Two Worlds

Conrad´s Heart of Darkness, is full of symbols. These symbols can be both obvious and discrete. Conrad´s use of symbolism is a technique to tell his audience more about the setting, characters, and the actual story plot with less. This way, the audience becomes part of the novel and needs to understand the symbols in order to understand Conrad's book. The river is a major symbol because it conveys how separate the natives and the Europeans worlds really are. 

The Congo river seems to be the "heart" of the "new world" Marlow is exploring in order to find Kurtz. It is as if everything in the novel evolves around the river. The river is the only effective way to travel within Africa. Traveling up the river is a bit of a task but compared to trying to press through the thick forests, it is a walk in the park. It is safe to say that the only way to travel in (present day) Democratic Republic of Congo. 
The river is a gate to another world. On the river Marlow and his crew feel like they are still in Europe. As soon as they set foot on land reality hits and they get the feeling of being "impostors". And once on the boat they are no longer "impostors". Conrad uses the river to express how naive the conquistadors were with new lands. Conrad is laughing at the thought that even though, Marlow is so far away from home he still thinks "Belgium" owns the water he is sailing on. The river is so significant for the purpose of telling the audience and make them understand how ridiculous the action of conquering is. 

Another way the river helps Conrad prove this point is the fact that the river flows against them when going deeper into Congo. The majority of rivers flow towards the ocean and empty out in the ocean. Yet, Conrad specifically mentions: "“The brown current ran swiftly out of the heart of darkness, bearing us down towards the sea with twice the speed of our upward progress". The reason for Conrad to write this, is simply to make sure the readers understand that the Belgium Company put so much effort, time, money, and lives into something that was unsuccessful  All that time and effort was clearly a waste because it took them half the time to leave then to arrive. 

Symbolism helps the readers understand what the author is trying to express to us with his/her writing. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad was successful in conveying his opinion on colonization, and stripping resources from lands for personal benefits. He told the audience all of this, by using one symbol: the river.  

True Story

As I was reading Heart of Darkness a question was raised as to weather or not Conrad´s novel had some sort of truth behind it. After reading Genocide With Spin Control: Kurtz Wasn´t Fiction an article written by Michiko Kakutani, I realized Conrad´s novel is actually based on true events. This article is about King Leopold the Second´s oppressing rule over the Congo river. To my surprise Kurtz has characteristically very similar as to those of Leopold.

In Heart of Darkness Kurtz is looked up to by a sort of God by the Natives. Kurtz somehow manipulated the natives into helping him. Was it Kurtz control, looks, power, weapons, who knows...The point is that he took advantage of humans for personal profit. The article states “Some were beaten or whipped to death for failing to meet the rigid production quotas for ivory and rubber harvests imposed by Leopold's agents. Some were worked to death, forced to labor in slave-like conditions as porters, rubber gatherers or miners for little or no pay.” This is King Leopold's way of treating the Natives. Now compare it with this quote from Heart of Darkness: “They were dying slowly-it was clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals,
they were nothing earthly now,-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying
confusedly in the greenish gloom.”. Very similar, right? According to the article Leopold made 1.1 Billion dollars (present day).

Both Leopold and Kurtz made profit from the exhaustion of natives. They both were from Belgium and they were both in the Congo are during the same time. Coincidence..I think not. Conrad used Kurtz to personify the character of King Leopold II of Brussels. This way Conrad makes it clear to the authors of the horrors going on in the Congo River during this time period.

Nothing New (Impostors)

Why is it we go to places where we feel like impostors? In Joseph Conrad's book Heart of Darkness, Marlow has just been told he is going to the Congo River for another mission. Even though, he did not entirely agree with the objectives of his trip, he still decided to go. "I was an impostor.", was the only thing he was thinking before boarding the ship. The feeling of pretending to be someone your not is not new to me.  When I went backpacking in Alaska I encountered three grizzly bears and I asked myself "what are you doing here?". If we feel like impostors, why do we keep putting ourselves in that situation? Marlow and I both acted upon something we individually questioned, only to prove to "someone" that we can.

Marlow was offered a job by the Belgium Company. I went on summer camp to specifically go backpacking. In both cases we each knew what to expect and what sort of tasks we would be doing in this unknown land. We both had an uneasy feeling of being "impostors" before we even arrived. Why is it that we went? It is unclear. All I do know is that we were both encouraged. Marlow was encouraged by the Company while it was me that persuaded myself to try something new. This "persuasion" is a strong power to have over somebody. It can be used for both positive and negative effects. It is up to the person with the "power" in their hands. 

Marlow's persuasion could have been money, while mine was to achieve a personal goal. We put ourselves in these positions to get something in return. I will get a good memory and Marlow a good payday. Humans adapt, Marlow and I both knew that the  uneasy feelings would go away as soon, so why not have a few nights of restless sleep in order to get something that is even better. 

How important to Heart of Darkness is the fact that Marlow feels like an impostor? It's not. Every human that leaves his or her comfort zone will feel like an impostor. If somebody all of the sudden goes to New Zealand from an ordinary suburban lifestyle in New York, they will feel like an impostor. The fact that Marlow felt like an impostor doesn't give us insight that he is going to do something "evil" to the natives in the Congo River, it just tells us he is a regular human being that happens to feel uncomfortable in his current situation. 

Overpowering Women

Do women really have power, or is it just the patients that make it seem that way? This is a question that was constantly coming through my mind as I was reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  by Ken Kesey. The only women that truly take part of the story line are either "cruel" or prostitutes. These women seem to have complete control over men, and seem to be able to get done what they want to get done. 

Nurse Ratched has complete power in the ward, all the patients are terrified of her, including some of the doctors and other nurses in the combine. Her power is real. She has somehow manipulated all the patients to think that if they don't behave with her there will be severe consequences. She uses fear for her personal benefit. It serves as a reminder to all of what will happen if they don't to as they are told. She treats the patients as children. She is their mother. Its not until McMurphy arrives that this unfair over rule of Nurse Ratched is challenged. McMurphy teaches the patients that Ratched is not their boss and they should not obey her every order. The patients are beginning to realize that Nurse Ratched's power is strictly mental. If the patients choose to fear her they do, and if they refuse to fear her they have no reason to feel intimidated by her presence. 

Unlike Nurse Ratched, the prostitutes McMurphy brings into the ward have a physical control over men. They use their bodies to persuade men into doing what they order. The prostitutes simple request is money and in exchange they will give the male patients something they are deprived of in the ward. This control I believe is not as powerful as Nurse Ratched's but it definitely lasts longer. Their is no risk for the prostitutes to loose control over the male patients because they have something "positive" to give. Nurse Ratched just cause fear and pain and as we all know that won't last very long because someone like McMurphy will come and create a just as strong opposition towards the oppressing power. 

Changing Chief

Everybody goes through changes. They can be both physically and mentally. In Ken Kesey's book, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest  all the characters develop both negatively and positively with the arrival of the new patient McMurphy. The character that is mostly affected by McMurphy's arrival is Chief Bromden, who goes from a weak and insecure person to a powerful one. 

From the very beginning of the text the reader thinks Chief is completely insane. Kesey tricks us into believing that he is deaf and dumb just like everyone else does in the ward. In fact, it is all an act. Chief only fakes being deaf and dumb to be able to ease drop on the private conversations that take place in the ward. Being so insecure about himself and his abilities, Bromden is terrified to show his true self. He feels the only way to keep safe from Nurse Ratched and the wicked ways of the ward is by keeping out of everyones way. Bromden's fictional character allows him to get information about the ward and know exactly what to do, to not get in trouble. This is his life. Just coasting on by, avoiding all interaction with other patients and doctors. 

Then, McMurhy arrives. His arrival brings a sort of freedom from Nurse Ratched's oppressing power on the ward. When McMurphy wants to watch the baseball game, he convinces Bromden to vote in favor. Instead of being his normal quiet self and not interfering with anybody and definitely not voting against Nurse Ratched, he does something for his own benefit. This is the first time we see Bromden take a step for himself and come out from his hiding spot. This is all because the sense that Nurse watched is the boss is gone because of McMurphy's powerful opposition. 

When Chief Bromden feels acting deaf and dumb isn't keeping him safe enough he see's a sort of fog roll in that blinds everyones sight. At the beginning of the novel there were many more encounters with Bromden's imaginary fog. Towards the end its almost as if he stops seeing it, because he feels much more comfortable and in control of the situations he is put into in the ward. Nurse Ratched does not look like a ferocious monster anymore but just a regular women with the title "nurse" front of her name. 

When McMurphy comes back a chronic after nearly chocking Nurse watched to death, McMurphy realizes how he has been changing and how much more he can change if he leaves the ward. He now is making his own decisions and he smothers McMurphy with a pillow to put him out of his misery. Then he uses his size and strength to rip the control panel and throw it through the window, allowing him to escape. Free at last. He is back to the original Chief Bromden that doesn't have to hide and can be himself and is now strong enough to protect himself using both physical and mental power and not have to hide to stay safe. 

Ironic Newman

Randy Newman's song "Great nations of Europe" is a satirical piece about the European nations conquering the "world". Newman uses irony to express his true feelings about the the great nations of europe. Even the title is ironic. "Great Nations of Europe". This line was repeated constantly throughout the song. Great doesn't just mean an above average ability and eminence, but also an above average quality. What above average quality, is it to tear people a part by dogs? This is an example of what we know v. what the character knows, because "we know" that one can not consider the Europeans great in quality for what they did to the native americans, while the characters truly believe that European countries are great for their victorious conquers. 

Another example of irony is when Balboa was told that the Indians were gay, "soooo he had them torn apart by dogs on religious grounds they say

the great nations of Europe were quite holy in their way". This is an example what is said v. what is meant irony. Newman say "holy" but is clearly implying that pulling people apart with dogs is an abomination act.

While there was a lot of irony in the texts there were also other components that make s piece satirical, including exaggeration. In the song Newman sings "Now they're gone, they're gone, they're really gone. You never seen anyone so gone.". This an extreme exaggeration, because not all the native americans died. Even though this is stating the opposite it is still not irony. 

FOG INTRO

Fog commonly symbolizes danger or lack of clarity. It is a mysterious formation of clouds that block one's sight. The "fog" is Chief's way of escaping reality, and it serves as a symbol in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.  When he feels uncomfortable,  fog, like slim milk that "rolls in," envelopes him.      Ken Kesey uses "fog" as a symbol to express Chief Bromden's emotional instability and his way of "hiding" through life in the ward. 

Maman the Gap

How is it possible to write a novel based on the death of a character that is never described in detail? Well, this it exactly what happens in Albert Camus's The Stranger. From the first sentence of the book the reader heres about the death of Maman. I as an audience member, automatically assumed that Maman would be a major part of the book. I was correct in the sense that Maman would make way for the rest of the storyline, but wrong in the sense that Maman and her relationship with her son would be described in detail. 

This is Albert Camus's gap. Until Part II of the text the audience is unclear wether he even had any sort of relationship with Maman, it being bad or good. This lack of information drove me crazy because Maman is constantly being referred to. Questions like: Why didn't he mourn after her death? and Why did he care more about it being Sunday then a the day after his mothers funeral? crashed around in my head. Obviously this led me to believe that he has a terrible relationship with his mom and that he was probably mistreated by her when he was young. Camus gap makes the audience perceive something different from what is truly happening between the lines of the book. 

It is not until the second part of the book that Meursault expresses why he left Maman in the care center. The reason, a good one. He left her there because it would be more comfortable and she would have the chance to make friends and not be bored and stranded with Meursault in his apartment. All the negative thoughts the reader filled the "Maman" gaps with have to be dug up and placed with a sweeter, more positive filling. Still, no other context is given about Maman, so still no clear conclusions can be made about their relationship. 

During the trial the most brought up topic was Meursault and his mother. The beginning of the book starts with his mothers death and then comes the middle of the book which is blank including anything of Maman and the end which is entirely about her. The death penalty is given to Meursault because of his lack f reaction after Maman death, didn't reach the societal standards. This lack of information was necessary for the readers to have because it makes it easier to understand that what many consider societal standards could be just as plain and blank as Maman. There is not enough information to fill in the blanks about persons other than you. 

Waiting for the Stranger

While reading Samuel Beckett's play Waiting for Godot, I could connect it with the existentialist novel The Stranger by Albert Camus. The connection was not through the plot or any common events. It was the theme of the meaningless of life that struck me. In both the play and novel the idea that life has no meaning rises through a series of uncommon events that happen to the main characters. Vladimir, Estragon and Meursault all think that they are living for no reason. Meursault does nothing to make his life have any meaning, while Vladimir and Estragon are being just as pointless, by waiting for someone that "could" fix their problems, that will never show up. In both texts the characters simply are finding ways so that time passes. Anything one does will make no difference, in fact being dead or alive is insignificant. 

Though Vladimir and Estragon have similarities to Meursault they also have similarities to other characters in the The Stranger. Throughout the play Gogo and Didi beat each other and verbally abuse each other just as Salamano does to his old dog. In both situations there is abuse but they are dependent, so neither of the abused characters will dare to leave. For instance, Didi and Gogo talk about hanging themselves; they don't because they would not bare life without each other. 

Another connection I made was with the theme of death. In the novel The Stranger Camus proves Meursaults idea that life has no meaning by including many deaths that have no affect on his life. In a similar way Beckett shows the idea of existentialism in the two scenes in which Didi and Gogo are talking about hanging themselves. As mentioned before they decided not two because not both of them would be able in killing themselves. These scenes clearly show that none of these characters have an eager urge to live. They think it is indifferent whether they are alive or dead. Except in Didi and Gogo's case, they would be unable to live or die without each other. This is the biggest difference i found between the main characters of the texts. In Waiting for Godot they have a true relationship between each other that would be highly affected if the other wasn't around. Meursault on the other hand is a true stranger that has no tight relationships with anyone. For example, even when his lover asked him if he loved her, he said that he "didn't think so". So to make the Stranger equal to the amount society frowns upon him, Didi and Gogo would have to be added together. 

A Lonely World

The Stranger written by Albert Camus is a unique novel that explores an existentialist way of living. Camus is able to give his audience a better look of the existentialist mind through his character Meursault. Meursault constantly seems to be living only in the present. With no true references to his past, Meursault simply does what he feels is right in an instantaneous moment. He lives a spontaneous life, in which he spends no time thinking about his future and how he can make it better.

A phrase that really caught my attention was "We are alone.", because it makes me relate to Meursault's way of thinking and "doing". Meursault is the "stranger", the "outsider" that no one can understand. Everyone thinks he is absurd. For example the judge during Meursault's trial could not understand why Meursault felt no mourn when Maman died. Yes, he is alone in the way he thinks, because no one else has his same opinions, but he is also alone because thats his way of living. He has realized that no one in the world can make a difference in his life so he prefers to have no serious relationships with anyone and not have to worry about being "happy" with another person. For example, Marie asks Meursault if he loves her and he simply responds that he "didn't think so". Also, when talking about marriage with Marie he simply accepts the act by reasoning with himself that that is what is normal and what Marie wants...not what he believes is correct.

You may be wondering why I'm mentioning only Meursault. The reason is because, what makes us so different from him anyways. Yes, a lot of us care about what will happen in the future and most of us care when a loved one dies (keep in mind that Meursault is an extreme existentialist). Even though Meursault had a bizarre way of thinking and know one though like him, one will never find someone that thinks exactly the same. You may find similar ideals with someone else but the way you think is unique just like your fingerprint. Each individual has the option of thinking whatever they want. Wether it is accepted by the societal standards we live in, is a whole other story. If you don't believe it when I say you will never find someone that thinks just like you, think of the times you have changed your behavior and ideals just to be part of a group, and feel some sort of connection with anyone. Most humans need to connect with others to consider people as "friends" or to feel belonging to something in the world. Many times people alter what one truly believes, into something that will get societies approval. In Meursault's case, he does the exact opposite of the average human. He simply believes in what he believes in, and nothing will ever alter his way of thinking, because life is pointless. If we were to isolate every human from every other human in the world we will find no connections with anybody else whatsoever. We truly are alone, but then we mask it with contradicting beliefs to simply feel the approval of somebody else, something bigger.

Mysterious Meursault

First off, lets define existentialism. According to dictionary.com existentialism is "a philosophical attitude...that stresses the individual's unique position as a self-determining agent responsible for the authenticity of his or her choices." Throughout Albert Camus's novel The Stranger, his main character Meursault demonstrates a present only, attitude of living. Meursault's mother dies, and after attending the burial and returning to his home, instead of mourning he simply thinks "It occurred to me that anyway one more Sunday was over, that Maman was buried now, that I was going back to work, and that, really, nothing had changed."(pg. 26). The past or future not once crosses his mind. The audience would expect to read about a depressed character, when in fact that character makes a bigger deal about it being a Sunday, then about his Maman's death.

While his philosophical view may hold his feelings back and lack of interest in new environments, it also provides Meursault with the life of a curious "adventurer". For example, one night Meursault was dinning at Celeste's. As he was eating a strange women asked if she could sit with him. He watched eagerly watched her every move. After dinner he decided the lady intrigued him and he watched the women put her jacket on and leave. "I didn't have anything to do, so i left to and followed her for a while."(pg. 43). This decision was made on the spot much like all his other ones. Meursault never really thinks through what he is going to do on a specific day. He just does what he feels like in the order that the opportunities come.

Colorless Gray

"Occasionally a line of gray cars crawls along an invisible track, gives out a ghastly creak, and comes to rest, and immediately the ash-grey men swarm up with leaden spades and stir up an impenetrable cloud, which screens their obscure operations from your sight."

The Great Gatsby, Ch 2. 

          Fitzgerald uses multiple colors in his text to express his ideas. In the quote above, gray is implicitly used as a color of no hope or no vast changes in the future. The "ash-grey men" are of a low hard-working class that are constantly living in a dull and ash bound environment. The way in which the men "immediately" began working is Fitzgerald's way of telling the reader that these men have been repitetively working on the same job. These men are stuck here for generations because nothing good will ever happen in a valley of darkness, or the valley of gray. Just as the "impenetrable cloud" hides the the workers. The Valley of Ashes is ignored by the wealthy in West Egg. It takes part of their fictional world as unreal or inexistent. Since no one that can make a difference acknowledges the society hidden in the valley of Ashes, gray then represents no success. Failure is permanently surrounding them in clouds of ash.