Marlow describes the river as “an immense snake uncoiled,” alluding to the river’s physical remeblance to the body of a serpent. He tells how “it fascinated (Marlow) as a snake would a bird.” He is mesmerized by the movements of the river. Marlow’s statement “the snake had charmed me” alludes to both the idea of snake charmer and the serpent in the Christian story of Genesis. Firstly, a snake charmer would typically charm the snake, but in this case presented in The Heart of Darkness, Marlow, the human or charmer, is charmed by the snake. Such a role reversal puts superiority in the hands of the river, and thus the jungle since Marlow’s fascination for the river is an allusion for his fascination with the jungle and the unknown. Then Marlow states, “the river was there—fascinating—deadly—like a snake,” again emphasizing the danger of the river and surrounding jungle. Furthermore, the metaphor alludes to the snake of temptation from the story of Adam and Eve demonstrates how the wilderness of Africa itself has the characteristics of good and evil, and upon entering that wilderness Marlow will be faced with the raw attributes of good and evil. We already know Marlow had the physical and moral fortitude to make it through what is to come in the jungle, for he is telling his story to others on a boat floating on the Thames. For me, knowing Marlow makes it home makes the foreshadowed events more appealing.
Following your biblical references to the snake, Moses throws his staff down in front of Pharaoh which also becomes a snake. Do you think this has anything to do with what the “pilgrims” carried. I agree that the river being like a snake is probably a terrifying image for Marlow and the others, but at the same time the river kind of acts as a safe haven to travel on as oppose to the eerie and even more dangerous forest that completely surround them. And by good and evil do you mean the supposed racism of black and white that Marlow views, or rather the innocence of the natives versus the corruption of imperialism?
ReplyDeleteLeah, I agree with you. You had a very good comparison with Moses and his rod/staff becoming a snake. I do think this has something to do with what the "pilgrims" carried. I also agree that the river acts in some way as sort of a safe haven to travel on because of all of the resources it provides as well as not having to worry for someone traveling from that side. And I also wondered if Vega meant the supposed racism of black and white that Marlow views as well as the innocence of tha natives.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy the allusion to the story of Adam and Eve. If the river is in fact the serpent from that story, then what is this story's 'forbidden fruit?' In that story, Satan tricked Adam and Eve into believing they would become God if they ate the forbidden fruit. Could it be that in "Heart of Darkness" that ivory is the forbidden fruit? The push to civilize the natives might also reflect the temptation to play God. This allusion furthers the idea that the white men are trying to play God and are being sinful. The river, the ivory, and the ability to be a God to the natives (which Mr. Kurtz did) all tempt the white men much in the same way Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent to eat the forbidden fruit.
ReplyDeleteThe story's allusion of Adam and Eve is quite interesting. It adds in a reminder of the forbiddeness of the river to the borbidden fruit of Adam and Eve. From what i remember of the story, the lord told Adam and Eve not to eat the forbidden fruit however when the lord was not there Adam followed the Lord's directions as for Eve got tricked by the serpent and ate the fruit with Adam soon joining in in eatting the fruit also. Thats where the ivory becomes in play as like the forbidden fruit in the Adam's and Eve's story. The temptation of having power for just a moment reflects the push to civilize their well being and more around them further the allusion the idea of man trying to play God while attaching their sins along with it. The two storys interwinding with each other becomes a more understandment of where Mr. Kurtz did of the river have a evil side also.
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