Modernism and Heart of Darkness
1. Context- historical, cultural or social, can have an influence on the way literary works are written or received. Discuss with
reference to at least two works studied
2. ...to what extent has an awareness of context enriched or enhanced your understanding
3. How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?
4. Discuss the extent to which they reveal the prevailing values and beliefs of the periods and places in which the texts are written or
set
5. Writers may use literature as a vehicle for social criticism. Compare and contrast the ways in which writers criticize society in at
least two texts that you have studied
6. Writers often use a character who is alienated from his or her culture in society in order to explore cultural or social values.
Examine this idea with reference to at least two works studied
7. Show some of the ways in which writers enable the reader/audience to discern a meaning that is only implied
8. How do writers use isolated/alienated characters in order to explore their society’s values or attitudes?
9. To what purpose do authors sometimes choose not to follow a chronological sequence of events in their literary works?
Modernist Relates to cultural context Used in Heart of Darkness Examples
element (Purpose)
Impressionism ● Impressionism was used to reflect ● Conrad embraces this horror and 1. Motif: “Heart of Darkness”
the changing attitudes of the time: chaos through the use of symbols ○ Has a double entendre: meant to evoke images of
the distrust in a higher power, the and imagery in order to represent the darkest, inner core of the African continent in the
lack of authority and omniscience the collapse of Western contemporary reader’s mind
represented through figurative ‘civilisation’ and thereby critique ○ However throughout the story we grow to learn that
language colonialism rather than exploring the continent Marlow is
● Rather than the literal very ● Represents the collapse of embarking on an internal psychological search
descriptive language of the Western ‘civilization’ ○ Not only within himself but within the heart of all
Victorian era ● Used to emphasize his anti- Western colonists
● Authors’ aims were no longer to colonialist theme ○ Understood through the last line as the Nellie is
present absolute truths or ● Also used to cloud the intentions of depicted as sailing through the River Thames “into
realities, but rather the author the heart of an immense darkness” (130)
● to create feelings or impressions ○ Diversion from Victorian ○ Exemplifies how this heart follows the colonists and
which would leave the readers literature, wherein morals were not the Africans, represents the inner turmoil and
lingering between the lines explicitly stated cruelty
○ Readers urged to read between
the lines of this figurative 2. Symbol and allusion: Whited Sepulchre
language and understand the ○ Allusion to bible: used to represent hypocrisy, painting
, author’s social commentary something beautiful as containing horrors within
○ Moral ambiguity ○ In the book, used to symbolize Belgium, the home of
King Leopold the original ruler of the Congo and one of
the leading figures in the imperialist enterprise
○ Implies western, imperialist hypocrisy: something cruel
and inhumane disguised as something beautiful such
as the notion of civilization
3. Symbol and allusion: Blindfolded woman
painting
○ Allusion to greek goddess justice, often blindfolded
and allusion to liberty, who is depicted with a torch
○ Symbolizes the westerners’ advance of civilisation into
the darkness of Africa lacks vision
○ The torch can signify either enlightenment or
incendiary
○ Emphasizing the lack of omniscient truth in his writing
4. The River- Congo and the Thames
○ Can represent:
■ could be seen as suggesting that the steamer
containing civilisation progresses moving upriver
but Africa’s currents push it back towards
primitiveness and prehistory
■ Kinship between Congo and the Thames, imperialist
hypocrisy
5. Fog
○ Distorting
○ Blinds Marlow
○ Just as figurative language blinds the reader, but
also offer them to see past the fog
Lack of ● In response to the growing sense ● Reflect the time ● Narrator left nameless and undescribed
omniscient of loss and abandonment felt by ● Compel readers to object to their ○ Increases distrust
narrator the horrors of the war and cruelty social cultural context ● Kurtz’ dying epiphany “the horror! The horror!”
of mankind ● This is used to evoke a sense of (116)
1. Context- historical, cultural or social, can have an influence on the way literary works are written or received. Discuss with
reference to at least two works studied
2. ...to what extent has an awareness of context enriched or enhanced your understanding
3. How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose?
4. Discuss the extent to which they reveal the prevailing values and beliefs of the periods and places in which the texts are written or
set
5. Writers may use literature as a vehicle for social criticism. Compare and contrast the ways in which writers criticize society in at
least two texts that you have studied
6. Writers often use a character who is alienated from his or her culture in society in order to explore cultural or social values.
Examine this idea with reference to at least two works studied
7. Show some of the ways in which writers enable the reader/audience to discern a meaning that is only implied
8. How do writers use isolated/alienated characters in order to explore their society’s values or attitudes?
9. To what purpose do authors sometimes choose not to follow a chronological sequence of events in their literary works?
Modernist Relates to cultural context Used in Heart of Darkness Examples
element (Purpose)
Impressionism ● Impressionism was used to reflect ● Conrad embraces this horror and 1. Motif: “Heart of Darkness”
the changing attitudes of the time: chaos through the use of symbols ○ Has a double entendre: meant to evoke images of
the distrust in a higher power, the and imagery in order to represent the darkest, inner core of the African continent in the
lack of authority and omniscience the collapse of Western contemporary reader’s mind
represented through figurative ‘civilisation’ and thereby critique ○ However throughout the story we grow to learn that
language colonialism rather than exploring the continent Marlow is
● Rather than the literal very ● Represents the collapse of embarking on an internal psychological search
descriptive language of the Western ‘civilization’ ○ Not only within himself but within the heart of all
Victorian era ● Used to emphasize his anti- Western colonists
● Authors’ aims were no longer to colonialist theme ○ Understood through the last line as the Nellie is
present absolute truths or ● Also used to cloud the intentions of depicted as sailing through the River Thames “into
realities, but rather the author the heart of an immense darkness” (130)
● to create feelings or impressions ○ Diversion from Victorian ○ Exemplifies how this heart follows the colonists and
which would leave the readers literature, wherein morals were not the Africans, represents the inner turmoil and
lingering between the lines explicitly stated cruelty
○ Readers urged to read between
the lines of this figurative 2. Symbol and allusion: Whited Sepulchre
language and understand the ○ Allusion to bible: used to represent hypocrisy, painting
, author’s social commentary something beautiful as containing horrors within
○ Moral ambiguity ○ In the book, used to symbolize Belgium, the home of
King Leopold the original ruler of the Congo and one of
the leading figures in the imperialist enterprise
○ Implies western, imperialist hypocrisy: something cruel
and inhumane disguised as something beautiful such
as the notion of civilization
3. Symbol and allusion: Blindfolded woman
painting
○ Allusion to greek goddess justice, often blindfolded
and allusion to liberty, who is depicted with a torch
○ Symbolizes the westerners’ advance of civilisation into
the darkness of Africa lacks vision
○ The torch can signify either enlightenment or
incendiary
○ Emphasizing the lack of omniscient truth in his writing
4. The River- Congo and the Thames
○ Can represent:
■ could be seen as suggesting that the steamer
containing civilisation progresses moving upriver
but Africa’s currents push it back towards
primitiveness and prehistory
■ Kinship between Congo and the Thames, imperialist
hypocrisy
5. Fog
○ Distorting
○ Blinds Marlow
○ Just as figurative language blinds the reader, but
also offer them to see past the fog
Lack of ● In response to the growing sense ● Reflect the time ● Narrator left nameless and undescribed
omniscient of loss and abandonment felt by ● Compel readers to object to their ○ Increases distrust
narrator the horrors of the war and cruelty social cultural context ● Kurtz’ dying epiphany “the horror! The horror!”
of mankind ● This is used to evoke a sense of (116)
