هدول هدية لرفقاتنااااااااااااااااااااااااااااااا

[englishtext]
Symbols

Shoes - These symbolize civilization and protection.

Ivory - The symbolizes the pagan God that is so worshipped by Kurtz and other whites.

Whistle - This symbolizes the unsupported fear each man has.

Style

Conrad’s prose is very descriptive and informative. He portrays terrifying images and conveys horrifying truths in a mystic voice that contrasts effectively with the true horrors of his message. Foreshadowing and suspense is used to heighten this exciting novel.

Dominant Philosophy

Conrad deals in this novel with the dark heart of mankind, a topic he seems to enjoy writing about. He tells us that man in inherently evil and his evils is only masked by civilization.

Quotes

1. “And this also,’ said Marlow suddenly, ‘has been one of the dark places of the earth.’” Marlow says this at the beginning of his story. Page 65.

2. “The biggest, the most blank, so to speak - that I had a hankering after.” Marlow says this about what Africa appear on the map. Page 71

3. “God-forsaken wilderness.” Marlow says this about the continent. Page 73

4. “I don’t like work, no one does, but I, like what is in the work, the chance to find yourself.” Marlow says this about his trip to the continent. Page 99

5. “It was reckless without hardihood, greedy without audacity, and cruel without courage.” Marlow says this about the ivory company on Africa. Page 102.

6. “Each station should be like a beacon on the road towards better things, a center for trade of course but also for humanizing, improving, instructing.” Page 107 Kurtz says this to his company about his goals of the trade centers on the river.

7. “I saw him extend his short flipper of an arm for a gesture that took in the forest... to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.” Marlow says this about the uncle of the manager. Page 109

8. “Save me! - save the ivory, you mean.” Kurtz says this as he is dying. Page 138

9. “A light was still burning but Kurtz was not there.” Marlow says this about the time he found that Kurtz had escaped. Page 141

10. “This I did directly, the simple funeral was over.” Marlow says this about the time he tossed the dead helmsmen overboard after he got shot with an arrow. Page 125

11. “He looked like a harlequin.” Marlow says this about the Russian he found at Inner Station. Page 126

12. “He was an insoluble problem.” Marlow says this about the Russian who seemed like a harlequin. Page 129

13. “But now’ he waved his arm, and in the twinkling of an eye was in the utter most depths of despondency.” Marlow describes his conversation with he Russian. page 127

14. “even apart from the very natural aversion I had to beat that shadow.” Marlow says this about the inner evil in mankind. Page 142

15. “I had immense plans.” Kurtz says this to Marlow as he dies. Page 143[/englishtext]





About the Novel
Character Map




About the Novel
Geographic Map

Waaaaw Yamen God bless your great efforts

I think that we have to read it from this moment in order to be able to read the next short story when our doctor gives it to us

I'm really thank u from all my heart for your great efforts

[englishtext]Summary Part III:


Marlow is astonished at the Russian's words. He is gathering a clearer picture of Kurtz. The Russian says that he has gone so far that he doesn't know if he will ever get back. Apparently he has been alone with Kurtz for many months. His sense of adventure is pure, and glamour urges him onward. The Russian remembers the first night he spoke to Kurtz‹he forgot to sleep, he was so captivated. Kurtz made him "see things." He has nursed this great man through illnesses, and accompanied him on explorations to villages. Kurtz has raided the country by getting the cooperation of the nearby tribe, who all adore him. He loses himself in ivory hunts for weeks at a time, and forgets himself. The Russian disagrees that Kurtz is mad. Even when this bright-eyed adventurer was told to leave by his mentor, he refused to go. Kurtz went down the river alone to make another ivory raid. His illness acted up, so the Russian joined him in order to take care of him. Presently, Kurtz lies in a hut surrounded by heads on stakes. Marlow is not very shocked at the sight. He takes this as an indication that Kurtz lacks restraint in the gratification of his lusts, a condition for which the wilderness is culpable. Marlow assumes that Kurtz was hollow inside and needed something to fill that. The Russian is perturbed by Marlow's attitude of skepticism. He has heard enough about the ceremonies surrounding this revered man.
Suddenly around the house appears a group of men. They convene around the stretcher that holds the dying Kurtz. He looks gaunt, and tells the natives to leave. The pilgrims carry him to another cabin, and give him his correspondence. In a raspy voice he says he is glad to meet Marlow. The Manager comes in to talk privately with Kurtz. Waiting on the boat with the Russian, Marlow spies the "apparition" of a gorgeous woman. She glitters with gold, paint, and she looks savage. She steps to the edge of the shore and eyes the steamer. She gestures violently toward the sky, turns and disappears into the thicket. The harlequin man fears her. They overhear Kurtz telling the Manager that he is interfering with plans. The Manager emerges. Taking Marlow aside, he says they have done all they can for Kurtz, and that he did more harm than good to the Company. His actions were too "vigorous" for the moment. Marlow does not agree that Kurtz's method was unsound. To him, Kurtz is a remarkable man, and a friend in some way. Marlow warns the Russian to escape before he can be hanged; he states that he will keep Kurtz's reputation safe. It was Kurtz who ordered the attack on the steamer‹he did not want to be taken away, and thought to fake his death.
While Marlow dozes, drumbeats and incantations fill the air. He looks into the cabin that holds Kurtz, and discovers he is missing. Marlow sees his trail, and goes after him. The two men face one another. Kurtz pleads that he has plans. Marlow replies that his fame in Europe is assured; he realizes that this man's soul has gone mad. He is able to bring Kurtz back to the cabin. The ship departs the next day amongst a crowd of natives. Kurtz is brought into the pilot-house of the ship. The "tide of brown" runs swiftly out of the "heart of darkness." The life of Kurtz is ebbing. Marlow is in disfavor, lumped into the same category as Kurtz. The Manager is now content. Marlow listens endlessly to Kurtz's bedside talk. He accepts a packet of papers and a photograph that his friend gives him, in order to keep them out of the Manager's hands. A few evenings later, Kurtz dies, with one phrase on his lips: "The horror!"
Marlow returns to Europe, but is plagued by the memory of his friend. He is disrespectful to all he encounters. The Manager demands the papers that Kurtz entrusted to Marlow. Marlow relinquishes the technical papers, but not the private letters and photograph. All that remains of Kurtz is his memory and that picture of his Intended. Kurtz is very much a living figure to Marlow. He goes and visits the woman in the picture. She embraces and welcomes him. She has silently mourned for the past year, and needs to profess her love and how she knew him better than anyone. Marlow perceives the room to darken when she says this. She speaks of Kurtz's amazing ability to draw people through incredibly eloquent speech. The woman says she will be unhappy for life. Marlow states that they can always remember him. She expresses a desperate need to keep his memory alive, and guilt that she was not with him when he died. When the woman asks Marlow what Kurtz's final words were, he lies and says it was her name. The woman weeps in triumph. Marlow states that to tell the truth would be too dark. Back on the Thames River ship, a tranquil waterway leads into the heart of darkness.


Analysis:

The Russian says it best: "I went a little fartherŠtill I had gone so far that I don't know how I'll ever get back." The Russian and Marlow are the same, both looking for epiphany and enlightenment. This is the basic catchphrase of Conrad's novel, and it gives us much insight into the character of Kurtz. It is fascinating that he is the most powerful figure in the story, even though he does not appear until the end. The author is setting forth a challenge‹rather than directly describing Kurtz, he provides various clues that we must piece together in order to understand who Kurtz is. The first conversation that the Russian has with his mentor, about "everything" in life, including love, points to a man who is sensitive and introspective. Kurtz speaks in civil and savage tongues. His eloquence is his trump card, because it disguises his darkness from sweet people like the Russian. The woman back in Europe who mourns for him speaks of a generous heart, a noble mind and greatness. The impressions of these two people, however, strongly contrast with the opinion of people such as the Manager, who say that Kurtz was unethically gathering ivory by exploiting the locals. Marlow must stand in for the reader's perspective. From what he sees and reports, the reader realizes that indeed all accounts are true. Yet Marlow does not see Kurtz as evil for his actions toward the natives because of the idea of intentions. People such as the Manager truly care only about fulfilling an ivory quota and becoming wealthy. While Kurtz is certainly consumed with his search for ivory (his face and body are described in terms of this precious resource), Conrad does not provide any evidence that he is concerned with the material aspects‹his house and existence are extremely simple, despite all of the ivory he has recovered. If money and fame were the only important entities, he could have returned to England long ago. The Russian states that Kurtz "would lose himself among the people." The staked heads around his home demonstrate a lack of restraint "in the gratification of various lusts." They are necessary for a man with a bog appetite. Apparently, the time in the African Congo has been a time of letting go for Kurtz, a time in which passions and appetites become unbridled, and in which the past no longer matters. Undeniably this is a type of sickness. The image of Kurtz on his deathbed, opening his mouth wide, gives him a "voracious aspect" as if he wants to absorb and swallow everything. His need to plan and consume, however, has consumed his mind and spirit. It is a remarkable case of colonialism gone awry‹"the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion." Curiosity that leads to exploration can also lead, more tragically, to a loss of self. Herein lies a sociopolitical message behind the novel, one that cautions against trying to control something that is not originally a part of you, lest it winds up controlling you.
Marlow does not condemn Kurtz because he pities him, sympathizes with his tortured existence. This is the reader's response as well. The moment when Marlow stands between Kurtz and the horned, demonic-looking man is critical‹this figure symbolizes the death and darkness of Kurtz, and he only turns away from complete desolation because Marlow is there to help him back. Marlow's loyalty allies with Kurtz because his demons are much more evil than those of, say, the Manager or the Pilgrims. He clearly needs help. Despite the sad circumstances, however, there is an undercurrent of history that quietly says Kurtz deserves what he gets. The devotion shown to him by the natives illustrates an almost reciprocal relationship between them. While it is most likely that they help Kurtz without understanding the material benefits behind the ivory, it is clear that Kurtz enjoys being a part of them as much as they enjoy having him there. He is definitely the least biased character in the whole book, which speaks highly for him in the eyes of a modern reader. Unfortunately, he loses himself, detaches from everything earthly. Kurtz's soul has broken forbidden boundaries because it only concentrated on itself. He dies painfully both because his obsessive tasks were not complete, and because his soul has been sold. The "horror" he pronounces on his deathbed is a judgement upon how he has lived his life. We can definitely see Kurtz's demise as a possible end for Marlow if he had not left the Congo. As it was, the wilderness was certainly creeping and merging into his psyche‹there was a moment when he could not tell the difference between a drum beat and his own heartbeat. He appears to have escaped in time. Marlow's lie at the end of the story is both cruel and compassionate. While the woman is comforted, she will have to continue believing in an illusion. She will never know what Kurtz became. As Marlow states, the truth is "too dark" to tell. Truly, his terrible decline is in vain if no one learns of it. This is completely the point of Marlow's telling the tale the people aboard the Thames river ship. The river, which once led to civilization, now leads into darkness. [/englishtext]


yours Y.H.M

[englishtext]Character Analyses

Marlow


Marlow is a thirty-two-year-old sailor who has always lived at sea. The novel’s narrator presents Marlow as “a meditating Buddha” because his experiences in the Congo have made him introspective and to a certain degree philosophic and wise. As a young man, Marlow wished to explore the “blank places” on the map because he longed for adventure; his journey up the Congo, however, proves to be much more than a thrilling episode. Instead, his experiences there teach Marlow about the “heart of darkness” found in all men: Many (like himself) suppress these evil urges, while others (like Kurtz) succumb to them.

Marlow’s chief qualities are his curiosity and skepticism. Never easily satisfied with others’ seemingly innocent remarks such as those made by the Manager and Brickmaker, Marlow constantly attempts to sift through the obscurities of what others tell him (such as when his aunt speaks to him of “weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways”). However, Marlow is no crusader for Truth. He lies to Kurtz’s Intended to save her from a broken heart and ultimately returns to Europe and his home, despite his having been convinced by the Company and Kurtz that civilization is, ultimately, a lie and an institution humans have created to channel their desires for power.

As Heart of Darkness progresses, Marlow becomes increasingly sensitive to his surroundings and the “darkness” that they may embody or hide. When he visits the Company’s headquarters, for example, he is slightly alarmed by the doctor’s comments and puzzled by the two women knitting black wool. When he arrives at the Outer Station, however, he is shocked at the amount of waste and disregard for life he sees there. By the end of the novel, Marlow is almost unable to reintegrate himself into European society, having become convinced of the lies and “surface-truths” that sustain it. He tells his story to the men aboard the Nellie to share with them what he has learned about the darkness of the human heart—and the things of which that darkness is capable.



Kurtz


One of the most enigmatic characters in twentieth-century literature, Kurtz is a petty tyrant, a dying god, an embodiment of Europe, and an assault on European values. These contradictory elements combine to make Kurtz so fascinating to Marlow—and so threatening to the Company.

Like Marlow, Kurtz also wished to travel to Africa in search of adventure—specifically, to complete great acts of “humanizing, improving, instructing” (as he explains in his initial report to the Company). Once he tasted the power that could be his in the jungle, however, Kurtz abandoned his philanthropic ideals and set himself up as a god to the natives at the Inner Station. While he used to worry about the best ways to bring (as his painting demonstrates) the “light” of civilization to the Congo, he dies as a man believing that the Company should simply “Exterminate all the brutes!”

Kurtz is a dangerous man because he gives the lie to the Company’s “humanistic” intentions in the Congo. He returns more ivory than all the other stations put together, and does so through the use of absolute force. This frightens men like the Manager, who complains of Kurtz’s “unsound method”—although Kurtz is only doing what the Company as a whole is doing without hiding his actions behind a façade of good intentions. Marlow remarks that “All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz,” and Kurtz’s very existence proves this to be true: Like the Europeans involved in enterprises such as the Company, he epitomizes the greed and lust running wild that Marlow observes in the Congo. However, unlike the Company, Kurtz is not interested in his image or how he is perceived by “noxious fools” such as the Manager. While Brussels is a “whited sepulcher” of hypocrisy, Kurtz is completely open about his lusts. He tells the Manager he is “Not so sick as you’d like to believe.” But this statement is applicable to all Europeans involved in imperialistic empire-building: While labeling Kurtz a morally “sick” man might seem comforting, he is actually an exaggeration of the impulses harbored in the hearts of men everywhere.


The Manager

As Kurtz (in some sense) embodies Europe, the Manager embodies the Company that he represents in the Congo. The Manager’s primary concern is preserving his position within the Company, which he incorrectly assumes Kurtz wishes to steal from him. A scheming liar, the Manager sabotages Marlow’s steamboat to prevent supplies from reaching Kurtz at the Inner Station. Neither Marlow nor Kurtz believe his shows of concern for Kurtz’s health: When he tells Kurtz that he has come to save him, Kurtz replies, “Save the ivory, you mean,” and after Kurtz dies, Marlow feels the Manager’s eyes on him as he leaves Kurtz’s room, eager to learn of his rival agent’s death. According to Marlow, the Manager “inspires uneasiness” and tries to use this ability to gain information about Kurtz and his activities from Marlow. A despicable man, the Manager has the power to make the Company a reputable operation, but refuses to do so for fear that this would impede the flow of ivory that comes out of Africa.[/englishtext]


yours Y.H.M

يامن
الله عليك انت رائع تسلم ايديك يا رب

يامن الله يعطيك ألف ألف ألف عافية هدول رح ينفعونا كتير بالإمتحانات
موفق إنشاء الله

[englishtext]Theme Analysis




The Pervasiveness of Darkness

Perhaps the strongest theme in the novel is that of darkness. Indeed, darkness seems to pervade the work. Marlow's tale begins and ends in literal darkness; the setting of the novel is often dark, such as when the steamboat is socked in by fog or when Marlow retrieves Kurtz; dark-skinned individuals inhabit the entire region; and, of course, there is a certain philosophical darkness that permeates the work. But within the tale darkness operates in several ways.



As any child knows, darkness symbolizes the unknown; it gains its power from its ability to conceal things we are too frightened to face. Several times in the novel we see characters afraid, not of the darkness itself, but of that which potentially lies within it. One of the most alarming scenes occurs when the men aboard the fog-bound steamer hear a shrill cry from somewhere around them. It is particularly frightening because the men know some potential threat is near, but they cannot see it; it is simply out there in the darkness, waiting.



Darkness also effectively conceals certain savage acts. It is possible to operate in the cover of region's darkness in ways that would not be possible in the more civilized Europe. For example, when the Manager suggests that the "scoundrel," who is suspected of helping Kurtz procure his ivory, should be hanged as an example, his uncle agrees, noting that such actions are possible in the Congo, a region far from the "light" of civilized action. And Kurtz's most disturbing act, the placement of human heads atop poles surrounding his station house, is only possible in the concealed Congo.



Of course, darkness is also very compelling. Despite the fear it induces, there are plenty of men who are willing to brave it for its potential rewards. For the company men, the incentive is material wealth in the form of ivory. There are, however, other rewards. Marlow travels to the region because of a map he sees, which lists the area as one of the few largely uncharted lands left. To him, the Congo is a place to undertake a great adventure. The Harlequin is a physical and spiritual wanderer, and through Kurtz and his dark station, his mind has been "enlarged" he has found a sense of purpose. The character who most fully embraces the darkness is, of course, Kurtz. He has been completely transformed by his experience in the Congo. He has looked deeply within himself and has seen his own potential for savagery, yet he has accepted it.



The Europeans try to push back the darkness, if only temporarily, through their white clothes, adherence to European customs and morals, and technological advances, like the steamboat and the railroad. But the novel argues that the darkness is too enveloping. In the preface to his tale, Marlow remarks that London was once "one of the dark places of the earth." Later he sees how quickly the jungle reclaims its territory. When he locates the remains of his predecessor, Captain Fresleven, who died in an argument with a native chief, he notes that "the grass growing through his ribs was tall enough to hide his bones." These remarks suggest that in time Europe too will be reclaimed by wild. The light of civilization with someday return to darkness.



Colonization as Destruction

Another major theme in the novel is the notion of colonization as a destructive, rather than constructive, force.



Kurtz's initial approach to colonization is very altruistic; he believes that each company station "'should be like a beacon on the road toward better things, a center for trade of course but also for humanising, improving, instructing.'"

Kurtz is not alone in this philosophy. The International Society for the Suppression of Savage Customs, which commissions Kurtz to write a report, is likely an organization that believes in "civilizing" the inhabitants of Congo. Even Marlow's aunt, who helps to secure his position, is pleased that her nephew will help in "weaning those ignorant millions from their horrid ways."



Of course, the reality of colonization is very bleak. As Marlow comments: "The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much." Marlow sees firsthand the cold truth of colonization: physically wasted workers operating in deplorable conditions, backstabbing co-workers jockeying for the most profit and recognition, and a colonized people literally being shackled. It's as if the company is a steamroller plowing through the jungle, flattening anything and anyone that happens to be in the way, all, of course, in the name of profit.



The Manager condemns Kurtz for his "unsound" methods, yet in one sense Kurtz has achieved the ultimate form of colonization: the natives actually worship him. As a result, he brings in the most ivory. Of course, it is at Kurtz's station where Marlow sees the greatest act of savagery, the placement of the decapitated heads of "rebels" atop poles. By the time Marlow encounters Kurtz, Kurtz no longer has any noble intentions; instead he feels the need to "Exterminate all the brutes!'"



Colonization may help to maintain the surface luster of the home country, but

there are no benefits for those being colonized, only hardship, suffering, and death.
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yours Y.H.M