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Heart of Darkness By Joseph Conrad Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed around him- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. Conrad uses vivid imagery and graphic descriptions in order to depict to the reader the feelings he posses while in Africa, and the essence of the jungle. The novel defines Conrad's journey through an uncharted land, with eloquence enough to allow the readers to embody the encounter themselves. The title of the book itself, exemplifies Conrad's sentiments while on a trek through Africa's jungles, and depicts the darkness that emanates. As demonstrated in the opening sentence, the story captures the reader by enticing them into a world unknown and maintains a level of excitement and inquiry throughout. Thus any reader curious about the early colonization of Africa will be enthralled and thoroughly educated.
Conrad gives readers a story of personal experience, in addition to a historical account of the events taking place in 18 nth century Africa. At times he goes into severe detail, in situations in which he is taken aback. This includes the travels through the marsh and swamp lands, the treatment of the natives, and the appearance of the new environment. When defining his surroundings he often uses transitions that revert back to the title of the work, allowing him to keep a theme of fear, death, and most significantly darkness. The setting is notably a major focus point in Conrad's work, and although time plays little role in the novel, the background encompasses much of the story line, and teaches the reader the conditions of the time period. Heart of Darkness not only informs the reader, but also entertains them with a riveting plot about the evils of capitalism, when imposed upon a more simple society.
It also address the abuses of natives, through multiple chronicles of slavery, from a first hand account. The novel is organized in a straight forward manner, basic enough to follow through the jungle depictions and the expedition itself. Though in specific instances the narrative flow became lost in the jungle, it was a reflection of the times, and always regained in time to maintain attention from the reader. Conrad's work exercised as many literary tools as possible, using imagery, alliteration, metaphor, simile, and foreshadowing, to demonstrate the wilds of Africa. Using a first person perspective gave him the ability to only explain the situation but give his own observances and opinions throughout his journey. It added a personal touch to an otherwise somewhat historical version of Africa's colonization.
Joseph Conrad traveled up and down the eastern Atlantic Ocean, along the coast of Africa for over thirty years of his life as an explorer, and a businessman, much like he was portrayed in Heart of Darkness. Although his work is considered to be fiction, it is based upon his actual journeys to Africa, and over the years he wrote over 30 published novels, and stories. Conrad's sources are based purely on his own travels, and they only as accurate as he chooses to portray his expeditions. As far as other works from the same time, this novel seems to remain true to the accounts of his contemporaries. It concurs with the history written about the time, but has little work to compare the fictional story to since it was a time period that required the risk of life, even if only to be documented. Throughout the book, at no point did I find that he strayed from the historical truths known to me and my peers from the history previously learned.
Before Conrad journeyed to Africa he lived in a rather civilized European society, and therefore never before been encountered with such raw savagery and nature as he was when he arrived in Africa. I believe this to be the reason for his heavy emphasis on the descriptions of the jungle itself. Not only is it a book that will inform todays readers, but it is one that informed the people of his time about the distance land. Although there is a distinctive style that Conrad uses which is very wordy, he is able to make the book flow in such a way that at no points does it flow, and it makes a level of truth throughout. Because of these qualities this book is extremely valuable to any of the members of our class, or purely curious people. It allows them to learn more about the topic in an engaging novel that is not overcrowded with description, as I have found other books of the time to be.
Heart of Darkness is a well developed book, about a mans journey through Africa, in a time of slavery and colonization, that gives an accurate portrayal of the time. I truly enjoyed reading this story and found myself, often times anticipating the characters next move. I find this to be one of its most valuable points, because who is going to read a story that cant hold their attention. It is a book about the hardship and treachery of a man traveling through the dark jungles of Africa, with vivid detail, and descriptions.
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Research essay sample on Heart Of Darkness Joseph Conrad
