Contrasts and Paradoxes Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Throughout its entirety, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness utilizes many contrasts and paradoxes in an attempt to teach readers about the complexities of both human nature and the world. Some are more easily distinguishable, such as the comparison between civilized and uncivilized people, and some are more difficult to identify, like the usage of vagueness and clarity to contrast each other. One of the most prominent inversions contradicts the typical views of light and dark. While typically light is imagined to expose the truth and darkness to conceal it, Conrad creates a paradox in which darkness displays the truth and light blinds us from it. Initially, the story endorses the conventional views of Western society, exhibiting light as a†¦show more content†¦When the paradox between Kurtz’s Intended and his Mistress presents itself, it calls to attention the inversion of light and dark and the subsequent reversal of truth and ignorance. His Mistress is a woman of the jungle, not only originating from it but, in essence, being it. She, in contrast to a Western woman, is not hidden from the truth, but is, rather, submerged in it. â€Å"Her face had a tragic and fierce aspect of wild sorrow and of dumb pain mingled with the fear of some struggling, half-shaped resolve† (Conrad 56). Unlike The Intended, she expresses â€Å"wild sorrow† and â€Å"dumb pain†, deep and immensely honest emotions. These emotions expressed are terrifically different than those of The Intended. â€Å"She carried her sorrowful head as though she was proud of that sorrow† (Conrad 69). While Kurtz’s Mistress conveyed raw pain and frantic fear, his Intended demonstrates a sort of honorable mourning â€Å"as though she was proud of that sorrow†. They also contrast in that his Mistress is depicted in dark and rich colors, fairly exorbitant in dress. â€Å"a crimson spot on her tawny cheek, innumerable necklaces of glass beads on her neck; bizarre things, charms, gifts of witch men, that hung about her, glittered and trembled at every step† (Conrad 56). Her skin is â€Å"tawny†, she walks with â€Å"innumerable necklaces† and â€Å"bizarre things† that â€Å"glittered and trembled†. This paints a dark, vivid image thatShow MoreRelated The Style, Technique, and Structure of Conrads Heart of Darkness2805 Words   |  12 PagesStructure of Heart of Darkness   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novella Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is proof that a novel does not have to be long to have literary merit. Heart of Darkness is quite short, yet intriguing, due to the content of the novel. Much like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Heart of Darkness overwhelms the reader by the power of the story so that one will never feel quite satisfied with their attempts to intellectualize the experience (Adelman 8).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Heart of Darkness was writtenRead More Heart of Darkness Essay2840 Words   |  12 Pages Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness does not explicitly deal with a struggle between war and peace: the conflict is a psychological, moral one; however, the text’s implications that society is a thin veil over our innate savagery, the darkness at the roots of Western civilization, reveals disturbing truths about the peaceful, orderly lives we take for granted. The key to understanding Conrad’s novella lies in ascertaining the metaphorical significance of the â€Å"heart of darkness,† a search which mayRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagespopulation for the first time in history. He gives considerable attention to changes in city planning, patterns of urban growth, and important differences between industrialized Europe and North America and the developing world, as well as the contrasts in urban design and living conditions between different sorts of political regimes— communist, capitalist, colonial, and fascist. Particularly revealing are Spodek’s discussions of the influence of prominent urban planners and architects— includingRead MoreProject Mgmt296381 Words   |  1186 Pagestext and exercises. We are indebted to the reviewers of past editions who shared our commitment to elevating the instruction of project management. The reviewers include Paul S. Allen, Rice University; Denis F. Cioffi, George Washington University; Joseph D. DeVoss, DeVry University; Edward J. Glantz, Pennsylvania State University; Michael Godfrey, University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh; Robert Key, University of Phoenix; Dennis Krumwiede, Idaho State University; Nicholas C. Petruzzi, University of Illinois–Urbana/Champaign;