Mitch-Heart+of+Darkness+e.c.

“To become one of the most distinguished novelists of one's age would be accomplishment enough for most writers. To do so in a language other than one's own native tongue, as Joseph Conrad did, is an achievement almost without parallel” (Author).

__ HEART OF DARKNESS __ -Joseph Conrad-

Joseph Conrad (originally Józef Teordor Konrad Koraeniowski) was born in Berdichev, Poland in 1857 and grew up under tsarist autocracy. His parents died when he was 10. When he was 16, he went to England and France and became an apprenticed seaman for the next 12 years (Author). As a seaman, Conrad made trips to Asia, Africa, and South America. The things he saw and experienced were the basis of what he wrote in his fiction books (Merriman). Even though Conrad’s first languages were Polish and Russian, he adopted English and wrote his first important book, __The Nigger of the Narcissus__ (Author). In 1902, Conrad wrote __Heart of Darkness__. Conrad died on August 3rd, 1924 of a heart attack (Merriman). __ Much of the information from the biography of Joseph Conrad was found in: __ “Author Biographies: Joseph Conrad”. __PRENTICE HALL LITERATURE: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes.__ 25th March 2009. http://www.phschool.com/atschool/literature/author_biographies/conrad_j.html Merriman, C.D. “Joseph Conrad”. __The Literature Network.__ 2007. online-literature.com. 25th March 2009. http://www.online-literature.com/conrad/  The book starts with a group of men sitting on a ship, //The Nellie//, on the Thames River. The group consists of a Lawyer, an Accountant, a Captain, and Marlow. The narrator is unnamed. The men start to speak of famous voyages that have gone through the Thames River. Marlow then says that “this very spot was one of the darkest places on earth. This train of thought reminded Marlow of his experiences as a seaman. That leads to what this book is about.
 * Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) **
 * Plot Synopsis **

Marlow recounts how he got a job with the Belgian Company that trades on the Congo River with the help of his aunt. The Company quickly sent him to Africa because the captain of the Company’s previous ship, in this case, was killed by natives.

Before he leaves, Marlow says goodbye to his aunt who says that she hopes that he will help to civilize the savages. As Marlow leaves he feels like he is about to travel to the center of the earth.

The French steamer that Marlow makes his voyage in, takes him across the Congo River where he experiences things that he said were “nightmarish” to him. The steamer took him to the mouth of the river where Marlow got onto another ship. The captain of the ship recognized Marlow and they shared experiences with each other in which he goes another 30 miles upstream. As Marlow comes ashore at the Company’s station, he sees that it is in horrible condition. He also sees many groups of black prisoners in chains led by other black men and he comes across a group of dying natives and feeds them.

After spending over a week at the station, the chief accountant comes to Marlow with a message to a man name Kurtz. Marlow was supposed to let Kurtz know that everything on the “Outer Station” is fine when he meets them. Marlow journeys another 200 miles via caravan to the “Central Station”. When they arrive Marlow learns that the steamer he was supposed to captain was sunk by the people working at the Central Station in an effort to keep him from Kurtz. It takes 3 months to fix the steamboat. Marlow learns about the importance of Kurtz and he soon becomes the object of Marlow’s quest.

One evening, Marlow overhears the General Manager and his uncle discussing Kurtz. The manager complains that Kurtz has come to Congo to turn the Central and Outer Stations into civilizations and to promote human rights and moral improvement. Kurtz is out to take the General Manager’s job. Now the General Manager is out to get Kurtz and stop him. Marlow and the General Manager now race to find Kurtz. Will Marlow find Kurtz and save him before the General Manager gets to him? To find out, read __A Heart of Darkness__. __ All of the information from “Plot Synopsis” is found in: __ Conrad, Joseph. __Heart of Darkness.__ New York: the Penguin Group, 1976. Overall, this book is a very good read. The way that the author formatted the book was especially good. The book started out explaining and introducing the group of friends who are talking about their past on the //Nellie.// Then the protagonist, Marlow, starts telling a story within the story. It is interesting how Conrad does this instead of just having a plot that takes place in the present.
 * What Worked **

There are many different interpretations that can be made about the book. Heart of Darkness is a very vast story with many meanings. People could take it the wrong way. Some people could think that it is to inform and persuade its readers that a stand needs to be made in Congo about slaves, prisoners, and human rights in general. Others may think that the story is hazy or kind of obscure. Another thing that didn’t work well is the mood of the book was dark during the whole read. It could give readers a bad first impression. Furthermore, the book got kind of boring at parts and was hard to keep up with, however __A Heart of Darkness__ really is a good book and worth the time.
 * What didn’t Work **

“The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much” (Conrad, 7).
 * Good Quotes from the Book: **

“One ship is very much like another and the sea is always the same. In the immutability of their surroundings the foreign shores, the foreign faces, the changing immensity of life, glide past, veiled not by a sense of mystery but by a slightly disdainful ignorance; for there is nothing mysterious to a seaman unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny” (Conrad 4).

“It’s queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there had never been anything like it and never can be. It is too beautiful altogether, and if they were to set it up it would go to pieces before the first sunset. Some confounded fact we men have been living with consistently every since the day of creation would start up and knock the first thing over” (Conrad 50).

“I was thinking of very old times, when the Romans first came here nineteen hundred years ago…Lights came out of this river since…It is like a running blaze on a plain, like a flash of lightning in the clouds. We live in the flicker—may it last as long as the old earth keeps rolling! But darkness was here yesterday” (Conrad 4). __ All of the quotes in “Good Quotes from the Book” is found in: __ Conrad, Joseph. __Heart of Darkness.__ New York: the Penguin Group, 1976. __Title:__ Heart of Darkness __Author:__ Joseph Conrad __Type of Work:__ Novella - a short story/novel __Genre:__ Symbolism, colonial literature, and adventure tale __When it was Written:__ 1898-1890 __Narrator:__ Anonymous passenger on the //Nellie// and Marlow __Point of View:__ First Person __Protagonist:__ Marlow __Setting:__ Thames River, Brussels, Company’s offices, in the Congo, and Belgian territory __ All of the information from “Literary Information” is found in: __ “Heart of Darkness (Key Facts)”. __Spark Notes.__ 25th March 2009. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/facts.html __ Heart of Darkness __ was placed on the “Outstanding Books for the College Bound” for a number of reasons. The first reason why it is outstanding is that the author had to learn English to write this. That shows that the author was committed to writing a good book and he put everything he had in writing this book. The author also went to Congo and saw everything that Marlow saw in the book and put his life on the line because he was so dedicated to writing this.
 * Literary Information **
 * Why was This Book Placed on the “Outstanding Books for the College Bound” List? **

Another reason why the book is outstanding is how while telling the readers and unforgettable story, it still teaches the readers a lesson about what was happening in Congo around 1890 and relates to the readers that they need to be grateful for what they have. __ Heart of Darkness __ is recommended to all advanced readers. It is wordy sometimes but it delivers a powerful message. The book is only about 140 pages and is a quick read so anyone could read it in a week if they were looking for a good book. It is mostly recommended for older readers. __The Voyage of the Beagle__ by Charles Darwin __ Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa __ by Mungo Park __ City of the Beasts __ by Isabel Allende
 * Recommendations **
 * Other Books of the Same Genre: **

__The__ __Pearl__ http://park204.wikispaces.com/The+Pearl+by+Steinbecky-Sophia+Bainbridge __ Dune __ http://park204.wikispaces.com/Paige-+Dune __ The Things They Carried __ __http://park204.wikispaces.com/Aaron+-+The+Things+They+Carried__ __ The Giver __ http://park204.wikispaces.com/Lisa+The+Giver+%28Extra+Credit%29 __ Flowers for Algernon __ http://park204.wikispaces.com/Laura+extra+credit-Flowers+for+Algernon
 * Other Great Wikis: **

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