There are numerous credible facts that clearly prove why Heart of Darkness should not be taught in schools across America. Joseph Conrad had the sheer audacity to describe exactly what he saw in the Congo with great detail and purpose. With Conrad’s experiences and morals, this novel establishes itself as a very noteworthy and informative piece of work that captures the intensity of the early 1900’s Congo.
One of the major complaints about Heart of Darkness is Conrad’s crude, straight-forward diction. This can lead to a major controversy and offend a fairly large amount of people. Marlow’s dialogue, a reflection of Conrad’s ideals, holds nothing back when describing the natives and is impressed by the total lack of civility. “...They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom” (53). Sure, Marlow explained some racist parts indirectly or almost passively, but even then, the book is too intense for high school environments.
To this day, Heart of Darkness is …show more content…
The reader truly needs to analyze every last sentence to understand what in the world the author is saying. Conrad was a descriptive but racist artist that portrayed his skewed views on the Congo through the protagonist, Marlow. The difficult nature of this novel is one of the introductory points that relate to the thesis question; should this book be taught in schools? Students should be challenged with a novel that makes them think harder and more intellectually than ever before. Heart of Darkness fulfills that prompt. “Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, which better than any other work that I know, displays that Western desire and need…” (Achebe1). Chinua Achebe, well known novelist, agrees in his column that Conrad’s use of imagery, historical context and diction help portray specific themes that deal with race and
One of the major complaints about Heart of Darkness is Conrad’s crude, straight-forward diction. This can lead to a major controversy and offend a fairly large amount of people. Marlow’s dialogue, a reflection of Conrad’s ideals, holds nothing back when describing the natives and is impressed by the total lack of civility. “...They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom” (53). Sure, Marlow explained some racist parts indirectly or almost passively, but even then, the book is too intense for high school environments.
To this day, Heart of Darkness is …show more content…
The reader truly needs to analyze every last sentence to understand what in the world the author is saying. Conrad was a descriptive but racist artist that portrayed his skewed views on the Congo through the protagonist, Marlow. The difficult nature of this novel is one of the introductory points that relate to the thesis question; should this book be taught in schools? Students should be challenged with a novel that makes them think harder and more intellectually than ever before. Heart of Darkness fulfills that prompt. “Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, which better than any other work that I know, displays that Western desire and need…” (Achebe1). Chinua Achebe, well known novelist, agrees in his column that Conrad’s use of imagery, historical context and diction help portray specific themes that deal with race and