Heart of Darkness- Part 1

[Ms. Miller, MAED & MA]

Read part 1 of HOD. Extract all of the textual evidence that provides insight into the conditions of the setting of the novel. Be sure to pull from the beginning to the end of the section. Note any shifts in the description of the setting. Pose one question at the end of your initial post that you have about what you have read, preferably something that you don’t understand. Hopefully, your classmates in their response to you can chime in on your inquiry.In no less than 250 words answer the prompt. Respond to two classmates in no less than 100 words for each classmate.

[joseph]

Before recounting Marlow’s journey down the Congo, Conrad first illustrates a peaceful setting. The Nellie is anchored and at rest: “... the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide” (65). Conrad effectively creates pause and quietness in the setting in order to anticipate the upcoming story.
Conrad utilizes a multitude of calming descriptors aimed at furthering the peaceful atmosphere. He uses words like gloom, brooding, placid, sombre,and pacifically - all words that illustrate tranquility. This is demonstrated in Conrad’s description of the sky. “The air … seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth” (65).
But as soon as Marlow begins his rendition, the setting undergoes a change. “Flames glided in the river, small green flames, red flames, white flames,pursuing, overtaking, joining, crossing each other…” (70). This highlights Marlow’s story as a fiery and energetic one of interest.
Marlow’s story begins with a description of the city where he signs his contract. “A narrow and deserted street in deep shadow, high houses, innumerable windows with venetian blinds, a dead silence, grass sprouting between the stones, imposing carriage archways right and left, immense double doors standing ponderously ajar. I slipped through one of these cracks, went up a swept and ungarnished staircase, as arid as a desert, and opened the first door I came to.“ Marlow perceives this city with distaste and reluctance. This alludes to Marlow’s hesitance and doubt towards his expedition.

[Ashley T]

Throughout the text “Heart of Darkness”, author Joseph Conrad utilizes vivid imagery and figurative language to put the reader in the position of the characters as well as colloquialism in order to immerse the reader in the dialogue as well as give the reader context on the time period and setting. Towards the beginning of the text the author draws an image of the setting in the readers mind by using figurative speech in addition to vivid imagery. “the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint, and in the luminous space the tanned sails of the barges drifting up with the tide seemed to stand still in red clusters of canvas sharply peaked, with gleams of varnished sprit”. In this portion of the text the author describes the environment surrounding the characters and establishes that they are at sea. The use of figurative language exaggerates the different aspects of their surroundings such as the sea in comparison to the sky and the tide. Colloquialism is also used throughout the text in order to portray the language of the men while at sea, this allows the reader to gain a sense of the time period. “‘I suppose you fellows remember I did once turn fresh-water sailor for a bit,’ that we knew we were fated, before the ebb began to run, to hear about one of Marlow’s inconclusive experiences.“ This quote shows the slang used between the characters shows a general time frame as well as depicts the more relaxed attitude they had at sea.

[Gabby Trevino]

Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, starts with vivid descriptions that set the scene and add imagery to the readers’ minds. The setting of the novel is a ship, specifically the Nellie, which appears to be going through a calm part of the ocean. Conrad writes, “. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river, the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide…”(Conrad 68). It seems that the main characters are expecting the sea to get more rough, but for now it is calm. This could possibly serve to foreshadow events that will follow in the future. The surroundings besides the water seem very dark and ominous, with depictions of the sky being gloomy. The author writes, “The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless…” (Conrad 68). This setting along with the title of the novel allow us to predict that something mysterious or unexpected might happen, as gloom and darkness often represent the unknown. In addition, the sea can also represent the unknown or something unexpected that could transpire later in the book. In another description of the sky, Conrad writes, “ Imagine him here—the very end of the world, a sea the colour of lead, a sky the colour of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina..” (Conrad 75) Each of these descriptions establish a melancholic mood as well. The main character is surrounded by other sailors who are in his similar position, but some are more experienced, such as the character Marlow, who describes his personal experiences with the sea. The men on this sheep seem to have some sort of comradery, which is evidenced by their interactions. Conrad writes, “We four affectionately watched his back as he stood in the bows looking to seaward.” (Conrad 68). In addition to the physical setting, we see a setting between the characters and their close, intertwined relationship. It leads us to wonder how the plot development will test their resolve and connection as a group.

[Emberly G.]

In the "Heart of Darkness" the author Joseph Conrad applies different uses of imagery and figurative language to his text to share vivid mental images to the readers. These uses not only help add detail to the setting but add to the story itself. "...The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river, the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide..." This quote states the surrounding area and gives the reader an idea of the setting, but as the story continues Conrad gets more detail oriented nites. "...A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness..." This quote uses imagery and personification to give a marine layer a mysterious tone. Stating that it is vanishing is just another way to state it has vastness, using certain diction can help the reader imply that there is more to the story, that the sea adventure is not a lighthearted trip, but one that is a challenge. This can be referred back to HTRLAP to chapter "Every trip is a quest". Examples of physical blocks may allude to mere mental blocks, this can help one to understand that there is more to be gained from the trip. Perspectives alter the story, certain things change in accordance to our own beliefs, if the sea is intimidating then the story may share a coming of age message, where overcoming the sea storm is really overcoming the obstacles of life.

[Leilani Benton]

Throughout the novel Heart of Darkness, Marlow includes descriptions of the setting in order to paint a more realistic picture of what is occurring in the story. Before Nellie takes sail, Marlow depicts a peaceful setting. “The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river”. Marlow describes the conditions of the setting to anticipate what is to come. “In the offing the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint”. The use of figurative language, specifically vivid imagery, drawing an image of the setting for the reader. Marlow doesn’t just tell us the setting he is in, he describes it in a very detailed way so that we can get a complete picture. Once Marlow begins his adventure, there is a shift in the setting. “Flames glided in the river, small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing, overtaking, joining, crossing each other”. These descriptions of his new setting highlight a shift in settings, from one that is calm to one that is energetic. “A narrow and deserted street in deep shadow, high houses, innumerable windows with venetian blinds, a dead silence, grass sprouting between the stones, imposing carriage archways right and left, immense double doors standing ponderously ajar.” The way Marlow speaks of this new setting alludes that Marlow is uncertain about his adventure. “A continuous noise of the rapids above hovered over this scene of inhabited devastation. A lot of people, mostly black and naked, moved about like ants. A jetty projected into the river. A blinding sunlight drowned all this at times in a sudden recrudescence of glare.” These descriptions give us insight to Marlow’s perspective in this part of his adventure. It can be concluded that through the use of “inhabited devastation”, Marlow is disappointed with the setting he is in now.

[isabellacruz]

In the novel "Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer," Joseph Conrad creates a vivid imagery of illustration regarding the setting of the scene. It is evident that the setting takes place out on the sea as described in the text, "The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of sails, and was at rest," (Conrad 65). Additionally, the scene is described in more detail, giving the reader more familiarity as the text says "The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway," (Conrad 65). Not only does Conrad utilize vivid imagery of the scene, he moreover includes the description of time, allowing the reader to envision when actions of events occurred. The text mentions that "The sun set; the dusk fell on the stream, and the lights began to appear along the shore," (Conrad 67). To develop more sophistication, the setting plays a further role of characterization of the figures of the story. The individuals on the ship regard themselves as "seamen," in correlation with the setting. In reason of the story's plot revealing itself on the water, the characters tend to use the setting as personal character traits as well. In "Heart of Darkness," we see that the text instantly depicts the scene with much detail for imagery, however it also serves as the introduction to allow for character development. Inclusion of the elements of detail, vivid imagery, and the heavily nuanced diction produces an intricate story line later to be followed by the reader. From initially reading the text, one question I have is if the setting seems to be depicted more in a calm sense or rather in an eerie sense. 

[Lauren Gumarang]

In Part I of Heart of Darkness, the setting of the sea and what lies beyond the known ocean is described as mysterious and perilous, yet tempting and tension-filled; this is done through Marlow’s monologistic descriptions of his time as a sailor exploring the Congo River. Starting the story, the unnamed narrator describes the coast they are located at as having “A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark … condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth” (Conrad 3). By immediately juxtaposing this gloomy sea with the bustling London, the reader gets a glimpse of what is to come, for these sailors, as they are preparing for their voyage out to a dangerous ocean to the unknown. This is also added to with the social tensions between the crew as noted by the narrator: “there was silence on board the yacht … we did not begin that game of dominoes. We felt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring” (Conrad 4). The tensions reflected in the crew’s lack of speech reflects the tense atmosphere of the setting, making the reader restless for what is to come. The ocean stirs in the background “crowded with memories of men and ships it had borne to the rest of home or to the battles of the sea. It had known and served all the men of whom the nation is proud, from Sir Francis Drake to Sir John Franklin, knights all, titled and untitled—the great knights-errant of the sea” (Conrad 5). The ancient status of the ocean creates a sense of antiquity and hallowedness and also creates anticipation for the reader for the journey the narrator and the crew are about to endure and voyage on. This creates reverence for the setting of the ocean that the narrator acknowledges and wishes to convey to the reader. Overall, the setting in Part I of Heart of Darkness, creates much anticipation for the reader in the upcoming rising action of the story, while creating an expositional setting which can be described as mysterious and tempting, paving the way for what is to come out in the unknown of the ocean and other lands.

* note: I used the page numbers from the PDF

[Jonah Bae]

Jonah Bae: Heart of Darkness opens with a setting in its first paragraph, upon the Nellie. The book states of the ship, “The Nellie, a cruising yawl, swung to her anchor without a flutter of the sails, and was at rest. The flood had made, the wind was nearly calm, and being bound down the river, the only thing for it was to come to and wait for the turn of the tide.” (Conrad 65). The setting at this point is described as relatively peaceful and calm, seeming to have only just made it out of a flood or series of strong winds. However, the Heart of Darkness does not stop with its description of setting here. The next paragraph continues on describing the setting—but not of the Nellie anymore. The setting continues to “zoom out,” with the book stating, “The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway. In the offing the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint…A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness….and the greatest, town on earth.” (Conrad 65). With a strict focus on the physical locations described rather than the adjectives attached to them, Conrad first introduces the location of the ship as the first setting, before pulling out to the river the ship rests in, then to the ocean that the river flows into, then to the shores along that ocean, and finally out to the town that populates those shores. Additionally, by introducing the ship as the first setting, it frames the “other settings” from the point of view of the ship, as though the entire scene was viewed from the Nellie. However, the setting of the opening scene extends well beyond just the locations themselves. Early, it was seen that the Nellie was described as a calm and still vessel. The other locations (river, ocean, shore, town) have similar descriptors attached to them. The rivers and ocean are described as vast and expansive, however, the description of the town and fog/air that rests over it is the most interesting. The text states, “A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth.” (Conrad 65). There is a strong dichotomy and juxtaposition in the way that the setting is described here; for the air is described as dark, gloomy and almost suffocating, while the town is described as a large and great town, spurring into the imagination scenes of lights and sprawling cities. This juxtaposition both serves to highlight the town as a center of civilization against the town and sea it rests near, especially during the night, but also to separate the large and sprawling town from the still and small ship that it is being observed from, leaving behind and air of dissonance as the two settings do not relate to each other that well—already foreshadowing the plot and how it highlights the differences between colonists and natives.

In the next scene, a name and further, more succinct descriptions, are given to the settings described in the first scene. The text states, “”The water shone pacifically; the sky, without a speck, was a benign immensity of unstained light; the very mist on the Essex marshes…” (Conrad 65). It is clear now that the story is set in the English town of Essex, and not London (as what could have been derived from the description of the city as a vast and great city by the River Thames), and in one word the book reveals the environment of the setting: a marsh. However, the important information is not in the town names or the specific terrain of the story, but its focus on the ocean and sea again. The book started on a boat, described a river, then an ocean, and has now once again focused on the shining waters, adding up to the narrator’s position as a sailor. The text also continues its trend of juxtaposing different aspects of its setting, stating, “...the very mist on the Essex marshes was like a gauzy and radiant fabric, hung from the wooded rises inland, and draping the low shores in diaphanous folds. Only the gloom to the west, brooding over the upper reaches, became more sombre every minute, as if angered by the approach of the sun.” (Conrad 65). The waters being described as “shining” is more reminiscent of a bright beach and ocean, however, the descriptions of gloom, mist and a marsh are less jubilant, suggesting a theme that the setting may not be exactly as it seems.

A shift in the setting happens quickly in the next section. The text begins this scene by stating, “And at last, in its curved and imperceptible fall, the sun sank low, and from glowing white changed to a dull red without rays and without heat, as if about to go out suddenly, stricken to death by the touch of that gloom brooding over a crowd of men.” (Conrad 65). The shift observed here is the beginning of a more dreary shift, as the text begins by describing a factor of its setting rather than a location. Additionally, the text shifts from just mentioning adjectives like “gloom” into outright saying that the Sun was stricken to death and its rays dulled. The next sentence states, “Forthwith a change came over the waters, and the serenity became less brilliant but more profound.” (Conrad 65). A shift is observed again here as what appeared to be a clearly depressing description of fading light is turned into something “profound” and “tranquil,” again reemphasizing the theme of the sea being a point of brightness in the story. It is constantly the subject in the setting that is described with the most hope and positivity, advising the idea that the narrator may have some affinity for it (which may set up future themes). This affinity for the sea is confirmed in words when the narrator states, “And indeed nothing is easier for a man who has, as the phrase goes, 'followed the sea' with reverence and affection” (Conrad 65).

One question I have is why the narrator seems to be so conflicted on their opinion/view of the setting; one moment it is dark and gloomy and misty, and the next it is perfectly sunny.

[bella]

Throughout the novel, The Heart of Darkness, the author illustrates setting by using many different strategies such as descriptive language, imagery, and figurative language to portray the elements of setting throughout the story. He almost begins the story with, “The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway”. This imagery allows the reader to create a vision of a sea that is stretching far along into a pathway. The imagery used throughout the novel adds vivid detail and element to the story. He writes, “...his work was not out there in the luminous estuary, but behind him, within the brooding gloom”. His use of such vivid language such as “luminous estuary and brooding gloom”, adds importance to the setting and story. Such language allows the reader to have a more accurate and precise setting made up in their mind. The phrase, “Between us there was, as I have already said somewhere, the bond of the sea”, is the use of figurative language that paints a picture of the man having a bond with the sea and his people such as the captain and crew mates. It shows the true connection between the men at sea and shows them becoming a team essentially with but against the sea. The passion for the sea is what bonds them together to trust each other and have a connection together. One reader can gather all this information simply by the author's use of setting description and the choice of words and tools he uses. I am wondering, what is the connection between the sea and this character and what is the significance of the sea throughout the story?

[MAX FEINGOLD!]

In the story "Heart of Darkness" when describing the Nellie the author Joseph Conrad uses soft diction like"at rest" "nearly calm" "come and wait" (Conrad 65). Versus when describing the area around the town he uses mysterious and perilous words such as "canvas sharply peaked" "air was dark" "mournful gloom, brooding motionless" (Conrad 65). When compared, the town itself is "the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth" which could imply foreshadowing of what might happen to the town. The text then moves forward to an opinionated first person narration of themselves and their crew mates. An example of this would be, “We four affectionately watched his back as he stood in the bows looking to seaward” (Conrad 65). The narrator calls and describes each crew mate as their occupation and not their name, and the occupations are higher-paying occupations in which we could interpret the ship as a more expensive ride. The river that the boat is sailing on the changes “Forthwith a change came over the waters, and the serenity became less brilliant but more profound” “The tidal current runs to and fro in its unceasing service, crowded with memories of men and ships it had borne to the rest of home or to the battles of the sea” (Conrad 66). All this adds to the deeper meaning of the setting, and it gives personification to the river.

Overall, after the narrator described his friendly relationship with his crew mates, why would he not refer to them by name but rather by their occupation, like “Lawyer” and “Accountant”?

[Jonah Bae]

Jonah Bae | Response to Isabella Cruz |
The passage of time was not something I caught in my reading of the text and most likely answers the question I have at the end of my post, as I was confused on how the lighting and description of the scene was changing so much from line to line. Additionally, I do agree with the assessment of the sea being very important to the narrator of the story, as I also identified how the story seems to place special emphasis on describing the sea. Finally, it is clear as you said that the author;s most used literary device is the application of vivid imagery, as in the starting sections of the book, there is more words devoted to describing the scene than anything else.

[Jonah Bae]

Jonah Bae (Edit on original post)
The last 5 quotes on my post should say (Conrad 66). However, the total of my post did only address the first 2 pages simply extremely in-depth.

[jdong]

"Heart of Darkness," written by Joseph Conrad employs literary techniques such as figurative language like similes and metaphors paired with imagery to provide the reader with vivid interpretations of what is surrounding the Nellie. "The sea-reach of the Thames stretched before us like the beginning of an interminable waterway. In the offing the sea and the sky were welded together without a joint, and in the luminous space the tanned sails of the barges drifting up with the tide seemed to stand still in red clusters of canvas sharply peaked,with gleams of varnished sprits. A haze rested on the low shores that ran out to sea in vanishing flatness. The air was dark above Gravesend, and farther back still seemed condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless over the biggest, and the greatest, town on earth." By describing it like this, and describing the "sea-reach of the Thames," gives the idea that the Thames is this seemingly infinite expanse of water that can be explored and discovered, and the sky and the sea are connected in some way, and gives the reader this image that this is taking place towards the end of the day or at night. Additionally, there is this mental image that comes to mind about the ocean, being peaceful and almost welcoming to the darker sky. In a similar vein, water is very much a physical obstacle that has to be overcome at some point or another as shown in "Every Trip is a Quest," in How To Read Literature Like A Professor, and water is oftentimes the greatest obstacle of all, and by surviving this, the hardest part of the journey is over.

[David M]

Within Heart of Darkness, we get the general idea of the sea being the home of those on it. We are introduced to the "Director of Companies" as the captain, which already sets up the notion of business controlling the vast sea that the Nellie floats upon. As we meet the other characters, the narrator eventually confirms the situation as the narrator describes how "Their minds are of the stay-at-home order, and their home is always with them - the ship; and so is their country - the sea." (Page 67) The country is what governs the people, and the sea is what governs those on sea. Since their home, the ship, is what's on sea, we can conclude that the setting of the story resides upon a vast, open sea, where the shores are "foreign" and "no going ashore" establishes that their "stay-at-home order" is to remain on sea, to be governed by the sea, in their home ship. What's the more interesting is that this is taking place in modern day, and thus the people on the sea are simply isolated from society. As the people talk, there's "small green flames, red flames, white flames, pursuing, overtaking, joining, crossing each other - then separating slowly or hastily. The traffic of the great city went on in the deepening night upon the sleepless river." (Page 70) The narrator is fully aware of the existence of cars through the language of "traffic", showing his knowledge in the technology that humanity had at that time. Thus, we can also conclude that alongside living on the great oceans separated from shore, that they're also separating themselves from society, to be governed by the sea instead of the government that commands the land.