Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Heart of Darkness Promp #7
Marlow, despite his attention to details and the thrilling suspense he creates for his listeners, is not a trustworthy narrator. Three things must be taken into account when listeningn to Marlow's story: his age, the short amount of time he spent with Mr. Kurtz, and the lie he told Kurtz's intended. The story might have taken place far back in Marlow's past. When telling the story, he is described by yet another narrator as having 'sunken cheeks' and a 'yellow complexion,' both indicators of old age. The story might have been forgotten and some details might have been added for effect. We must thus be weary when using Marlow's story for specific details. Second, Marlow spent very little time with Mr. Kurtz before this man, the subject of Marlow's story, died. He admittedly knew little of him and was left with only a brief impression. Thus, the images and details surrounding Mr. Kurtz must be treated as the impression he left, not concrete facts about his life. Finally, Marlow admits within his story that he lied to Mr. Kurtz's intended about his last words. Marlow wonders if the image he presented to the woman did Mr. Kurtz 'justice.' This questioning closely reflects Conrad's own doubts and perhaps can be taken as Conrad speaking directly to his readers about that development.These aspects of Marlow's narration contribute greatly to the works overall emphasis on Impressionism. While we should not treat Marlow's story as an entirely true story of his journey down that river and of Mr. Kurtz, the reader should realize his untrustworthiness is intentional and works to craft a story that leaves us uncertain; that leaves us with an impression from which we can draw our own conclusions. Like the white fog in the African jungle, Heart of Darkness written by a white man might never be able to wholly tell the African story. Conrad realizes this and, through his narrator, admits his own inabilities.
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Marlow’s trustworthiness as a narrator could take the entire story out of Africa, for is it not just a story about a man learning that the soul of all people are corruptible and prey to darkness. I completely disagree with that idea, but it seems Marlow is haunted by the fears of death and of man’s evil; all of which can be found in the streets of England. He is also presented as a sagacious character with the stature of Buddha and the wisdom of age etched in his wrinkles so perhaps this tale is meant as a parable to the younger sailors.
ReplyDeleteI think it is interesting that Conrad would have used such a deception because of his inability to as you say “wholly tell the African story.” Do you think he did this out of respect so to speak for the story he was telling or simply as a means to mask his shortcomings in the situation?
Jack, I agree that Marlow’s story remains questionable throughout, leaving his audience as well as the reader hesitant and perplexed. Though Marlow’s view is the only lens through which we see the story, it may not be the only perspective to consider. As you said, this narrative uncertainty is what Conrad intends, prompting us to question not only the validity of Marlow’s character, but also the entire nature of the situation itself. Imperialism offers no clear line of judgment, remaining ambiguous in Marlow’s story and throughout history. Just like the darkened obscurity surrounding the characters, nothing is easy to discern—we are left not knowing what exactly to believe. Conrad blurs the lines between fact and fiction and right and wrong throughout the book, reinforcing this uncertainty even more so in the questionable character of Marlow himself.
ReplyDeleteI wrote in my prompt that Marlow was the metaphorical set of eyes for the English culture during that time, but your post has me questioning my original assertion. Though the two may be on slightly different planes, Marlow may not have been the best narrator to depict the African culture. Marlow could have easily fabricated part of the tale to fit the story, and in a way, Kurtz's character becomes larger than life as we move farther away from those concrete details and more into the mysticism surrounding his character. From the setting in which Marlow tells his tale, embellishment seems likely; however, the ambiguity present in Kurtz mirrors the clandestine nature of Africa itself--fabrication is almost always necessary.
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