas for every one character that portrays darkness there is an opposite character that portrays some extent of light. This technique can be explained in the form of comparison and contrast, for instance the â€Å"Harlequin† and the Manager. Though these two characters share few comparisons, their contrasts are one in a plenty. The Harlequins character is said to be a Russian man who has an eccentric taste in fashion, coining him the nickname Harlequin. He is also considered the character Kurtz’s â€Å"disciple†, because as a young boy†¦show more content†¦Conrad’s very creepy way of vividly articulating the Manager, gives the inkling that he is indeed the darkness that the title exclaims. Though, these characters may seem to be the polar opposite of one another, they do share some defining qualities. Conrad depicts both characters displaying very bizarre behavior. The Managers character, as described previo usly, has a very cold disposition. He says very random and oddball things, that are not expected of a manager. The Harlequin displays behavior that is less on the cold side and more on the hyperactive side. He is the bubbly, bouncy character of the novella. Some may go as far to say retarded, due to his child-like nature. Another characteristic that they share is that they often tend to babble, but it is a different kind of babbling amongst them. The Manager just kind of talks out of the side of neck, meaning that his words have no meaning which never leads to a result. He loves to hear himself speak. The Harlequin babbles uncontrollably. He speaks on and on about Kurtz, and how great he is, to the character Marlowe. He chatters so much to the point that Marlowe uses him to gain information about Kurtz. Lastly, the traits that the two share are that they are both extremely obsessed with Kurtz. Though, the Harlequin’s obsession stems more from admiration, and theShow MoreRelatedEssay about Heart of Darkness1745 Words   |  7 Pagesin depth review of Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, a classical novella that illustrates without bias the motives behind human intentions and the extremes individuals can go to achieve wealth and profits at the expense of others with the aim of shedding insight into the rise of European imperialism, the imperial history, its politics and evil activities in the colonized African tribes along the river Congo during the eighteenth and nineteenth century. The Heart of Darkness is an exceptionallyRead MoreThemes and Literary Techniqes Used in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness688 Words   |  3 Pages Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness A. Conrad’s Heart of Darkness has been criticized as a novel filled with blatant racism, because of its dehumanization of the Africans through name calling and portrayal of them as inhuman. I agree that the terms and wording of this novel are racist and very inappropriate for today’s world to use, but we have to remind ourselves of the time period in which this was written. Conrad’s use of racist remarks like â€Å"savages† and the â€Å"N† word to label the Africans inRead MoreJoseph Conrad s Heart Of Darkness1488 Words   |  6 PagesJoseph Conrad’s s novel Heart of Darkness portrays an image of Africa that is dark and inhuman. Not only does he describe the actual, physical continent of Africa as â€Å"so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness†, (Conrad 154) as though the continent could neither breed nor support any true human life. Conrad lived through a time when European colonies were scattered all over the world. This phenomenon and the doctrine of colonialism bought into at hisRead MoreHeart of Darkness1699 Words   |  7 PagesThe immortality and blindness to a dark continent Joseph Conrad’s s novel â€Å"Heart of Darkness† portrays an image of Africa that is dark and inhuman. Not only does he describe the actual, physical continent of Africa as â€Å"so hopeless and so dark, so impenetrable to human thought, so pitiless to human weakness†, (Conrad 2180) as though the continent could neither breed nor support any true human life. Conrad lived through a time when European colonies were scattered all over the world. This phenomenonRead More Characters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness1248 Words   |  5 PagesCharacters, Setting, Themes, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness      Ã‚   Deep within the chest of every man, woman, and child beats the heart of darkness. On the surface, mankind has achieved a sophisticated level of civilization. Joseph Conrad forces the reader to peel away the pristine layer of sweetness and see the unaltered truth. Heart of Darkness reveals the true nature that lurks behind every smile, handshake, and conversation. Conrads portrayal of the characters, setting, symbols, and ironiesRead More Symbols, Setting, and Ironies of Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness1201 Words   |  5 PagesSymbols, Setting, and Ironies of Heart of Darkness   Ã‚   Joseph Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness, is about many things: seafaring, riverboating, trade and exploration, imperialism and colonialism, race relations, the attempt to find meaning in the universe while trying to get at the mysteries of the subconscious mind. Heart of Darkness is a vivid portrayal of European imperialism.   The book in other words is a story about European acts of imperial mastery (1503)-its methods, and the effectsRead More The Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay969 Words   |  4 PagesThe Role of Women in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Women have taken an increasingly important role in literature. Only recently have authors portrayed women in a dominant, protagonistic light. Sophocles and other classical writers portrayed women more as reactors than heroines. Since the ancient Greeks, however, a trend has been established that gives women characters much more substance and purpose. A definite shift from the antediluvian ways can be seen, and the overall complexityRead MoreAnalysis Of Joseph Conrad s The Heart Of Darkness 1801 Words   |  8 PagesAlly Jones Professor Smith English 1302 November 18, 2014 Female Roles in Joseph Conrad s the Heart of Darkness: In regards to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, many literature reviews focus on the motifs of Imperialism, the symbolism of darkness and fog, or the aspect of racism in Conrad’s work. During the era which Conrad wrote, England was going through the Victorian Era, which was marked by a shift in views on morality. The term â€Å"Victorian morality† is used today to describe values whichRead More The Characters, Setting, and Symbols of Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad1780 Words   |  8 Pagesthe brooding nature of his inner self.   Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, is the story of one mans insight into life as he embarks on a voyage to the edges of the world. Here, he meets the bitter, yet enlightening forces that eventually shape his outlook on life and his own individuality. Conrad’s portrayal of the characters, setting, and symbols, allow the reader to reflect on the true nature of man. The two main characters in Heart of Darkness, Marlow and Kurtz are used to show theRead MoreDr. Miller s Heart Of Darkness1936 Words   |  8 Pages Since the publication of Heart of Darkness, it has been the center of a great deal of controversy that revolves around its depiction of the natives of the continent of Africa at the height of European Imperialism. J. Miller argues that we must first read Heart of Darkness if we are to decide whether or not we should read Heart of Darkness. He also believes that Conrad himself is not racist, but rather he is ironically portraying the prevailing thought in Europe at the time of the novel. Chinua Achebe

Justification Of Moral Obligation On The Suffering Of...

What reasons might someone give for caring more about the suffering of people close by than that of those far away? Do these reasons give moral justification for this stance? The question that will be answered within this essay asks why, if justifiable, someone might give preferential care to the suffering of a collective group what are within closer distance than a collective who may be a large distance away. In this essay, I will offer some reasons for why this might be, and attempt to find reason to justify them with reference to external material which tries to find reason and argument about whether this stance can be morally accepted among applied ethical issues. This essay will be split into two main parts, consisting of two intertwining reasons followed by my reasoning for justification of this moral stance. I will argue that - regardless of moral obligation - I believe that we are more justified to care for people closer by, this will be the primary argument of this essay. A reason one might give to only helping someone close, with my assumption that ‘close’ means people within the same society or social contract as the person rescuing, is that as agents within this contract, we have negative rights. Negative rights are liberties that one has, meaning that they are not obligated, but freely allowed to do something within reason. We could void these negative rights if we believe they will benefit our society or community, and should be influenced to do so, butShow MoreRelatedFamine, Affluence, And Morality1991 Words   |  8 Pagesmore interconnected than ever there might be a solution to world hunger by distribution of wealth. Peter Singer, in his article titled, Famine, Affluence, and Morality, takes this concept of unity that we have on a global scale and tries to tackle the issue of world hunger. Before we dive into the article we will focus on utilitarianism to help us understand his perspective better. Following, we will analyze Sing er and his theory, by strongly arguing that famine should be given moral worth. A stanceRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Central Of Legal Positivism 3001 Words   |  13 Pagesconferring natural rights, on the basis that the expositions of the system before him were indicative of an attempt at finding moral justifications of the pre-existing law. He further explained that not only did this dangerously conflate two different enterprises vis-à  -vis the issues at hand but also that law were ought to be measured against the standard of utility rather than as an explanation backed by misguided beliefs. For Austin, Bentham’s disciple, there was a distinct difference between whatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The 3303 Words   |  14 PagesDielle Ghislaine Ochotorena American Studies 1/2 Destructiveness of Obedience Alot of people like to believe that the world is generally all good or all evil; however, in reality they are the yin and yang of the human condition, and they are the labels we put on things that either appeal to us or don’t. The biblical story of Lucifer, who before he was banished from Heaven, was God’s favorite angel. Lucifer in the story, defied God which was the ultimate disobedience to authority in everyone’sRead MoreCriticisms Against Ethical Theories8474 Words   |  34 Pages(or, the good) can be something like the happiness of all people or the spreading of peace and safety. Anything which contributes to that goal is right and anything which does not is wrong. Actions are thought to have no moral value in themselves (no rightness or wrongness), but only get moral value from whether or not they lead to the goal. John Stuart Mill was a famous consequentialist. Consequentialists would say that killing people is not right or wrong in itself, it depends on the outcome.Read MoreJurisprudential Theories on IPR13115 Words   |  53 Pages According to Article 27 of the  Universal Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.[32]  Although the relationship between intellectual property and  human rights  is a complex one,[33]  there are moral arguments for intellectual property. The arguments that justify intellectual property fall into three major categories. Personality theorists believeRead MoreEssay on The Plague an Authentic Interpretation3794 Words   |  16 Pages All of Camus writings may be viewed as a quest for meaningful values in a world of spiritual aridity and emptiness. He begins with mans despair, estrangement, fear, suffering and hopelessness in a world where is neither God nor the promise that He will come- the fundamental absurdity of existence- but ultimately affirms the power of man to achieve spiritual regeneration and the measure of salvation possible in an absurd universe. This radicalRead Moreethical decision making16006 Words   |  65 Pages(AIDS). However, there were 100 patients who needed the help. Public health nurses in each district were asked to select patients for the medication program. A terminally ill cancer patient who is in great pain begs the nurse for more medication than the physician has ordered. What should the nurse do? A man was diagnosed and treated for a venereal infection by his family nurse practitioner. He agreed that his wife should also be treated but he did not want her to know that he acquired the diseaseRead MoreMr Benett and the Failures of Fatherhood8365 Words   |  34 Pages452-53. Cassandra and Others, ed. R. W. Chapman (London, 1952), pp. 134, 442-43, 2The arguments that Jane Austen failed to cover a broad enough scope are too well in a general way to be listed here. The defenses which have helped my thinking known are those of David Daiches, and the Aristocratic The Karl Marx, Dance, Jane Austen, An Aspect of American Scholar, D. W. Harding, Hatred: 17 (1948), 284-96; Regulated and Donald indis 8 (1940), of Jane Austen, the Work 340-62; J. Greenes Scrutiny, recentRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 Pagesthought of western and eastern philosophies alike. Many people consider existentialism to be a dark and pessimistic philosophy, void of hope. However, the opinions of existentialist thinkers were often optimistic about the future of human beings. Existentialism can also be difficult to understand because it does not consist of a specific dogma, or a set of metaphysical claims. Existentialism is not a definitive claim about the world or the people in it. It is marked, instead, by a set of themes aboutRead MoreEntertainment Media Ethics : Music And Music Videos8248 Words   |  33 Pagesmore young white people became aware of the distinctions that existed in the society. The Hip-hop and rap of the 1980s and 1990s had almost the same effect, awakening in Black Americans a sense of belonging, as it portrayed Black people as a people also capable of sex, alcohol and a life that, only until then, was assumed to be an entitlement of White people (Baran, 2009:210). In Nigeria, the same can be said. Current music and music videos reflect the priorities of young people today. It not uncommon

Egyptian Religion free essay sample

The Egyptians took great care of their dead because of their religious beliefs. According to John Catoir, author of â€Å"World Religions: Beliefs Behind Todays Headlines,† Egyptians believed that an afterlife involved a full human existence, not a mere spirit life, therefore the soul must join the body in heaven. It was hoped that by preserving their bodies from decay they would enhance the process of resurrection and provide themselves with a decent start in the new life. The priests who performed the mummification were thought of as acting in the role of Anubis, the god of the dead.The organs, excluding the heart would be removed, and the mouth would be broke open. This allowed for the testimony and the weighing of the heart when attempting to gain entrance into the underworld (afterlife). According to Geoffroy Parrinder, author of â€Å"World Religions: from Ancient History to the Present,† the whole embalming of the body seems to have implied an imitation of what was done (in the legend to Osiris by Anubis in Abydos) so the dead person was thereby identified with Osiris: charms were usually placed within the wrappings of the mummy, and special importance was attached to the heart scarab which was placed on the chest. We will write a custom essay sample on Egyptian Religion or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Because of the Egyptians belief that the body and soul unite again in the underworld, their response to cremation would not be a positive one. Since the soul and the body meet up in heaven again, the body would be destroyed, making it impossible to meet up with the soul. In addition, the heart will not have an opportunity to be weighed and the mouth would not be able to testify. After a king died, Osiris would personally identify the king.The motive behind the identification of the dead king with Osiris was to ensure the perpetuation of the king’s rule after death: by becoming Osiris the dead pharaoh would rule over the realm of the dead (Parrinder). According to Roveri Donadoni, author of â€Å"Egyptian Civilization: Religious Beliefs,† a dead Pharaoh lived in the heavens as a star and a new pharaoh came to power as a new incarnation of the divine power of Ra, the Sun God. The stars appeared as minor suns illuminating the night sky, each one the lasting impression of a former earthly pharaoh.Rituals involved the everyday life of the typical Egyptian. According to Christopher Moreman, author of â€Å"Beyond the Threshold: Afterlife Beliefs and Experiences in World Religions,† ritual performance was necessary to ensure that the spirit of the dead would not be lost but would continue in association with the sun after an arduous journey through the underworld. † Every day and several times within the day, the god was the object of ritual activity similar to that which would be accorded to an earthly prince (Donadoni).Distinctive rites were naturally found in the special festivals of the pharaoh and of the gods (Parrinder). The king’s jubilee-festival, called the Sed, re-enacted ritually the unification of Egypt under Menes, and its climax was a dance performed by the king in a short kilt with an animal’s tail hanging behind it. A procession or ‘coming forth’ was usually a conspicuous feature of the festivals of the gods, whose statues were carried by priests to other sacred places in order to visit other deities or in order to enact a mythological episode connected with these places (Parrinder).

Response To Millennial Cults Essays - Apocalypticism,

Response To Millennial Cults Two themes I found throughout these essays included the views of the cults towards society as a whole and views pertaining to governmental tyranny. The Millennial attitudes of all these groups focus on catastrophic occurrences and how they can survive in the oncoming new world. The two themes of social and government evil evoking the new world seem intertwined in many of the cults. However, I find an example of cultural blame being the underlying factor of groups/cults such as those described in 'Millenarians & Violence, The case of the Christian Identity Movement' to particularly attribute the evils of the world to the Jews. Although these groups criticize government and believe it to be satanic, I do not believe this criticism is valid for it is based on their theory of Zog. Instead of representing government as the problem, they refer to some underlying controlling group of Jews known as the Zionist Occupation Government. This fact enables me to regard their oncoming apocalypse due to governments evil tyranny because they are basing it on a racial presumption. Therefore, I contend these groups base their beliefs of Millenialism on the sole fact that Jews and non-whites are the ultimate evil that must be fought in the tribulation. For this reason I find t heir blame or reason for Millenialism to be founded on social/racial factors. These groups focus on a war between good and evil, which breaks down to white/good and Jew, non-white/evil. These beliefs lead many of these groups to a militant sort of lifestyle focusing on withdrawal from society and a self-sufficient focus. With the oncoming tribulation at hand, they stockpile weapons and food, as well as other amenities, in order to battle with the evil forces around them until judgement day cometh and they can be saved by the return of Jesus and join him in the new Utopian world of 1,000 years of peace following the Rapture. The more prominent blame of government tyranny evoking apocalypse that I found throughout the essays is a theme I believe in. However, I find these cults to be somewhat psychotic in their views and beliefs. For instance, peoples such as the Branch Dividians, I see no harm in letting these small groups build a commune and shelter themselves from the norms of American life. After all, I see everything they did as the American way (I'm not saying morally I agree with all of their actions), for the most part they wanted to practice their beliefs in a small community. Collecting weapons is a constitutional right given to us in order to keep government in check, yet it was the main reason our government preyed upon these people, leading to the fulfillment of Koresh's prophecy. Here was an example of a cult who believed the Babylonian power of U.S. government wanted to take over the world by force and institute a slave like world socialistic government. Koresh, for them, seemed to decipher Revelation scripture explaining the seven seals, and had them believing Armaggedon was at hand and they must battle the evil Babylonians in the cosmic struggle of good and evil. This battle would bring Gods Kingdom to earth and even in death they would be saved, for they will sit righteously in the eyes of God. With these apocalyptic beliefs it is no wonder why these otherwise peaceful people reacted in the way they did, defending their righteous sanctuary in the eyes of their God, against the evil Babylonian empire. Government as the underlying theme of apocalypse in this cult, turned out to be a fulfilled prophecy in the eyes of the Branch Dividians. All of the essays focused on catastrophic occurrences in the new world and how to prepare for survival. Some thought eternal spiritual existence was the answer, such as the Solar Temple cult. They seemed to participate in a mass suicide ritual believing their internal energys would transcend into a new, better world. Other cults like the Aum Shinrikyo developed a system of becoming self-sufficient in all areas; from education to medicine, and priesthood to science/technology. This group sought survival by extending survivalism to areas most survivalists do not focus on. In the extent of survivalism and government tyranny,