Rough Intro

Darkness. This word evokes feelings of solitude, anger, immorality, and obscurity. However, it can also be seen as a vehicle, a vehicle that pilots one into the light of his true nature; the true nature that society suppresses. You might think: If darkness reveals my true nature, why does society suppress it? Well, it is not until you really explore the real meaning of darkness until you will get it.  Merriam-Webster dictionary defines darkness as: not clear to the understanding. The first idea that pops into most people’s minds is: how is this definition going to help me find the real meaning of darkness? Consider Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist, and Joseph Conrad, the polish author who wrote Heart of Darkness. With no proven connection to each other, these psychoanalytic philosophers adopted the same view of the human mind. They both recognized that darkness is a place to conceal one’s immoral conscience at the unconscious level. Conrad employs Marlow’s internal journey in The Heart of Darkness as an instrument to prove the unclear. Additionally, Freud’s psychoanalysis of the superego, ego, and id further upholds what Conrad illustrates.  

Essay question

I'm going to explore the word darkness using Conrad's illustration of Marlow's journey and Freud's analysis of the id for evidence.

Karl

"Now aware of depths in himself that he cannot hide"
-Marlow discovers his inner feelings through his nightmare
"The very qualities in Kurtz that horrify him are those he finds masked in himself

These two ideas from Karl are ideas that I will employ in my essay. I want to explore how human's discover the true self through their nightmares

Ideas + in class

Irrational: human's mindset, unrestrained by society
Ex. Shrunken heads- used for ornamentation on fence posts. Intimidating, warning
In class: Marlow first arrives in the Congo with British morals and sensibilities. However, soon he starts to break down and act irrationally. He is drawn to and fascinated by Kurtz and his lack of restraints. He begins himself to act irrationally when he throws his bloody shoes overboard. He eventually chooses the cannibals over the Europeans because they are hypocrites. His unnatural fascination with Kurtz and his leaky to his memory

Essay idea

Society's repression of "the irrational side of the mind" is like putting to much air in a balloon. The air has nowhere to go, it just keeps being put into the balloon, compared to the darkness, and eventually it will pop.

Conrad and Freud

Paralleling Conrad and Freud: 

-Conrad's exploration of the darkness through the use of images in "the heart of darkness" is parallel with Freud's exploration of the unconscious (the id) through studying dreams

While reading heart of darkness

As the story progresses, I have noticed that Marlow's disgust, yet fascination with Kurtz reflects his disgust and fascination with the id. Conrad's ideas about the darkness, coupled with Freud's beliefs on the constrained mind, is an intriguing topic and I look forward to writing the essay.

Reading now vs reading next year

Whereas in high school students are required to read a certain amount of pages every night, and are constantly told to do so, in college, it is up to the student to be disciplined and read on their own free time. In order to bridge the gap, students must build up their "reading stamina," by taking it upon themselves to read for school and for fun. Also, students need to have the desire to learn what they are reading about. It would be much easier to read what you actually want to learn. The difference between reading in high school and college is that in high school, you are required to learn certain subjects; however, in college, the student chooses what they want to learn.

Conrad and Freud

Conrad and Freud both explore humans’ “darkness.” The darkness is one’s deepest desires that society rejects. For example, Conrad illustrates Kurtz’s greed for ivory, which ultimately reveals human’s inner “darkness.” (Kurtz was hired by a Belgian trading company to collect ivory). The extent of his greed is demonstrated when Kurtz takes possession of a small quantity of ivory from his Russian friend. The ivory is not needed for survival, yet Kurtz succumbs to his inner desires and shows his true, greedy nature.

Similar to Conrad’s idea on human’s darkness, Freud suggests “[one’s] neighbor is for them not only a potential helper or sexual object, but also someone who tempts them to satisfy their aggressiveness on him…” In other words, human’s animalistic nature at the unconscious level is constrained by the norm of society. 

5 more pages

Marlow's tone is often cynical. "The snake that charmed me" is ironic.

How does the opening set a tone for how to read the novel?

 How does the opening set a tone for how to read the novel?

-The opening scene puts the reader in a "dream" state. Conrad's use of syntax and diction effectively reveal a calming tone.