More importantly, Conrad uses the image of the snake within Heart of Darkness multiple times. It's important to remember that even before Marlow began his tale, he talked about how maps were important to him when he was a child and how they could hold many answers and adventures. This is important because show the world not as it is experienced, but as it looks on a larger scale. To go through the estuaries (intermediate between river or lake and ocean, picture) mentioned at the beginning of the book or the river later on, the sailor doesn't see what the river actually looks like, he just feels the current of the water, sees the rocky shoreline, and hopes he makes it through.It is not until he looks at the map, however, that he sees the true appearance of the river, be it straight, windy, narrow, or a snake. Furthermore, the snake could mean one of many different ideas. It could represent the difficult journeys that Marlow faced while traveling, the trouble that lies ahead (the head poaching primarily), or serve as a reminder of the affinity he had with maps as a child and serve the purpose of telling him "get a map and figure out where you are, where you're going, and how you're going to get there."
I agree with what you said, however, I can see the relation of the river see as a snake as temptation. It represents all the evil, or darkness, that Marlow will experience when he makes in into the jungle of Africa. Snakes are often used to show evil and this is why the allusion to the river as a snake is important. Another reason is that the snake also is known as with Adam and Eve to be deceiving like the river in the novella. Marlow could only see part of the river and never the whole thing which is why it could be seen as deceiving as a snake.
ReplyDelete“Maps show the world not as it is experienced, but as it looks on a larger scale.” What a great line…
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of what Amber and Vivian are saying. The bends in the snaking river hide what is coming and yet the sailor plows ahead. For Marlow and his crewmates as they traveled deeper and deeper into the Congo they came closer and closer to the source of temptation—ivory and the other valuable resources of the land. None of them have any idea where they were going all they new to do was to follow their experience feeling, as you say Vivian, the needs of the ship. It is only after, as Marlow reflects, that the fullness of his adventures on the larger scale come into focus. He may still not see through the fog of human nature but he can recognize the downfalls within such darkness as surrounds the conquest of the snaking Congo.
I answered prompt two as well and went about it in the same manner as Amber does here. The image of the snake-like river that charmed Marlow is a biblical allusion to the serpent that tempted Adam and Eve. Reviewing these, I also believe the image of the snake is an important element to the title. Snakes are often associated with evil, which is associated with darkness. There is also the face that the curves in the river that don’t allow for a visual of the area and darkness is associated with the unknown. I really enjoy your use of the picture in the blog, that’s a very nice touch.
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