Heart Of Darkness Essay Research Paper Part free essay sample

Heart Of Darkness Essay, Research Paper Part I In the novel, Second Class Citizen, the chief character, Adah, is a strong, Nigerian adult females who faces sexism from within her ain civilization since she was born. She explains, ? She was a miss who had arrived when everyone was anticipating and foretelling a male child # 8230 ; She was so undistinguished? ( Emecheta 7 ) . In the Ibo civilization that Adah grew up in, being a miss was looked down upon. Giving birth to a male child was a major achievement, whereas giving birth to a miss was an every bit major letdown. Girls were taught to be utile, non intelligent: ? A twelvemonth or two would make, every bit long as she can compose her name and count. Then she will larn to run up? ( Emecheta 9 ) . In Ibo civilization, misss were valued for their domestic abilities. Adah refused to be measured by this, alternatively she was determined to travel to school and acquire an instruction. She worked had to get the better of the sexist attitude that her civilization held. This sexist attitude continued after she got married to Francis. Francis is a typical Ibo male. He held the position that the males should travel and acquire educated and the female should remain place, or in Francis? instance, work to back up his instruction. Adah knew his attitude, ? The acuteness seemed to state to her: ? It is allowed for African males to come and acquire civilsed in England. But that privileged has non been extended to females yet? ? ( Emecheta 36 ) . Francis is a pure contemplation of the values held by the Ibos. All Francis wanted from Adah was money, to pay for his instruction, and sex: ? Equally far as he was concerned matrimony was sex and tonss of it, nil more? ( Emecheta 41 ) . To Francis, Adah was a sexual object. Equally far as he was concerned, her feelings didn? t affair, she was non a existent individual. Adah knew she was up against the enemy when she challenged Francis, but she was able to lift about he sexism and go forth Francis. Not merely does she travel against her ain civilization, but she wants her kids to reject the sexist attitude as well: ? My boies will larn to handle their married womans as people? ( Emecheta 121 ) . Adah is a strong adult females who will non allow herself be objectified and will non allow the sexism of her civilization maintain her down. Adah would dislike the manner that adult females are portrayed in Joseph Conrad? s Heart of Darkness because adult females are treated as though they do non belong in the existent universe. Womans are treated as objects alternatively of people with ideas and feelings. It is this intervention that Adah worked difficult to get the better of. Part II In Joseph Conrad? s Heart of Darkness, Marlow, the storyteller of most of the narrative, state the narrative of his journey into the Congo searching for the lost tusk bargainer, Mr. Kurtz. Throughout Marlow? s journey, he encounters different types of adult females. In his brushs with his Aunt, the African adult females, and Mr. Kurtz? s intended bride-to-be, Marlow shows his take downing and sexist position of adult females. Marlow objectifies adult females depending on their race. The white European females are looked upon as domestic existences who should be given merely to their place universes, while the lone African adult females is portrayed as a sexual object. It is this objectiveness that causes Marlow to neer uncover the truth about Mr. Kurtz? s life and decease. The first adult female that we meet is Marlow? s aunt. She is the one paying for his trip to the Congo, yet Marlow does non esteem her positions. Marlow says, ? She talked about ? ablactating those nescient 1000000s from their horrid ways, ? boulder clay, upon my word, she made me rather uncomfortable # 8230 ; It? s thwart how out of touch with adult females are? ( Conrad 11 ) . In kernel, Marlow is stating that adult females are out of touch with world, even though it is clear that his Aunt? s positions about Africans reflect the popular position of the clip. That position being to Christianize Africa and acquire rid of their traditional civilization. This position was held by the likes of Rudyard Kipling, Leoplod II and other outstanding work forces of the clip. Marlow does non acknowledge his Aunt? s positions merely because she is a adult females and he doesn? T believe adult females belong in the existent universe. He says, ? They [ adult females ] unrecorded in a universe of their ain, and at that place had neer been anything like it, and neer can be? ( C onrad 11 ) . Marlow expresses the fact that adult females live in kind of a alternate existence, that is that they are out of touch with world. Because of this, adult females have no topographic point in the workings of society, that being in political relations or societal issues. Therefore, his Aunt is good plenty to fund Marlow? s trip, but her usefulness Michigan with the money. She is treated as a money tree alternatively of an person with ideas and positions of her ain. The lone African adult females introduced in the novel is Kurtz? s house amah. She is looked upon as a different kind of object, she is the object of sexual desire. She is described with animalistic qualities by Marlow: ? She walked with mensural stairss, draped in stripy and fringed apparels, steping the Earth proudly, with a little jangle and flash of brutal decorations? ( Conrad 55 ) . This description gives the image of a barbarous cat walking across the land with? # 8230 ; measured steps.. steping the Earth? . She is non physically described with human qualities, but as more of an alien beast-like animal. She besides stirs up desire in Marlow? s bosom, as he describes her presence: ? # 8230 ; The colossal organic structure of the fecund and cryptic life seemed to look at her, brooding, as though it had been looking at the image of its ain tenebrific and passionate psyche? ( Conrad 56 ) . Her presence gives rise to the passion in Marlow? s psyche every bit good. It is her cryptic quality that is so attractive. She is non viewed as a human, but as an object of sexual desire because she is alien and cryptic. Marlow recalls the adult male of spots stating, ? If she had offered to come aboard I truly think I would hold tried to hit her? ( Conrad 56 ) . The fact that these work forces would be so speedy to kill her shows that they wear? t position her as a homo because they would neer be so speedy to kill a white adult females. Her gender is endangering to the work forces, and it allows them to look at her as an object alternatively of a human being. The last adult females that Marlow encounters is Kurtz? s intended bride-to-be, who is merely referred to as the? Intended? . She is first mentioned in Kurtz? s gabble. He says, ? Oh she is out of it- wholly. They- the adult females I mean- are out of it- should be out of it? ( Conrad 44 ) . Kurtz is stating that adult females are out of touch with the existent universe. They are non cognizant of what goes on outside their ain universe, and that is the manner it should be. Womans should non believe about what goes on in the universe. Kurtz tells Marlow, ? We must assist them to remain in that beautiful universe of their ain, lest ours gets worst? ( Conrad 44 ) . In kernel, Kurtz is teaching Marlow to maintain his Intended in the dark about what is truly traveling on in the Congo. The? adult females? s universe? is one that is nescient to the harsh worlds of life, such as the mad adult male that Kurtz has become. Kurtz does non desire his Intended to cognize what he has become because he might lose her and that would be like losing a ownership to him. Kurtz exclaims, ? ? My Intended, my tusk, my station, my river, my- ? , everything belonged to him? ( Conrad 44 ) . Kurtz? s Intended is grouped with his other ownerships like tusk and his station. He sees her as a belonging alternatively of a existent individual. It is the objectification of Kurtz? s Intended that in the terminal stops Marlow from stating the truth about Kurtz? s decease. With Kutrz? s Intended in bereavement, Marlow Tells her, ? ? The last word he pronounced was- your name? ? ( Conrad 71 ) . Marlow knows Kurtz? s true last words, which were? ? The horror! The horror! ? ? ( Conrad 64 ) , but he could non convey himself to state her the truth. By stating her Kurtz? s true last words, Marlow would hold topographic point her into the existent universe and she would hold had to confront those worlds. By maintaining her in the dark, Marlow leaves her in her phantasy universe where she will neer recognize she is more that person? s ownership, she is an person. Through the objectification of adult females in the Heart of Darkness, the true nature of imperialism as displayed in Kurtz is neer revealed to the universe. Just as Marlow will non acknowledge the positions of adult females as persons, the universe will neer acknowledge the true nature of imperialism.