Transcript CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW IN THE HEART OF DARKNESS BY JOSEPH CONRAD

CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW
IN THE HEART OF
DARKNESS BY JOSEPH
CONRAD
With references to Tess of
the D’Urbervilles, Hamlet,
and 1984
By Maureen Breslin
Characters
• Kurtz: virtuous, moral,
ethical; degenerates to
evil; is infected with
darkness because of
lack of accountability
Marlow
• voice of reason: Platonic
man
• understands attraction of
evil
• has previous moral
commitment
General Manager
• no conscience
• greed
• envy
Cannibals
• more personal restraint
than white men
Symbols of Evil
• Darkness
• England
•one of the dark
places of the earth
• Africa’s dark heart
Congo River
• serpent in the Garden
• White man ( Belgian
Ivory company, Kurtz,
imperialists )
is serpent
• Africa is garden
Jungle
• Garden
•pristine, primeval
purity
• Disease: physical //
moral, spiritual
Archetypal Symbols
• forest: state of being
lost; evil; ironic
• heart: residence of
spiritual being
• colors: black wool, black
hens, blank dark spot
Archetypal Symbols
• white: ironic
• black: ironic
•green: money,
materialism
•motley of the
Russian
Other Symbols
• bright colors of the
native woman
contrasted with
• the dark colors of the
Intended
• Gestures of both
women: prayer
Other Symbols
• Vertical lines of the
forest//cathedral-like lines
of living room
• Skulls, facing inward
• The abyss: “the horror,
the horror.” Its attraction
for Marlow
Reasons Marlow
Doesn’t Succumb
• Previous commitment
to moral standards
• Empathy
• Desire to know truth
Reasons Kurt Succumbs
• Isolation; lack of
accountability
• Pride/hubris
• Greed and materialism
• Power: receives worship
of the natives
• Lust
Reasons Marlow Protects
Kurtz’ Name
•
•
Kurtz’ honesty
Kurtz’ acceptance
of his fate
Conclusions
• Within the garden (forest: primeval,
virgin) is the virtuous, enlightened,
talented, perfect man.
• In its heart is an evil (serpent) that
draws the most perfect of men in an
appeal to his hubris.
• Kurtz comes “with fire and
lightning”, inviting and accepting
worship, reverence, and sacrifice.
Conclusions
• He has the power of life and
death and with his WORD is able
to command love and
obedience.
• He becomes totally corrupt and
falls from grace because he is
both appalled and drawn to his
sin.
Conclusions
• He sees his blackness of heart as he
comes to the edge of the abyss but
cannot withdraw. However in his
final words, “The horror, the horror”,
he honestly confronts his evil but
does not have the ability to repent.
We understand without the Holy
Spirit, we would not be able to
repent either.
Conclusions
• Marlow recognizes his
potential to be sucked into
the abyss, but allows his
previous morality and
commitment to morals to
help him step back.
Conclusions
• The darkness, sickness, and
heat of the jungle merely
reflect the evil within the
heart of man. Thus the
physical disease that has
withered away Kurtz’ body
is symbolic of the spiritual
disease that has infected his
heart.
Tess of the D’Urbervilles
• Blackmoor Vale
contains
a primeval/virgin
forest
Tess = White Hart
*A white hart inhabits this forest
and is a symbol of Tess, “a pure
woman”
• A serpent (Alec, the antagonist)
brings about Tess’ downfall in
the garden
Hamlet
• Disease corrupts the land of
Denmark
• Major theme: appearances are
different from reality
• While a righteous king sleeps in
the orchard (garden) the
country is told he is stung by a
serpent
Hamlet
• His brother, Claudius, has
poisoned him because of
hubris/greed
Claudius desires his brother’s
• position/King
• wife
• kingdom/power
Hamlet
• Called the “primal, eldest curse
• The murder of a brother: Cain
and Abel
• This murder spawns
• Moral corruption in the
kingdom
Hamlet: The Exiled Child
• Distinguished parents
• NEW order tries to kill child
• Child is strong
• Child slowly recognizes own
extraordinariness
• Strength comes from that
recognition
The Exiled Child
• Now the “divine” child (hero)
knows he needs to teach
and help regenerate the old
order:
• Find parents
• Seek revenge
• Kills parents
The Exiled Child
• Child achieves
•Divinity
•Kingship
•Leadership role
•Establishes order
1984
• To eliminate words is to eliminate
the ability to think
• Desire for power is at the root of
totalitarianism: Hubris
• Totalitarianism demands:
The elimination of truth
The abolition of religion
The illegalization of love
*Elimination of truth leads to loss of
freedom
Conclusion
• Hamlet must die as must the
evil interloper (Claudius) and
a new King must establish
order in Denmark.
• Kurtz must die
• Tess must die
• The wages of sin is death!!!!
Conclusion
• All the books deal with hypocrisy:
appearances vs reality. God sees the
heart.
• The best people are capable of
corruption: apathy, hatred,
manipulation
• Yet, the ending of a tragedy/tragic
story contains the seeds of
redemption/ renewal/rebirth.
*1984: a satire; contains no hope