Friday, August 23, 2013
Heart of Darkness Syntax and Tone
Briefly explain Joseph Conrad's tone in The Heart of Darkness. You will need to examine and analyze his syntax (sentence structure) and diction (word usage) in order to get an accurate picture of the tone. You will need to include at least two quotes to substantiate your answer. The quotes do not have to be complete sentences. You may quote phrases. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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Why does Joseph Conrad use a cryptic tone in his work “Heart of Darkness”? The reader cannot help but notice the gloomy and condescending mood of this work. Marlow’s impassive and stark descriptions of unpleasant situations add to the cheerless and depressing nature of the tone. For example, Marlow describes his first glimpse at the enslaved “criminal” natives, “Near the same tree two more, bundles of acute angles, sat with their legs drawn up. One, with his chin propped on his knees, stared at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner: his brother phantom rested its forehead, as if overcome with a great weariness:”. Marlow (or Conrad), uses very impersonal, yet graphic language. For instance, his matter a fact description, comparing the natives’ emaciated bodies to “bundles of acute angles” quantifies the Europeans attitude that the natives are mere objects instead of human beings. Such a cold analytical phrase supports the company’s greedy outlook on the natives. They view these enslaved men as just another variable in their calculation of profit. When Marlow describes the “phantom brother resting his head”, the choice of the pronoun “it” further demonstrates the impersonal attitude of the Europeans.
ReplyDeleteYet, as the story progresses the protagonist, Marlow, has no choice but to realize the shared similarities between all human beings, including the natives. When this shift in thought happens, it is accompanied by a shift in tone. “”They howled, and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly, yes, it was ugly enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to yourself that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you-you so remote from the night of first ages-could comprehend”. At this point, the tone lightens and becomes more hopeful. This progressive viewpoint provides a redemptive aspect to the work that overshadows the cynicalness that was strongly integrated hitherto.
While there is a significant change in diction, it is worth noting that Conrad’s syntax remains constant throughout the novel. He uses very poetic and tedious sentence structure that is filled with symbolism and imagery. This style adeptly describes Marlow’s obvious physical journey through Africa, while revealing his physiological journey and conclusions concerning the “heart of man.”
Excellent job! The use of "tedious" to describe Conrad's sentence structure is a bit vague. Make sure to keep all your adjectives precise.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of "Heart of Darkness," Marlow's tone is cold and emotionless. This is evident when the diction is analyzed in various passages, such as, "Near the same tree two more, bundles of acute angles, sat with their legs drawn up. One, with his chin propped on his knees, stared at nothing, in an intolerable and appalling manner: his brother phantom rested its forehead, as if overcome with a great weariness." It is important to note that Marlow does not refer to the natives as people, but as acute angles. His diction in this passage exemplifies Marlow's cold and emotionless tone. Also, Marlow states, "Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair. Another mine on the cliff went off, followed by a slight shudder of the soil under my feet. The work was going on. The work!" Again, Marlow refers to the natives as "black shapes" and shows no sorrow over the fact that many of the natives are dying, yet the other are still working. He states the deaths of the natives in a matter-of-fact way and lacks any emotion over the situation.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Marlow's tone transitions as the story continues and he has spent more time in Africa amongst the natives. Although he still fails to completely treat the natives as his equals, his tone becomes one of understanding. This is shown when Marlow states, "It was unearthly, and the men were—No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it—this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one. They howled, and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity—like yours—the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; but if you were man enough you would admit to your self that there was in you just the faintest trace of a response to the terrible frankness of that noise, a dim suspicion of there being a meaning in it which you—you so remote from the night of first ages—could comprehend." He still views them as uncivilized beings, but he starts to feel a sense of kinship with the natives. His diction changes from the impersonal usage of word such as "black angles," "shapes," and "creatures" to actually referring to them as men. As I've already stated, the tone changes to one of understanding, which can be directly sourced to the change of diction. Conrad's syntax, on the other hand, has been consistent throughout the story.
Excellent analysis! You hit it spot on with the impersonal adjectives Conrad uses to describe the Africans. One correction, never use "I" in an essay (see your second to last sentence.)
DeleteHeart of Darkness is, overall, a dark and depressing novel detailing a miserable condition in Africa, but that is not Conrad’s tone toward the situation. When the book touches on details about the state of affairs in Africa and the natives’ treatment, his disgust and condescension shines clearly through the words and phrases he uses. Conrad, through Marlow, expresses his ridicule towards the Company workers, who can only talk of ivory. “A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse.” Imbecile is the telling word in this sentence; Conrad obviously viewed the traders obsessed with ivory as idiots and the ivory craze as something unworthy of such devotion. And, though he did not see the blacks as equals, he could still recognize and abhor their treatment. Marlow said, “…I foresaw that in the blinding sunshine of that land I would become acquainted with a flabby, pretending, weak-eyed devil of a rapacious and pitiless folly,” when describing the chain-gang of native laborers and their taskmasters. He could barely believe that men could drive other humans with the apparent joy that these guards drove their charges. He could foresee a not-unfeasible future in which that land was completely dominated by unworthy men, who enslaved others for their own gain, and was appalled.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct in your observations; however, there should be more depth to your analysis. Pretend that each reply you compose is how you would reply on the AP exam.
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