Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness:
Are Women Really Powerless?
In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the women seem to be omitted from the narrative. From the narrative story from the main character, Charlie Marlow, the women are never given any name and only known as the ‘Aunt', the ‘Intended', and the ‘Mistress'. The role of women in Heart of Darkness novel often becomes a topic of study for some researchers. Some of them argue that Heart of Darkness, through Marlow's point of view, shows the representation of the powerless women.
Indeed, the world of trade and exploration in this novel seems very much to be a man's world and the story features very few women characters, but this situation does not represent the powerless of women. In fact, the …show more content…
So I worried them. 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. Heavens! Well, you see, the notion drove me. I had an aunt, a dear enthusiastic soul. She wrote: ‘It will be delightful. I am ready to do anything, anything for you. It is a glorious idea. I know the wife of a very high personage in the Administration, and also a man who has lots of influence with,' etc. She was determined to make no end of fuss to get me appointed skipper of a river steamboat, if such was my fancy." (Conrad, p.11)
In the excerpt of Conrad's Heart of Darkness above, it can be seen that Marlow's aunt has a power that even men cannot believe the women have it. It is seen from Marlow's response that felt so embarrassed when he got a help for getting his job from the women. How Marlow perceived the shame can be considered as power recognition in which he admitted that his aunt can do something that he can't do. In line with this, Biswas (2009) stated the act of Marlow's aunt represents great power, the power of the women over
Are Women Really Powerless?
In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, the women seem to be omitted from the narrative. From the narrative story from the main character, Charlie Marlow, the women are never given any name and only known as the ‘Aunt', the ‘Intended', and the ‘Mistress'. The role of women in Heart of Darkness novel often becomes a topic of study for some researchers. Some of them argue that Heart of Darkness, through Marlow's point of view, shows the representation of the powerless women.
Indeed, the world of trade and exploration in this novel seems very much to be a man's world and the story features very few women characters, but this situation does not represent the powerless of women. In fact, the …show more content…
So I worried them. 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. Heavens! Well, you see, the notion drove me. I had an aunt, a dear enthusiastic soul. She wrote: ‘It will be delightful. I am ready to do anything, anything for you. It is a glorious idea. I know the wife of a very high personage in the Administration, and also a man who has lots of influence with,' etc. She was determined to make no end of fuss to get me appointed skipper of a river steamboat, if such was my fancy." (Conrad, p.11)
In the excerpt of Conrad's Heart of Darkness above, it can be seen that Marlow's aunt has a power that even men cannot believe the women have it. It is seen from Marlow's response that felt so embarrassed when he got a help for getting his job from the women. How Marlow perceived the shame can be considered as power recognition in which he admitted that his aunt can do something that he can't do. In line with this, Biswas (2009) stated the act of Marlow's aunt represents great power, the power of the women over