tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post2412644363744418199..comments2024-03-26T01:52:45.563-07:00Comments on Fred's Place: Joseph Conrad: December 3, 1857--August 3,1924Fredhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-2945004320330031292010-12-08T00:25:04.582-07:002010-12-08T00:25:04.582-07:00R/T,
Yes--As I said in the message, colonialism w...R/T,<br /><br />Yes--As I said in the message, colonialism was only one of the points in HofD.<br /><br />The darkness at the heart of us all is a major point, of which colonialism can be seen as a symptom.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-17397136529459227052010-12-07T10:02:38.869-07:002010-12-07T10:02:38.869-07:00Correction to last sentence in my previous comment...Correction to last sentence in my previous comment: delete "that" and replace with "than." Sorry for the error.R/Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07791522136032565027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-60857406999730031592010-12-07T09:35:26.732-07:002010-12-07T09:35:26.732-07:00Fred, isn't the novella something more than a ...Fred, isn't the novella something more than a rant against colonialism? After all, the title and the climax of the novel point to the notion that human beings, if not careful, are dominated by a horrible darkness (either evil or the absence of goodness) in their minds, hearts, and souls. This is much more universal that concerns about white domination of an indigenous black culture.R/Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07791522136032565027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-16502801247165962392010-12-07T09:33:31.318-07:002010-12-07T09:33:31.318-07:00R/T,
I understand what you are saying. He is not...R/T,<br /><br />I understand what you are saying. He is not the easiest writer to go with; however, each time I read or reread one of his works, I feel I've learned something new, or perhaps old, but said in a way that I can appreciate in a different way.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-36759647557545176772010-12-07T09:30:29.241-07:002010-12-07T09:30:29.241-07:00Kit Kat,
I've read many of Conrad's novel...Kit Kat,<br /><br />I've read many of Conrad's novels and short stories and find that, for me, _The Heart of Darkness_ is the most difficult and complex of his works.<br /><br />One of his points was the hypocrisy of colonialism. At that time many differing arguments and justification for colonialism were prevalent: Social Darwinism, the white man's burden, do-gooderism, conversion to Christianity. <br /><br />Conrad takes on all of them and points out that <br /><br />"It was just robbery, with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale . . . The conquest of the earth , which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion, or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much."<br /><br />H_of_D was first published in the late 1890s. That quotation sounds as though it could have been written yesterday. <br /><br />I have read it several times and plan on reading it again.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10233846613173866140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-72383264312159634462010-12-06T08:52:07.200-07:002010-12-06T08:52:07.200-07:00Except for my readings of "Heart of Darkness,...Except for my readings of "Heart of Darkness," I've never gotten very far with anything else by Conrad. Yes, I know he is central to the development of the novel in the 20th century, but the opaque complexity and indirection of his syntax complicates my appreciation. I guess this makes me something of a heretic in my profession: literature teacher.R/Thttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07791522136032565027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-897228097627164771.post-4101255570204365192010-12-05T20:56:25.459-07:002010-12-05T20:56:25.459-07:00Heart of Darkness was one of the hardest books for...Heart of Darkness was one of the hardest books for me to fully understand. I realize that he was making a point on colonialism, but I could never quite grasp what exactly he was saying. It seemed vague to me... but I do love his writing.Kit Kathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03448141758039673213noreply@blogger.com