Part III Regarding BELIEFS/ILLUSION

[Chris N.]

Conrad is setting up two qualities of reality, the fabricated reality in which the Europeans are planning to civilize the African people and the actual reality of it which is the Europeans occupying Africa simply for its financial gain and to take advantage of the african natives in helping them do so. The natives are living in the fabricated reality believing that the Europeans occupation is truly benefiting them to grow as a civilization and that people like Kurtz have the sole purpose of helping others besides themselves and only care about doing so and this makes him a very admirable figure head to the natives. But on the other hand Conrad tells us that their real intentions are quite the opposite. The Europeans including Kurtz could care less for the improvement of the natives life in Africa, they care for the gain of wealth they get in it all. To me there is simply a fabricated reality that the Europeans have formed due to the natives ignorance and the harsh, true reality involving the greed and corruption of the Europeans taking advantage of the Africa's people and resources.

[cboehm1]

Yes, Conrad seems to be setting up two qualities of reality. First, there is the reality of the Europeans, who enter a foreign nation, and essentially rape the wealth and resources without any benefit for the natives. Second, there is the reality of the natives, who are the scapegoats of European greed, and whose nation is set-back because of the racism, greed, and false superiority of the Europeans.

[ZackF]

I do believe that Conrad is setting up two types of realities. One of the realities is of the horrors that truly go in the jungle. The natives are viewed as savages and even compared to animals. However, Marlows view of the Europeans proves that the true animals are the greedy europeans attempting to imperialize africa. The other reality is that of civilization. The whites believe they represent class and order and are attempting to bring the same to Africa.

[Greeneyk]

Conrad clearly creates two kinds of reality. This can be seen in Marlow's conflicting view points. Sometimes Marlow seems to idolize Kurtz, but Kurtz is actually selfish and lives in search of ivory and power. In addition, Marlow always comes off sympathetic to the natives when describing their condition, especially in the grove of death, but when his boat is being attacked by the natives he clearly does not tell his men to stop firing off into the wilderness. Another example is what Europeans believe is going on in Africa and what Marlow knows to be actually true of what is occurring in Europe. When he goes to visit his aunt and Kurtz's Intended, both are ignorant of the brutality going on in Africa. Both believe Europeans are bringing goodness to the natives. Marlow states in the end, "[Europeans] were intruders whose knowledge of life was to me irritating pretense, because I felt so sure they could not possibly know the things I knew," (44). Conrad created the European's perspective on African and Marlow's perspective on Africa. In the end, Conrad has created two realities which help further the reader's knowledge of the story while also confusing the reader of what point is he trying to address to readers.

[AlexK]

Conrad sets up two kinds of reality: men and women's realities. Men's reality includes the knowledge of the situation and cruelty in Africa, while women's reality is more "idealistic". In women's reality, expedition in Africa serves only educational or recreational purposes, or people could go there to earn some money. Women had no real idea about the slavery system occurring in Africa. But women don't really need to know about all the horrible things going on in Africa. They live peacefully without this knowledge, which would not make them any good.

[nicksandoval]

Yes Joseph Conrad does seem to be creating two kinds or qualities of reality in Heart of Darkness. This is evident in how Marlow describes many things in Africa as unreal, foreign or from another world. Many times Marlow talks about Africa like it is a different world. The humans living there, the immense jungle and the events that take place are all foreign and unreal to Marlow, and is truly a different reality for him. Also, when he goes back to the Company headquarters, the difference in realities is evident because everything seems so normal and everyone is unaffected by what is really going on and it irritates Marlow. He says he watched people walk around with stupid importance, he knows they haven’t seen what he has seen.

[cdowning]

Yes, Conrad does most notably towards the closer Marlow gets to the "Heart of Darkness". As the journey continues it gets more gruesome and shocking as Marlow travels farther and farther into the wilderness. Once Marlow is deep into the wilderness Conrad constantly brings up the dreamlike state Marlow is in. Also for the entire duration of the book Conrad continues to refer to the river as older and even prehistoric which sets up a scenario similar to the dreamlike state in which there is another reality. Also due to the different types of people encountered such as innocent westerners like Marlow, evil ones like Kurtz, and the natives who only want peace.

[taylorolson1123]

Conrad seems to be setting up different qualities of reality throughout the novel. At one point there is a reality that the Europeans are described as the civilized society while the natives are barbaric savages. The irony in this is that the whites are the ones with no morals, who are brutal, and filled with evil and greed. On the other hand, we see the native Congo’s in misery or dead. The author seems to contradict imperialism because it is supposed to bring light and civilization into Africa, but really it is bringing darkness and cruelty among the civilization.

[wesleyr237]

Conrad appears to be setting up two kinds of qualities or ways of life in that one is the events that actually occur in the heart of darkness and the horrors that could be observed through the book. While the other quality of life is what is perceived back in Europe as what is actually occurring there, and it could be seen from Marlowe's aunt in her way of describing what they were doing over there as civilizing the savages.

[maxwellspearson]

Conrad does a good job setting up multiple realities within the novella. He is sets up the reality of the common person who views Africa of a place that needs saving and the Europeans are doing the lorts work to help them. Then there is the reality of those who come to Africa to work at the company. Here we see a more realist view of what is actually happening there and it ain't too holy. He does this to show us how one way of life doesn't fit everything. Europeans do not have the answer to everything.

[Easy]

Yes, Conrad is setting up two realities, the first is Marlows recollection of the happenings in Africa, Much of which could be and likely is flawed due to it being from an unreliable source, the hum,an memory. and the second is the reality of how the civilized people of Europe see the events in Africa, where murderers are hailed as Heros.

[Bostgeme]

Yes, Conrad sets up two significantly different types of reality in the story. One being the reality of the ivory traders leaders made up primarily of white men. These men represent greed, evilness and selfishness. The other reality is that of the natives who are powerless and barbaric like in the jungle. These two realities are ironic because towards the end of the story the white reality ends up being more animalistic and they do anything they have to in order to obtain the ivory which they so desire.

[KLyle]

Conrad does set up two kind of reality, but only to the extent of present versus past. Conrad refrains as far as I can recall from referencing the future. Conrad spends a lot of time in his past, perhaps a reference to how many people manage to live largely in their past and think about the experiences they've already had versus the experiences to come. He also may tell the story from the perspective of another man to separate his own views from that of Marlow, versus as if he were telling the story from himself. It adds a very interesting dimension to the story.

[fitbyaddie]

There are many biblical references and the Conrad includes the terms “pilgrims” and “disciples.” He also makes Kurtz seem like he is above everyone else. Marlow sees him as a God-like figure.

[sidshah]

I do believe Conrad is setting up two different kinds of realities in the book. One side of the reality is how the women and socially influenced men of the era view the imperialism of Europe, and the other side is how rational and sympathetic people like Marlow see it. In history, when slaves or a community of people are put down, often it is not the result of only one person, but many, and maybe even an entire government such as Hitler. He influenced and brainwashed people into blindly committing acts they would never commit by lying about a people, and the same is being done here in Africa. Women and the men are blind to the evils they perform on other humans whereas Marlow clearly sees the suffering the vast majority of Africans are in.