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kachacha
10-25-2013, 08:28 AM
Hi,

please, can anybody help me to analyze this text which comes from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. I need to say what is the content, themes, symbols, atmosphere or other features prominent in this text:

Anything approaching the change that came over his features I have never seen before, and hope never to see again. Oh, I wasn't touched. I was fascinated. It was as though a veil had been rent. I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror--of an intense and hopeless despair. Did he live his life again in every detail of desire, temptation, and surrender during that supreme moment of complete knowledge? He cried in a whisper at some image, at some vision--he cried out twice, a cry that was no more than a breath:
`The horror! The horror!'

My best answer is this:

This part of the story seems to be quite dark and unhappy as the narrator (Marlow) says that he wishes to never see the personīs (Kurtz) features again. This may mean that it was horrible look. Also the expressions as "ruthless power and craven terror--of an intense and hopeless despair" give me an unpleasant feeling. Furthermore the last words "the horror" suggest terrible thoughts in th person mind, maybe of his memories. Al those words represent some kind of darkness. The amosphere is not a happy one. I think that Kurtz is in fever or so as it sounds that he doesnīt know about himself. The discription of his voice being no ore than a breath suggest that Kurtz is dying. The narrator seems that he is not a good friend of him as he is "not touched"


This is very much about the content but what about the motifs and other featers? I really donīt know. Anybody can help?

Many thanks!

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