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Example research essay topic: Heart Of Darkness Darkness And Apocalypse - 1,005 words

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The plots of Hear of Darkness and Apocalypse Now are similar in a number of ways. In Heart of Darkness Marlow, a ship captain, has been hired by a rubber firm to pilot a steam boat up the Congo river find and retrieve Kurtz, one Belgium's top ivory traders (The Gale Group) who has cut himself off from the world (Gillon 70) and succumb to the seductions of the jungle (Newhouse 109) and become a demigod to the savages who live there (Gillon 70). Marlow, who has over time become infatuated with Kurtz's eloquence (Gillon 71) later arrives at the central post and although he admires this remarkable person (Conrad) he does not succumb to the momentary spell of the wilderness and does his job to remove Kurtz from his post. In Apocalypse Now US Army Captain Benjamin Willard has received orders to go up river in a military patrol boat and terminate the command of special forces Colonel Kurtz who like Kurtz from the book has gone totally insane and is worshipped like a god by a native tribe (Virtanen). Kurtz gained this position, like in the book, by what the officers called unsound methods. Willard in the same was as the book has become infatuated with Kurtz and in a strange way admires this insane genious.

However, like in the book, when the time comes, Willard knows he must do his job and assassinate the natives god. Even though the plots are near Identical, there are several differences that are important to each story. Obviously because Apocalypse Now is set in the war-torn country of Vietnam and not the primitive African culture located near the Congo river (Bradley) many adjustments were made as to the details that went on during the journey. The military presence in Apocalypse Now means that there is far more bloodshed and some symbolic value is given up for more crowd pleasing effects that take over at times (Gillon 75). Another important area in which the movie differs is the Killing of Kurtz as opposed to just relieving Kurtz from his duties.

In Apocalypse Now Kurtz became more of a threat as opposed to Heart of Darkness where Kurtz was of little threat to the white people (somebody). The settings of both the Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now although not the same are very similar. One similarity is the use of the jungle which becomes a symbol of the savage in man and a symbol of mans isolation, (Gillon 69) and provides a perfect breading ground for Kurtz's god-like reign. Another property of the Jungle was the impenetrability of its dense walls.

The character Marlow notices that Further inland no measures are strong enough to form a barrier against the dense jungle and its orgiastic native life. Kurtz? hoped to bring the light of civilization into the great darkness of Africa. (Newhouse 108) The light Kurtz tried to bring in could not penetrate the dense woods of the jungle. This jungle is the Heart of darkness, the very title of the book itself which is so dark no light, metaphorically or literally can get in. The rivers in both the book and movie are narrow and winding and difficult to maneuver threw signifying willard and marlow's long and arduous journey to find Kurtz and (add quote). Because these rivers were in different areas of the world, they created different enviroment's, atmospheres, and an overal difference in the peoples that surrounded them.

Because of the warlike atmosphere in Apocalypse Now, Kurtz seemed more in place because of his previous military experience. However in Heart of Darkness Kurtz was almost out of place and seems more Insane due to his unnatural situation. Although most of the major elements of Apocalypse Now occurred during the night, there was still a considerable amount of light that penetrated through during the day losing some of the symbolic value of the darkness. The characters involved in these both the book and the movie is some of the most noticeable similarities. One of the most noticeable similarities is the presence of Kurtz in both the book and the movie and are almost no differences between them. They are both portrayed as a Remarkable man, (conrad) in their field and both had succumb to the seductions of the jungle, exercising for the most diabolical ends his unrestrained power over the natives (Newhouse 109).

Marlow is directly related to Captain Willard who both are sent after Kurtz and alone are able to understand the nature of Kurtz because they have experienced the same temptation. Another character in the book, the Russian, is one who is directly related to the American photographer in the movie. Like Kurtz, these two characters are almost interchangeable. In both he talks of Kurtz being a genious and how if Marlow had heard him speak just two days ago he wouldnt dare call him mad (Conrad). Other, more minor characters also parallel each other such as the Helmsman from the novel to the Boats Captain in the movie. These characters are one of the more defining similarities between these two works.

Even though there movie and book follow the same plot line, the fact that they are in different settings under different circumstances means that there has to be some difference between characters, not only in the actions of some characters, but different characters altogether. The movie adds a great deal of extra characters that are important due to the fact that it takes place during the Vietnam war. Characters such as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore who admits that he Loves the smell of napalm in the morning (Cool) expresses the warlike feel for the movie (Virtanen). The presence of all the military troops are obviously not present in the book, but the movie also does not include all the similar characters that are important to the book such as the presence of natives on the boat which shows how the movie greatly differs from the book by ignoring Marlow's growth with the natives.


Free research essays on topics related to: darkness and apocalypse, heart of darkness, book and the movie, congo river, directly related

Research essay sample on Heart Of Darkness Darkness And Apocalypse

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