class notes (02.07-02.17)

more heart of darknessssssssssssssssssssssss...

heart of darkness alludes to dante's inferno and the garden of eden in many ways, like the geography in literature- the system of symbols will piece together and form a map, and the map will provide meaning.

 eden and hell simultaneously make for the congo.
 conrad shifts his language when finally reaching the land.
 rivers, ports, the jungle, et cetera, gets meaning from the language connected to it.

and what of the women in heart of darkness?
 there are three phases:
   maiden (the intended)
   the mother figure (the aunt)
   the crones/fates (knitters)
incidentally, the knitters are using black African hair wool (?) that shows how the company is prospering from the congo.
 another very female figure is the AFRICAN WOMAN. she represents the
   anima- the female embodiment of the land. kurtz may be attracted to her because
   she is the congo in human form.


also, the frame narrative
   sets a background or introduction to the "real" story, which is under the 
   narration of marlow. we entertained the possibility that this could be a way in 
   which conrad attempts to distance himself from the thoughts and views of Marlow,
   by essentially making himself removed a layer. (connection could be The
   Canterbury Tales, i think the only other frame story i've ever read. but yeah.)

we also spent many a day viewing apocalypse now, with martin sheen. and a young harrison ford! it took place in vietnam during the war, but otherwise was quite reflective of the novella heart of darkness.