"The fascination of the abomination..." What does this mean to you?
To me, this means that things that are horrible fascinate us. People are always drawn to horror and death, which is why the media centers on such things. People always want to know what Police Officers are doing if they see a unit outside their house, people always want to look at traffic collisions and rubberneck. Horror often fascinates.
- Zack Licudine
Period 3
"fascination of abomination" means to me that people are so fascinated with distruction that they become corrupt. Especially in Africa they are obsessed with corruption and thriving it.
I believe that the "fascination of abomination" is referring to humans being attracted to terrible or horrific subjects. This attitude is mostly shown in the media and movies which leads to people to think negatively. People are mainly interested to learn about car crashes, murders, etc. in the world rather than to gain knowledge of pleasant topics.
"The fascination of the abomination..." (basically a fascination with primordial darkness) how the mind can be corrupted by the "wild" things out there, "reflecting a belief in man's original origins"
The phrase was used in Heart of Darkness (1899) to describe the core component of a man named Kurtz who had abandoned a uniform and the conventions of civilized warfare in favor of aggrandizement in both an economic and personal sense.
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Last edited by T1LLxFOREVER; 04-27-2007 at 11:54 PM.
"The Fascination of Abomination," to me this means many different things. It is when something is so wrong or so obscene you just have to look at it. In the heart of darkness Marlow walks by a man who has been killed and rotting in a long patch of grass. No one has stopped to help or get rid of the rotting body but everyone just looks and keeps passing by. No one cares the whole area is a fascination of abomination in a way. Everyone keeps walking by and looking but never does anything to stop the madness that is going on.
"Fascination of abomination.." to me means that people have fascination or interest in destruction. Many people have this quality and are more interested about the things in society that are corrupted and destroyed (ie. accidents, natural disasters, murders) then they are in the things that are done for the good of the community and world. Destruction draws a persons interests in and feel the need to know what has happened and wants to know the details. An example of this would be an accident on the freeway and all the cars backed up. This is because everyone is fascinated by the accident. All of the cars drive by slowly wanting to see what it is, trying to figure out what and how it happened, and want to know if anybody was hurt or killed.
How is the notion 'fascination of the abomination' related of presented in Heart of Darkness?
Sorry for the late response- but unsure of what you are asking. The other posts are from my high school seniors (who have gone on to graduate and are- hopefully- somewhere now where they may impress their instructors with their insight). Did you read any of what they wrote? Much of the events (factual) that took place during the ivory trade in the Congo were indeed abominations; Conrad attempts to prove that it is our human nature to be fascinated by the horror that surrounds us- even to the extent of 'heads on sticks' and 'rotting hippo meat' being eaten...and how far we are capable of going before being lost forever to it. Essentially, when we are no longer bothered by the atrocities we see, but simply have no response at all- that character is Kurtz. He is in the end the object of his own despair, and his very lack of concern is what drives him mad.
But you are beside the matter.
i was wondering if maybe you might be able to help me . . .
i need to do a essay on the subtopic of the river about Marlow's perspective of it. so far ive got how he thinks it will be super easy (his aunt getting him the job on the steamboat) and how diffucult it becomes (all the attacks and people dying) and how it isnt his expection of the river at all after metting Kurtz and seeing what he really is and how the trip changes his views of the river . . .
any input would be SOOOO helpfull
Facination of Abomination means to me that some poeple love destruction of others. Kind of scary thought.
Cat
Cat Brenners
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