Heart of Darkness #4

       Marlow is obsessively fixated on Kurtz because of the disquietude and  controversy revolving his actions. Kurtz is the primary supplier of ivory in the company, and his methods of production are unsettling. "To speak plainly, he [raids] the country" however, the natives "[adore] him" (135). The idea of destruction leading to adoration is a paradoxical conundrum for Marlow. Marlow has witnessed the brutality of the white imperialists leading to native sentiments of defeat and despair. In contrast, Kurtz's station is the first instance where Marlow observes idolization by the natives. The savages at the other stations are obedient out of fear and lack of freedom; however, the natives at the station led by Kurtz are additionally devoted out of a fondness for their white imperialist. Kurtz dominates the natives not only through their fear of him but also through their reverence. When the scrawny and sick Mr. Kurtz is carried on a stretcher into the cabin, "streams of human beings [are]...poured into the clearing by the dark-faced and pensive forest" (140). The natives blindly follow the bidding and leadership of Mr. Kurtz. Nature also has respect for Mr. Kurtz, for nature is the one who pours the natives out for his assistance. Therefore, an all encompassing admiration for Mr. Kurtz seems to exist. Marlow is fixated on the adoration because he has created an image that all station leaders are greedy Europeans abhorred by the natives. Marlow was not surprised that the bush natives began shooting at the steamboat, but he was in utter shock when it was revealed that their intentions were to prevent the departure of Mr. Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz encompasses a rare and uncomfortable style of leadership, which makes him such a captivating and intriguing character for Marlow to attempt to decipher.

Heart of Darkness Blog #2

      "We live, as we dream -- alone..." (Conrad 97). What a depressing quote Marlow! This sentence caught me off guard, and it loomed over the narrative throughout the text. Using a dash in literature has the same effect of drawing attention to a phrase or word as enjambment does in poetry. The "alone" is detached from the rest of the sentence, emphasizing the idea of isolation. This word already has a dual interpretation for Marlow. First, he is exploring new lands in Africa; the farther he goes into the 'heart of darkness,' the more isolated he becomes on account of the decrease of European culture and civilization. A second meaning of this word alone could emphasize the distinction of Marlow's goals versus the goals of the other site leaders. At one point in his narrative, Marlow is desperately pushing to attain more rivets for the reconstruction of his steamboat. The weekly caravan would deliver "glazed calico...glass beads... [and] spotted cotton handkerchiefs. [But] no rivets" (Conrad 98). Marlow becomes extremely frustrated with the present situation because his needs could be consoled by "three carriers [who] could have brought all that was wanted to set that steamboat afloat" (Conrad 98). Instead however, the supplies consist of extravagant desires over basic necessities. Marlow is irked by this lack of responsibility and thus feels that his desires are lonely and separate from the desires of the other site leaders. In life, I believe that we are all to some degree alone but in other ways highly connected. Similar aspirations may be shared by a collective group of people; however, the motive behind a specific goal will vary from person to person. For example, some people may join Key Club in an effort to salvage the cruel planet upon which we live. Others may need the community service hours, and still others may want to, ironically, benefit themselves on college applications. I believe that we will never truly be alone because although lives are lived independently with selfish aspirations, group collaboration is desired for a successful outcome.

The Vivid Imagery

     As Marlow from the story Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, vividly describes the condition of the enslaved natives, I could not help but feel contempt for the heartless imperialists. The corruption begins at the start of the narrative when Marlow relates how the acquisition of his position in the company was completely based on the connections of his Aunt. The sole aim of the company is for profit, but it seems that their moral code goes completely out the window. In fact, the roles of the aggressors and victims are reversed in the eyes of the whites. When Marlow first arrives at the Company station, he witnesses the enslavement of the natives: "I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain whose bights swung between them" (81). The communal linking is the like the bondage of all the natives living in the region. They are all weighed down by the greed of imperialism and are connected to the plight of the white men. Although Marlow is witnessing these inhumane acts, he agrees with the situation. Marlow explains to his listeners that the natives are "criminals, and the outraged law... had come to them" (81). From Marlow's point of view, the natives deserve to be enslaved and tortured, and the chains are solely used to carry out justice and morality. At this point in the narrative, I kept asking myself, does Marlow truly believe that an entire population has committed a crime? Does he really think that this is a proper way to treat other humans? And even more importantly, he keeps categorizing the native population by saying "them" and "they." Does Marlow even consider the natives humans? And then a more chilling question arises; to what modern day travesties are we blind? When Marlow visits the "shade," he soon realizes that it is contaminated by "black shadows of disease and starvation" (83). At one point he donates a biscuit from his pocket to a boy on the brink of starvation propped up against a tree. Marlow has some sense of morality, but how will he continue to perceive the situation with the natives as the plot progresses? Will his loyalties shift?

Conflicted

    How can one's happiness derive from another's misery? Why do you feel entitled to joy while others are suffering? For hundreds of years philosophers have argued over the sacrifice of one for the benefit of thousands. If the smartest minds have debated over the answer there surly is no one correct solution, maybe even no right answer at all.
    The people of Omelas are said to live a bountiful and cheerful life even though they are aware of the decrepit and sore-infested child living in the dark cell of the basement. They may even try to convince themselves that their sense of helplessness should not encompass sorrow because they appreciate the sacrifice of the child and therefore are able to be compassionate in their actions. They also may argue that the child would not be capable of happiness and joy after so many years locked away, and that he has become numb to the pain and suffering. These people are lying to themselves. The citizens of Omelas are creating excuses in an effort to subdue the feeling of pity and sympathy for this innocent child. Trust your gut. If upon first glance you recognize the horror of the situation, there is a good chance you have encountered a horrific situation. The passage of time acts as a band-aid attempting to cover the festering wound in the town. The undeserving child lives a cold and lonely life while the citizens attempt to utilize ignorance as their bliss.
   Those that comprehend the atrocity of the situation and leave the town are no better than those who stay. It could even be argued that the ones who leave are worse because they comprehend the pain and suffering of the child, yet instead of acting upon their instincts, they flee the city in an effort to physically and mentally leave behind their conflict. Running from problems never solves the situation and can in fact make it worse. Those that leave are making the child's sacrifice less valuable because it benefits fewer people. Having no reaction is heartless, but getting up and leaving is just as poor a decision if not worse.
    If I were living in Omelas I would not live in blissful ignorance nor leave my problems behind, instead I would justify the situation for those involved. It would be nearly impossible to convince all the citizens to willingly vacate the city based on their morals, but it would be manageable to identify those that agree with the philosophy that the suffering of one for the betterment of many is justified. Those who do not approve of this belief must leave the city immediately, for this is the principle upon which the city revolves. From the citizens remaining, a raffle would be drawn between all of the adults to determine which of them would take the boy's position. When a number is pulled, the boy would be liberated from his cell and the newly chosen sacrifice would assume the position. It is unethical for a group to victimize one naive member for the collective benefit. However, if that member is confident in their beliefs, they may understandably put themselves in harms way to support their ideals. The happy remainders can lead blissful lives because chance rendered them lucky, but they still made a sacrifice by risking their own life for the sake of their belief. One moral solution for the paradox in Omelas is to have the sacrifice be a person who believes in the fundamentals of the city; any other sacrifice is an innocent victim. The citizens must demonstrate support for their beliefs in order to live happy and blissful lives.

The Torture

     Although one must share a similar experience to feel empathy for another, I feel I can empathize with the sentiments of love and despair in John Berryman's "145." The poem is short yet powerful, and it allows the reader to feel the pain and torture of its author. We can see that Berryman is torn from the beginning when he talks about how the subject of his poem has "done no wrong," (line 1) yet he feels despair and after forty years is still struggling with forgiveness. The speaker acknowledges that the subject did not mean to damage the speaker and his brother when he writes, "but he did not swim out...to take one of us along...as company in the defeat sublime" (lines  6-8). The speaker was never the intended target of the subject's actions, but the speaker is still conflicted with the subject for putting him in such a position where hurt and pain will be inevitable. Imagery is used in lines 10-12 when the speaker describes the action upon which the poem revolves: "he only, very early in the morning/ rose with his gun and went outdoors by my window/ and did what was needed." The depressing tone of the poem and mention of a gun allows the reader to infer that the subject took his own life. By adding that the action was necessary, the speaker is trying to find closure and reason for the suicide because it completely devastated his life. After forty years he still "cannot read that wretched mind" (line 13). Furthermore, he puts a dash between "I-I'm/ trying to forgive" (line 14-15), demonstrating how that inner torment is still lingering. The final line of the poem addresses that the suicide allows "Henry to live on" (line 18), demonstrating that the speaker knew the act was inevitable and necessary for the subject, but inside he will always feel a mixture of love, despair, and hatred towards the subject for bringing so much pain and suffering upon their family.

The Wrath of Thomas Carew

      We have been reading so many romantic poems in class that when I read "Ingrateful Beauty Threatened" by Thomas Carew it stuck out to me like a sore thumb. Such a power-hungry and controlling man, I truly hope Celia did not crawl on back to him.

     Carew begins the poem with a very bold first verse: "Know, Celia, since thou art so proud." In the first line he has already called her out. Most poems do not refer to their lover by name since these romances could be risky and dangerous. However, Carew blurts her name in the first line, revealing her identity. There is no "darling Celia" or "my loving Celia", so the reader can anticipate that this poem will not be as romantic as the rest. In the first two stanzas we begin to understand the dynamic between the two. The speaker feels that Celia is his creation: "I gave it to thy" and "all are mine." Instead of the very lovely verses describing the beauty of the woman, the speaker makes this very personal about himself. We see a lot of possessive pronouns such as "mine" and "my". The speaker does not see their relationship as one; instead he emphasizes how they are different. The contrast acts as a metaphor that extends throughout the poem. The speaker portrays himself as God, the creator, and Celia just another mortal that he has shaped. In the end he threatens her and says that if she "tempt[s him]," he will "uncreate" the beautiful person she is considered to be. This is the speaker's way of trying to manipulate Celia by making her feel insecure. Everyone else sees her "mystic form," but he knows the truth behind "all her veils." Therefore, he may reveal her even farther if she does not comply with his desires. Thomas Carew's poem, "Ingrateful Beauty Threatened", tries to coerce a woman to stay with him using power assertion, dominance, and threats.

Love is Love

     Sometimes we look at a poem or a piece of literature written far before our time and begin reading assuming that the phrases will be difficult to decipher and the meaning deep below the surface. However, if you take a step back, the message may be more clear than you anticipated.

     William Shakespeare wrote many sonnets about the love he felt towards his friends and lovers. His famous Sonnet 18: "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" is a recognizable verse even in modern day society. However, it seems that Shakespeare not only felt love towards his lady friends, but he might also have had homosexual sentiments. This same sex romance is evident in Sonnet 20. In the second line of the sonnet, Shakespeare juxtaposes two very contrasting ideas of master and mistress. They are hyphenated, showing that his lover is both of these qualities to him. A master is typically someone with power in society or a relationship; in the sixteenth century the men held the respect and dominance in society. The idea of master is contrasted with the idea of mistress. Mistress is a term that usually has a subordinate, sexual, and feminine connotation. Shakespeare begins the poem by opposing these two words, making them stand out and subtly hinting to the reader that the recipient of this sonnet is not the typical heterosexual lover one would expect. Shortly after, Shakespeare describes his lover as having a "woman's gentle heart, but not acquainted/ With shifting change, as is false women's fashion." He says that his lover has feminine characteristics, but that there is something that differentiates them from women. Three lines down, we figure out the difference. Shakespeare is referring to a man! "A man in hue, all hues in his controlling." Shakespeare is in love with another male who happens to be slightly more feminine than most. William Shakespeare's Sonnet 20 blatantly confesses his homosexual love through juxtaposition and diction.

Holiness is an Effort and a Half

        George Herbert brings to light the conflict of living a sin free life in his poem "Forerunners" by creating a troubling tone. Within the first lines of the poem, the speaker is weary that the "harbingers" are coming because he does not want them to decipher his mind. The harbingers are most likely messengers of God, possibly angels or saints, because they are dressed in white (which symbolizes innocence and holiness), and they have the ability to understand his thoughts. However the speaker says, "Yet have they left me," meaning he may have had impure thoughts, "Thou art still my God" (line 6), implying that God will show him forgiveness. In the middle of the play, the speaker talks about the brothels and the lovely metaphorical writing he must forfeit in order to lead a holy and honorable life in the eyes of God. The life that the speaker describes sounds very dull and tedious, so we then see a shift from what he should do to what he would like to do. We see a shift to a more sexual diction, and there emerges foolish lovers, beauties, and folly. The speaker says, "Yet if you go [(God)], I pass not; take your way" (line 31), where he begins to differentiate his actions from the actions expected from him by God. He does this because at the end of the day, the speaker believes that God will forgive him for the sins he commits. The final lines are, "Let a bleak paleness chalk the door, So all within be livelier then before." In this quote we can see the speaker's branching out of his religious followings and implying that life may be more enjoyable when we break a few of God's rules. The disparity between the opening and closing lines illuminates the conflicting tone of the poem because the speaker is struggling with his dedication to God versus his earthly enjoyment.

Antonio's Love in the Shadows

         Homosexual marriage is a topic of modern debate, however in the sixteenth century, homosexuality was simply not accepted by any faction of society. In Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, Antonio struggles with his homosexual feelings for his friend Bassanio. 

         The play begins with Antonio moping around, unsure of why he is feeling so glum. Solarino and Solanio mention reasons about why he may be so depressed. The explanation that seems to make Antonio feel uncomfortable is the idea that he might be in love. He brushes off that idea, but later says that the world is a "stage where every man must play a part,/ And mine a sad one" (1.1.82-3). This shows that Antonio recognizes he has been dealt a difficult lot in life. Although he is wealthy, well liked, and prosperous in Venice, Antonio is not content. Antonio considers his life to be sad, demonstrating that there is something in life he knows he cannot achieve, which is a loving relationship with Bassanio. 

     When Bassanio comes to Antonio looking for a loan, he toys with Antonio's feelings to achieve his goal. Bassanio begins his plea by saying that he has no money, but that he will be forever indebted to Antonio. His words are, "To you, Antonio,/ I owe the most in money and in love" (1.1.137-8). In a time when Antonio thinks he can never be with the one he loves, Bassanio manipulatively tempts him by promising to love him forever if he will lend the money. This awakens Antonio's hope, and thus he replies that "My purse, my person, my extremest means/Lie all unlocked to your occasions" (1.1.145-6). At this point in the play, Antonio has not entered into the life-threatening contract with Shylock, so then why does he mention that his person is unlocked to Bassanio's occasions? Antonio's use of 'person' laces his offer with sexual undertones. Antonio cares for Bassanio romantically, and Bassanio encourages these feelings. 

       Antonio becomes more aggressive with his desire to be with Bassanio as the play progresses. When Antonio realizes that Shylock is greedy for his flesh he says, "Pray God Bassanio come/... then I care not" (3.4.38-9). Antonio is expecting to die, and the last person he wants to see before he perishes is Bassanio. Then he will be at peace in his heart. Bassanio does return, and with twice the amount of the bond. This encourages Antonio's feelings for Bassanio because he considers these gestures signs of loyalty, faithfulness, and love in their relationship. When the good doctor rescues Antonio from Shylock's blade, they request Bassanio's wedding ring as payment. At first Bassanio is reluctant to potentially damage his relationship with Portia, but Antonio insists it is the respectable thing to do: "My Lord Bassanio, let him have the ring./ Let his deservings and my love withal/ Be valued 'gainst your wife's commandment" (4.2.467-9). Antonio is subtly asking Bassanio to choose him over his wife Portia; Antonio's love should be held to a higher respect than Portia's desires. By asking Bassanio to give away his ring, Antonio realizes that it could sever the relationship between Bassanio and Portia, but because Antonio is jealous of their relationship this is something he would enjoy. Antonio has fallen deeply in love with Bassanio and thrives upon that small hope that they may one day be together. "If you love something let it go, if it comes back then it was always yours."