Help needed in'' Heart of Darkness'' by Joseph Conrad

[nouh]

Hello guys! im stuck and i need ur help! I am asked to write a monograph about 'Heart of Darkness', the famous novella writtenby the well-known author , Joseph Conrad...but the problem is that i cant think of any specific topic to tackle in this novella....racism, imperialism...are themes that are widely studied and there a lot of writings and criticism about these topics....So im coming here helpless hoping that someone would help me by suggesting whatever , let's say, new controversial topics and issues concerning the novella.....thanks in advance! any suggestion will be highly welcomed !

[Gladys]

How about freedom, of which Kurtz has rather to much; or civilisation, which vanishes as Marlow travels up the Congo River; or savagery, its jungle opposite; or truth, which Marlow abandons in the face of Kurtz's fiancée?

[ladderandbucket]

I think duality is one of the more interesting themes in Heart of Darkness. There are parallels between Kurtz and Marlow, Africa and London, the African woman and Kurtz's fiancee. It is as though one is the hidden side of the other - the 'heart of darkness' if you will. Duality is a recurring theme throughout Conrad's fiction.

[ralfyman]

Try these:

http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/study.html

http://classiclit.about.com/od/heartofdarkness/a/aa_heartdark_questions.htm

http://www.d.umn.edu/~csigler/conradquestions.html

There are more available online.

[nouh]

Guys! i really thank you from the bottom of my heart...your suggested topics seem verily fascinating ...i Will try to collect data concerning each topic ...

[kev67]

The things that struck me most was the all the elephant killing. Kurtz was out there to collect ivory, which he amassed in huge amounts for his Belgian company. I disapproved very much. A bit I quite liked was the ending. The narrator goes to visit Kurtz's widow. She hopes Kurtz was thinking of her when he died, when in reality he probably had not given her a thought for years. There was a lot of callousness on everyone's part in that book, the Africans as well as the Europeans. In those days, the resource being fought over was ivory. These days it's precious jewels and other natural resources.

[Gladys]

There was a lot of callousness on everyone's part in that book, the Africans as well as the Europeans.

Was Marlow callous?

[Yami]

Also Conrad's scheme of two narrators :)

[kev67]

Was Marlow callous?

Apart from Marlow.

[ennison]

"The famous novella written by the well known author" Love it.

[Scheherazade]

You have just "bumped" a three-year-old thread, Ennison...

[Pike Bishop]

Was Marlow callous?
Marlow was extremely callous. His response to the chief's death was merely asking if anybody else could drive the boat.

[ennison]

Have I Scherher? So it can mean an event and an imaginary event? Well Many's the bump I've had but now both. Darkness and Alcohol conspire to tell me night and bed call. Oidhche math all.