In Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, the motif of antiquity runs consistently and purposefully throughout the story. Conrad explores antiquity in order to address the recurring themes of civilization, savagery, and what exactly separates the two. The references of ancient civilization are made through the use of allusion, comparing central figures of the story to central figures of the stories in Greek mythology. These allusions prove significant as they parallel themes running throughout the story help reveal the meaning behind Conrad’s work. One of the most predominate allusions portrayed throughout the entire story was displayed in The Mistress. The Mistress stands out in the story due to being the only native that Marlow is able to
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It seen within the two knitting women at the office. The two women are described as “knitting black wool” as if they are weaving someone’s fate. The women could be compared to the Moirai, or the Greek personification of fate. While there are three Moirai in Greek mythology, there are only two knitting women. The two knitting women are representative of the two Morai who weave someone’s fate. The third Moirai cuts the thread, effectively ending someone’s life. The lack of a third knitting woman alludes to that third Moirai, referencing Marlow’s unknown future. In knitting the black wool, they present a negative image, that provides an “eerie” and “uncanny” feeling for Marlow. The dark and ominous depiction of the women allude to the evils that Marlow will encounter in his future. This reference to antiquity is also another contradiction. Conrad foreshadows the future through an allusion to the past. This contradiction brings the question of what exactly is primitive and what is considered modern, parallelling to savagery versus …show more content…
However, what the particular allusion or figure varied in the way they showed what it was depicting. The allusion to Athena, portrayed in The Mistress, is seen as strong and powerful. This strong depiction of Africa contradicts the Europeans idea of their savagery, showing the natives as vibrant, vivid, and rooted in the idea of civilization. The two knitting women, a who preside in Europe and are featured early on in the story while Marlow is in Europe, are seen as dark, ominous, foreboding, and malevolent. This depicts all of the Europeans and their idea’s of sharing those dark characteristics. Then in the depiction of Kurtz and in his painting, Prometheus is seen, representing the middle ground between the two. The interaction between the two forces is seen as ugly, as the presence of light in both situations has warped both situations. The light from the torch the woman in the painting carries warps her face into menacing figure, while when Kurtz goes to Africa, the light and knowledge of the natives warp him into a savage. The depiction of the all these illusions and the references to antiquity and mythology are representative of their current culture, revealing which ones are truly dark and which ones are truly
It seen within the two knitting women at the office. The two women are described as “knitting black wool” as if they are weaving someone’s fate. The women could be compared to the Moirai, or the Greek personification of fate. While there are three Moirai in Greek mythology, there are only two knitting women. The two knitting women are representative of the two Morai who weave someone’s fate. The third Moirai cuts the thread, effectively ending someone’s life. The lack of a third knitting woman alludes to that third Moirai, referencing Marlow’s unknown future. In knitting the black wool, they present a negative image, that provides an “eerie” and “uncanny” feeling for Marlow. The dark and ominous depiction of the women allude to the evils that Marlow will encounter in his future. This reference to antiquity is also another contradiction. Conrad foreshadows the future through an allusion to the past. This contradiction brings the question of what exactly is primitive and what is considered modern, parallelling to savagery versus …show more content…
However, what the particular allusion or figure varied in the way they showed what it was depicting. The allusion to Athena, portrayed in The Mistress, is seen as strong and powerful. This strong depiction of Africa contradicts the Europeans idea of their savagery, showing the natives as vibrant, vivid, and rooted in the idea of civilization. The two knitting women, a who preside in Europe and are featured early on in the story while Marlow is in Europe, are seen as dark, ominous, foreboding, and malevolent. This depicts all of the Europeans and their idea’s of sharing those dark characteristics. Then in the depiction of Kurtz and in his painting, Prometheus is seen, representing the middle ground between the two. The interaction between the two forces is seen as ugly, as the presence of light in both situations has warped both situations. The light from the torch the woman in the painting carries warps her face into menacing figure, while when Kurtz goes to Africa, the light and knowledge of the natives warp him into a savage. The depiction of the all these illusions and the references to antiquity and mythology are representative of their current culture, revealing which ones are truly dark and which ones are truly