Postcolonial Literature "Heart of Darkness," Questionnaire

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3. After finishing the book? Why? After finishing the book I am not sure whether Conrad was saying that Marlow is going to become exactly the same as Kurtz or if he is wise enough now to know that he could become like Kurtz if he isn't careful in the jungle. However, at the end of the story Conrad says something about the men looking out over the Thames into an immense darkness, which makes me think that Conrad is implying that this kind of horror can take place anywhere because it is the darkness that is in all men and not in just an "uncivilized" place. Conrad seems to be saying that the uncivilized place resides inside of men and though their outwardly appearance may be well-kempt (like the accountant at the beginning of the story), this is just a nice facade for what is truly going on. However, it has to be noted that Kurtz grows more and more ugly and thin as he gets greedier and greedier. He is almost a bit like Dorian Gray in Wilde's story "The Portrait of Dorian Gray." The more hateful he becomes, the more grotesque his image in the portrait appears.

4. Did the book make you laugh? Cry? Cringe? Smile? Cheer? Explain your reaction. The book did not make me laugh or cry. It made me cringe more than anything else. Conrad is very good about creating a mysterious atmosphere for the story and kept me wanting to read, but I also knew that what was going to occur at the end was not what any of the readers would expect.

5. What connections are there between the book and your life? Explain.

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There are not direct connections between the book and my life, but I think that there are more cultural connections. We need only to look at the history of this country and its history of slavery and the legacy that has been made because of it. And it goes back further than slavery; it goes back to when Europeans were first coming to this country and they were killing the native American people, calling them uncivilized. This history has penetrated into our culture and it is something that will take hundreds and hundreds of years to heal.

6. What parts seem the most believable? What parts seem unbelievable? Why? Everything in the story seems pretty believable except for maybe the way Kurtz turns into a symbolic character. Conrad really wanted to use this character as a symbol of what can happen to a man when greed and desire goes unchecked. In that sense, the story seems like it is trying to teach and lesson and that can sometimes take one outside of the story itself.

7. Do you like the way the book ended? Why or why not? Do you think there is more to tell? What do you think might happen next or what else would you like to learn? I don't like the way the book ended. I would rather that the fiance of Kurtz know what he had becomes. Why does Marlow want to shield her from all of that? I would rather she had known. It would have been a more satisfying ending. There is not more to tell, but I would have liked….....

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