Heart+of+Darkness

=  = = = //The Heart of Darkness// was considered one of the greatest works of literature in the early part of the 1900's. Never before had European audiences read about the mysterious nature of the 'Dark Continent'. It is believed that Conrad used the life of Henry Morton Stanley who was an explorer fundeded by King Leopold II of Belgium. Stanley took his crew into the deepest parts of the area known today as the Congo. Initially, Stanley was a celebrated explorer. However, as reports surfaced of Stanley's treatment of African natives and his own men, his knighthood was tainted. Stanley is now remembered infamously for horrific treatment of African natives and for fostering racism. //**The Heart of Darkness**// has a main character who very much resembles the attitude Stanley had towards the natives. This character is named Kurtz. While there are other possible candidates who could have inspired the Kurtz character, the bottom line is that Kurtz represents all European explorers. Today, the short novella remains one of the most controversial discussed works. Many accuse Conrad of shaping European's racism towards Africa and others believe that the characters were merely just that: characters.


 * Assignment:** Read this brief selection in [|Heart of Darkness] and post your own reaction or comment to a popular string of arguments. Use __specific references__ (quotes) from the essay to support your very clear thesis.

Post Topics: What type of image does Conrad make about Africa (positive/negative)? Are critics too harsh on Conrad? Can you identify any specific negative images that you find could be offensive? Research the success of the book and/or the author. How did he defend himself?