Heart Of Darkness Primitivism Vs Civilization - 1286 Words

Heart Of Darkness: Primitivism VS Civilization; as seen by Joesph Conrad As a piece of post-colonialism text, Joesph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness provides an insight on the difference between primitivism and civilization, as seen by the author. Three main symbols help solidify the book’s point that the difference between civilization and primitivism isn’t just black and white, and that the â€Å"gray area† exists within ourselves. These symbols being the comparison of Brussels to â€Å"whited sepulchers†, the Fog, and the Ivory itself. In Heart of Darkness, it can be inferred that the Native Africans are supposed to represent the primitive savages and the white Europeans are supposed to represent the civilized men. However, what we hear from Marlow’s tale is that the white Europeans were the ones acting like savages, whereas the â€Å"savages†, such as the cannibals, acted more respectable, even though these cannibals were exactly that: cannibals who ate human flesh. However, Marlow was surprised to find that they were able to control their urges aboard the ship and seemed to operate on a code. He will eventually realize the darkness that exists within all man. The first part of this book is being told from the perspective of not only Marlow telling his tales to the crew, but also by the reactions of the crew. The tale is told in first-person plural; describing what the four members of Marlow’s audience thinks and feels about his story. This unanimity and anonymity with the reactionsShow MoreRelatedWilliam Goldings Lord of the Flies: A Review1479 Words   |  6 Pagesarrival on the island. Gradually, things descend more violently with the children looking to kill the beast that lives in the heart of the jungle. What they are unable to realize though is that the only beast on the island is the one that lurks within their own selves. Overall, William Goldings novel is a sad allegory on the human nature which tends to return to primitivism when man is faced with conditions outside the norms of society: isolation, and the lack of either a spatial or temporal landmark