Heart of Darkness Criticism
Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is hailed as one of the greatest novellas in English literature. Written in 1899 and published in 1902, the novella is both a gripping tale of adventure and a profound exploration of a man's inner psyche. The story follows Marlow, a seaman journeying up the Congo River into the African interior to meet Kurtz, a once-revered ivory trader who has descended into tyranny and madness. This journey becomes a symbolic voyage into darkness, reflecting Marlow's confrontation with the corrupting potential of human nature.
The novella is renowned for its complex narrative structure and its vivid, symbolic imagery that blurs the lines between light and darkness, good and evil, as noted in the essay Heart of Darkness Revisited. This ambiguity invites various interpretations, with critics exploring themes of colonialism, racism, and the duality of human nature. The narrative's political undertones critique the European imperialist enterprise, revealing its moral bankruptcy through the destructive greed and dehumanization it engenders, as discussed by Carola M. Kaplan.
Conrad's personal experiences in Africa significantly influence the novella, intertwining factual elements with his imaginative vision. Critics like Michael Levenson in The Value of Facts in the Heart of Darkness have examined Conrad's evolving conception of the story. The problematic portrayal of African characters and the critique of racial and gender dynamics have sparked significant debate, as explored by Robert Hampson and Ode S. Ogede. Additionally, Rita Bode's assessment in ‘They … Should Be Out of It’: The Women of Heart of Darkness highlights the formidable nature of the novella's female characters.
Overall, Heart of Darkness is a seminal exploration of moral ambiguity and psychological depth, establishing its place within the modernist literary tradition. Its enduring relevance and complexity ensure ongoing scholarly and critical engagement, making it a cornerstone in both literary and cultural studies.
Contents
- Principal Works
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Essays
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Heart of Darkness Revisited
(summary)
In the following essay, Miller views Heart of Darkness as a parabolic and apocalyptic text.
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The Value of Facts in the Heart of Darkness
(summary)
In the following essay, Levenson traces the development of Heart of Darkness, maintaining that “it is clear that Conrad markedly altered his conception” of the story as he was writing it.
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‘Heart of Darkness’ and ‘The Speech that Cannot be Silenced’
(summary)
In the following essay, Hampson investigates the role of racism in Heart of Darkness.
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‘They … Should Be Out of It’: The Women of Heart of Darkness.
(summary)
In the following essay, Bode asserts that a close focus on the females in Heart of Darkness suggests that the extent and nature of their power are formidable.
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They Eye and the Gaze in Heart of Darkness: A Symptomological Reading
(summary)
In the following essay, Devlin analyzes the textual symptoms found in Heart of Darkness and asserts that the novella was written with a colonial bias.
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Heart of Darkness
(summary)
In the following essay, Watts traces the critical reaction to Heart of Darkness and places the novella within the nineteenth-century literary tradition.
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Colonizers, Cannibals, and the Horror of Good Intentions in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness
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In the following essay, Kaplan explores Conrad's treatment of race, gender, and colonialism in Heart of Darkness.
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Phantoms Mistaken for a Human Face: Race and the Construction of the African Woman's Identity in Joseph's Conrad's Heart of Darkness
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In the following essay, Ogede argues that Conrad's representation of African women in Heart of Darkness perpetuates standard European myths about Africa.
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Cultural Psychosis on the Frontier: The Work of the Darkness in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness
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In the following essay, Brown maintains that the darkness in Heart of Darkness produces a larger “cultural psychosis.”
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Naming and Silence: A Study of Language and the Other in Conrad's Heart of Darkness
(summary)
In the following essay, Trench-Bonett counters the charge that Conrad is a racist by examining the way the author utilizes names and silence in Heart of Darkness.
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The Beast in the Congo: How Victorian Homophobia Inflects Marlow's Heart of Darkness
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In the following essay, Wilson investigates elements of homophobia and homoeroticism in Heart of Darkness.
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Envisioning Africa
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In the following essay, Firchow discusses Conrad's vision of Africa as found in Heart of Darkness.
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The Rescue: Conrad, Achebe, and the Critics
(summary)
In the following essay, Mongia considers the charges of racism against Conrad and Heart of Darkness, exploring the fraught issue of race and its construction in the novel. She discusses the responses to Achebe's critique of Conrad, examining the arguments that challenge Achebe's claims and the implications of these debates.
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Heart of Darkness Revisited
(summary)
- Further Reading