Attitude to Feminism in HoD

Attitude to Feminism in HoD In Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Marlow’s preconceived notion of the naà ¯ve and sheltered woman is revealed early in the novel: â€Å"It’s queer how out of touch with truth women are! They live in a world of their own and there had never been anything like it and never can be. It is too beautiful altogether, and if they were to set it up it would go to pieces before the first sunset.† (Conrad 10) However, it is because of the women’s purity and naivete that the female characters in the novel–Marlow’s aunt, knitters of black wool, the African mistress, and the Intended–possess a sense of mystery and wield power over the men. The women eventually lead the reader to the discovery of a new truth—not that of the stark reality of the Congo, but of the fact that men yield to women’s will as a way to discover and assert themselves. The women are powerful enough to present the men with a direction, a literal journey, and a sense of purpose. Though Marlow’s aunt and the wool knitters appear for only a short period, their presence precipitates and steers the course of the novel. Marlow’s aunt, who is presented as a disillusioned woman stubbornly adhering to the notion of â€Å"White Man’s Burden,† is the one who actually directs Marlow into his expedition of self-discovery and truth in the first place. This irony is compounded by the fact that it is Marlow’s aunt who comes to the rescue when his own efforts prove fruitless: â€Å"The men said ‘My dear fellow,’ and did nothing. Then–would you believe it?–I tried the women. I, Charlie Marlow, set the women to work–to get a job.† (6) This passage implies that, regardless of Marlow’s condescending views of women, he too realizes (though without admitting it outright) the female influence and his and other men’s powerlessness. It is his aunt’s belief in the fundamental goodness of humanity that gives her power over men; she justifies male imperialistic goals and becomes the object onto which these men project wealth, power, and status. The women in the Belgian company office knit black wool, symbolizing and foreshadowing a sealed fate, dark and tragic. Their power rests in their possession of this fate, and their presence is so domineering that later in the journey, Marlow yields to their unquestionable authority: â€Å"The knitting old woman with the cat obtruded herself upon my memory as a most improper person to be sitting at the other end of such an affair.† (59-60) If Marlow’s aunt is the usher into Darkness, then the knitters are the Darkness’ gatekeepers, and Conrad’s representation of fate as two women is no concidence. The connection between the aunt and the knitters, and eventually the other female characters, binds them in a sisterhood, and their roles only complement their own respective goals in maneuvering the men. The ending of the book is shaped by the African mistress and the Intended. In physical contrast to the ailing Kurtz, the two women are towers (literally, by the descriptions of their height and outstretched arms) of strength, devotion, and purity. Throughout the book, Kurtz is the â€Å"remarkable person† (16), the â€Å"exceptional man† (19), and a quasi-Christ-like figure, but, to Marlow, the Intended is a god: â€Å"bowing my head before the faith that was in her† (70) and â€Å"silencing me into an appalled dumbness† (69). While Kurtz holds truth, the Intended holds illusion, and Marlow’s ultimate lie proves the world of women overcomes the world of truth. It is women’s illusion that shelters men and gives them strength and purpose. This protection can be clearly seen with the Intended: her depiction of Kurtz is drastically different from the reader’s observations, and her distorted image of Kurtz creates his pristine legacy by cle ansing him of his corruption. Her â€Å"inextinguishable light of belief and love† (69) manages to extinguish the darkness of humanity, of the man’s world. Marlow’s asserts women are â€Å"out of it† (44), that they exist in their own ideal space, void of vision and possibility and unbeknownst to truth and reality. Yet Marlow’s journey into the Congo places him into a dreamlike state in which he similarly cannot discern truth from fantasy. The implications of a thick, dark jungle signify a world where â€Å"the reality fades† and â€Å"the inner truth is hidden† (30). Thus, though both the female and male worlds are dark, the female characters dominate because they have not fallen into the male abyss—due to their purity and pledge of responsibility and faith. Marlow’s hazy journey into the Congo and hazy views of the female gender are similar, and this similarity is made even more apparent when he encounters the African mistress, who actually embodies the wilderness itself: â€Å"And in the hush that had fallen suddenly upon the whole sorrowful land, the immense darkness, the colossal bo dy of the fecund and mysterious life seemed to look at her, pensive, and though it had been looking at the image of its own tenebrous and passionate soul.† (56) Ironically, he is strongly attracted to her powerful feminine force, the force of nature, of the female world, which he had once made an effort to avoid. With his travel down the Congo, he has been forced to immerse himself in the female realm, an image of the African mistress with receiving arms, which has similarly â€Å"caressed him [Kurtz]†¦taken him, loved, him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (44). Marlow’s confused view of women can be read in parallel with Conrad’s own struggle to overtly and covertly balance the strong female presences in his work. In the beginning of the novel, Marlow is disoriented by his aunt, who manages to throw his opinions of gender and power into question. Thereby, Marlow becomes uneasy about his own powerlessness and the fact that women might have an existence aside from his problematic interpretations. In order to adhere to his viewpoints, however, Marlow refuses to admit the nuances he himself allows the reader to observe (i.e. the unmistakable power of his aunt, the knitters, the African mistress, and the Intended beyond his own), and his omission reveals a fear which in turn imparts an independent and potent sphere to those women. It is with this sphere–and the mystery within–that Conrad is able to reveal female power beyond a literal portrayal. That power is deeply psychological and subconscious, and closely intertwi ned amongst the women–the aunt ushering, the knitters guiding, the African mistress embracing, and the Intended cleansing–to conform the male characters to the female will. Works Cited Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness. New York: Dover Publications, Inc., 1990.

Sympathy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Sympathy - Essay Example The article uses this evocation in order to attract interest from stakeholders in the education and associated sectors to view the situation as demanding more attention that it is receiving. The chief claims are presented in the form of statistics and short, clear statements that do not require any further explanation. The clarity of the language used is helpful in attaining the targeted readership and sympathy. The article’s target audience is the stakeholders in the education sector who are called to act towards addressing the issue of drugs use among the school going teens. Among the target are the government organizations, non-governmental organizations, schools administrations, alumnuss organizations, the parents and the community at large. The article presents the issue of drug abuse as affecting the whole community and hence expound on the importance of collective action against the vise. It is from the sympathy that the article will raise among the targeted groups of people that actions will be taken towards saving the situation. The message in the article is both explicit and to some extent implicit. Although precisely and clearly communicated, the message also has some deeper meaning that is left for implication. The facts put forward in the article in the form of statistics are clear and to the point, they are easily understood and explicit. The reader, at once, is attracted to the importance of the articles by looking at the figures presented. However, to most of the stakeholders in the education sector, the article has a deeper implication than its face value. The possibility of the proportion of students using drugs increasing if nothing is done is one such implication. Being both implicit and explicit helps the article to evoke sympathy for the situation in two-folds. First, among the immediate readers

Neo-Classical Art and Romanticism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Neo-Classical Art and Romanticism - Essay Example It was also an era of revival of early Christian art. . Many Baroque artists painted biblical scenes that to give the stories a touch of realism (Maureen, n.p.). Neoclassicism Neoclassicism is a very famous and powerful western movement in literature, architecture, painting, and music, decorative and other visual arts. It started in 1760s and ended in 1850s. Its inspiration and idea emerged from the classical art and culture of ancient Rome and ancient Greece. It is also known as the renewal of artistic norms and principles of Classical ancient times. Neoclassical Art was considered mainly plain, ordinary and unemotional form of art as compared to former periods. One of the main and major reasons for the start of neoclassicism is the discovery of ancient art works at the exploration and excavation of Herculaneum and Pompeii ruins. Neoclassical art highlights tradition, courage, nationalism and sacrifice. Neoclassicism spread all over Europe. The countries in which neoclassical art wa s mostly used were France and England. Oath of the Horatii   Oath of the Horatii  was painted by Jacques Louis David in 1784 before the French Revolution. Oil paint was used. Its dimensions were 10' 8" x 13' 9" (3.3 m x 4.2 m). The picture depicts the scene of three brothers before departing for battle. They are willing to die because of their patriotic duty to their government. Story behind the painting is that a war going on between Rome and Alba for many years. A decision is made that the final battle would be in the battle field (Roberts et al, 231). The painting is an expression of a new style that is Neo Classism Art. The men are wearing robes which are of roman style therefore we can classify this painting as â€Å"neoclassical†. It is mainly about loyalty to the king and the established rule .Oath of the Horatii represents the people's sacrificial loyalty and commitment to the Roman Republic. The topic of the painting has an extreme patriotic and neoclassical view . The picture depicts the scene of three brothers before departing for battle. They are willing to die because of their patriotic duty to their government. Story behind the painting is that a war going on between Rome and Alba for many years. A decision is made that the final battle would be in the battle field. In the painting there are three men, who seem to be warriors, stand facing a vital figure. The painting spotlights around the three men on the left and one old man in the center. It depicts that they are one. The oath is taken by three brothers with the support of their father. The two groups were of three brothers from Horatii family in Rome and three brothers from Curiatii family in Alba.One of the Horatii sisters is married to one of the men on the other side the Curiatii and one of the Curiatii sister is married to one of the Horatii brother. In the painting two women are crying on each other’s shoulders on the right. They seem to be in sorrow. They seem to be wiv es of Horatii brothers. A woman is shown crying with two children. She is the sister of Horatii brothers. The father of the Horatii family is shown in the picture taking his sons oath to fight till the death. When the battle ended only one of the six men survived. He was a Horatii. Father is the hero of the story. He sacrificed his sons for the greater good of the people. The idea here is that one must be ready to sacrifice for the country. The colors in the painting are soft and gentle. The only color that is bright and prominent is red which