Intro Paragraph

The human psyche has been one of the most discussed and debated topics throughout scientific history. Although we have a clear understanding of the way the human brain functions, the theory of the role of the subconscious lingers as an unsolved mystery. More importantly, the amount of control the subconscious possesses over our psyche presents even more perplexing. In Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness,” the idea of a repressed subconscious presents itself in a way that allows readers to dig deeper into their own consciences and discover the true connection between what is conscious and unconscious. By revealing a repressed subconscious, Conrad experiments with the effects of a human hiding his true self, and whether this repression affects the way humans make decisions throughout their lives. Through the works of Murfin, Karl, and Freud, the psyche illuminates as the “decision maker” in the human mind, the leader of what makes us good. Therefore, although the conscience actions can hide behind the subconscious as actions that are not thought out, our subconscious has ultimately nothing to do with our decision making, thus revealing the thought process throughout the conscience and its ability to make man kind good.  

Heart of Darkness Essay

For my Heart of Darkness Essay, I really want to focus on the ideas of Karl, Freud, and Murfin to analysis the idea of human morality. Using the original question as to what extent these analysis help change the way we view Heart of Darkness, I hope to outline the way that the individual ideas surrounding the subconscious and conscience work together to create our human minds. Through this, my essay will give an alternative view into the goodness of mankind while also viewing Marlows actions as he travels through Africa. I hope to find 3 ideas and organize them into three paragraphs, drawing examples from both Heart of Darkness and the three articles.

Karl

In Karls' physcoanalytical criticism of Heart of Darkness, he analyzes the spiritual journey of Conrad and Marlow during their journey through Africa. Stating him as the "modern rendition of Everyman, the flawed representative Of mankind," I really enjoyed this analysis as I feel it represented a different side of the main character and how it related to the readers. My favorite quote would have to be "His great discoveries, like Conrad's, was surely that dreams, despite the various barriers the conscious erects, are wish fulfillments of the hidden self." I strongly agree with this statement as dreams are only in the mind, and the minute they come to life or come true, they are fulfilling the desires of the inner mind that can never be revealed. This directly correlates to Marlows journey with Kurtz as they both learn the difference between dreams and reality and how to live your life without getting caught in a dream.

Murfin.

I really enjoyed reading Murfin's Psychoanalytic Criticism as it truly gave a different perspective into the human mind. I was really moved by the beginning paragraph, stating the idea that novels and dreams are similar and that we live vicariously through them to make them feel more real; " Like dreams, novels are fictions, inventions of the mind that, though based on reality, are by definition not exactly and literally true."
I felt that as I read Conrad's Heart of Darkness, his ability to create an image and draw the reader into the jungle of Africa really allowed me to be lost in Conrad's dream and make the story relatable and real. His analysis of the "ego" "superego" and "id" captured the essence of Marlow and his struggles throughout his journey.

Kurtz's Last Words

In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Kurtz dies on the boat with his final words being "The Horror! The Horror!" Because of his surroundings and hard life, Kurtz yells these final words as he reflects on the sadness and disappointment of the events that have taken place in his life. Kurtz spent his whole life in the ivory business, encountering many obstacles and learning lessons. Unfortunately, Kurtz learns the true meaning of life on his death bed, once its too late. I feel he yells these words for this reason, for the reason that he never got to truly experience life and its importance, a "horrific" way to end life with this epiphany.

Heart of Darkness Analysis 2

On page 406 of Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Conrad touches on the idea of society's downfall and disfunction without those who keep people in line, "How could you?- with solid pavement under your feet, surrounded by kind neighbors ready to cheer you or to fall on you, stepping delicately between the butcher and the policeman- by the way of silence- utter silence, where no warning voice of a kind neighbor can be heard whispering of public opinion?"Conrad talks about the inner workings of society, how people live their lives while making a mistake here and there, but avoiding those in charge. Without this idea of "external checks," society would be in a state of complete chaos, with no one in charge and no one to instill morals in citizens. As Marlow travels through Africa and its distinct civilizations, he begins to realize the true differences of power around the world.

Heart of Darkness: Analysis

In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, p. 394 discusses a familiar topic to American literature, "Going up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world, when vegetation rioted on the earth adn the  big trees were king." In class, we discussed how this idea similarly relates to Alice in Wonderlands journey as she falls into the rabbit hole, taking away all things familiar to her and disturbing the natural proccess of life. As Marlow goes up the river, he looses most things familiar to him and goes back in time, watching life in reverse, just like Alice through the looking glass as her life moves backwards. This passage also focuses on nature's roots like the wonderland that Alice enters in as she leaves her proper and perfect life behind. "The air was warm, thick, heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine." As Marlow enters new territory, this passage reflects the desolate and mysterious atmosphere he as entered into, one so separate from the life he is used to. Through this passage, Marlow has entered his own wonderland, but one that he has no expected.

Heart of Darkness #1

In Conrad's "Heart of Darkness," most characters are referred to by their occupation, denying their true identities and titles. Because of this, the readers can imply Conrad's belief in the importance of identity and how it is mostly decided by your occupation. By calling someone a Farmer or a Lawyer, one can infer their social standings based on their jobs, one of the many characteristics that Conrad strongly tries to get across to the readers by just stating their occupations.

Heart of Darkness #2

In Heart of Darkness, Marlow makes a comparison between the history of Roman civilization and his travels into Africa. While he travels into Africa, he not only brings his physical being, but also brings the ideals and characteristics of London with him, similar to that of the colonization of the Romans in London. This idea of self identity applies to both situations, as both groups of people/ person migrate into a new area and don't change to fit their new surroundings, but keep their roots close to heart in hopes of spreading their ideals and morals to others in the world.