Throughout the first part of Heart of Darkness I have noticed a great amount with the usage of repeating words. I can not figure out the signicance of this writing technique, and ask if anyone else has figured it out or has noticed it.:confused:
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Throughout the first part of Heart of Darkness I have noticed a great amount with the usage of repeating words. I can not figure out the signicance of this writing technique, and ask if anyone else has figured it out or has noticed it.:confused:
what wods you found there been repeating?
umm... I have noticed this repetition in his short story "Youth", with:
"...pass the bottle"
It obviously meant that the narrator and his companions were drinking together, but at the end of the story, I learned it held a deeper significance to the camaraderie of ship-men who had 'gone through it all'..
lol We're studying Heart of Darkness in class, and we figure he just loves the words "brooding" and "inscrutable." English was his third language, and I guess he just liked certain words. Just like Jane Austen liked the word "tolerable"--she used it at least once on every page. Maybe they're "fad" words or something. Repeating words can mean something--like crazefes said. I think Conrad did want the general tone to come out as really dark and unfathomable. Anything can be the reason, as long as you can back it up, right?
I agree, I tihnk he just likes certain words. I have also noticed that H.G Wells does the same thing in War fof The Worlds within the first few chapters. Maybe its a 19th Century novel thing!
I found myself asking this very same question under a week ago. Why does Conrad get so repetitive with particular words. I have been reading many of his works lately and I have found this to be a common theme. The repetitive words vary from work to work. I noticed in Victory that he used the words "confounded" and "languid" an absurd number of times. I came upon these two words so often that I had to look up the proper definitions online to make sure I wasn't missing an important element of the story. Ironically, upon finishing Victory I had a general aftertaste of confusion and felt unmotivated and discouraged with my life. These happen to be the definitions of Conrad's repetitive words...