Blog #6 Heart of Darkness -- first half of Part III
Having spent the morning discussing Kurtz, let's give the man a rest and think instead about a couple of new characters -- characters who just happen to be closely connected to Kurtz.
1. What do you think about the Russian? He has no name, only a nationality which is interesting, but what other significance do you find in this young man?
Then indulge us and watch this clip from Apocalypse Now. Did Coppola do Conrad's Russian justice in this scene?
2. The Woman! Yes, females do appear along this largely masculine route. What can you say about Marlowe's description of her? What IS this woman? Keep in mind this is the first female we've seen since we left Marlowe's well connected Aunt back in Europe.
1. The Russian appears to be a disciple of Kurtz, rather than a peer. Because he isn’t named, the Russian appears to be nothing more than one of a larger group of followers of Kurtz instead of an individual. The Russian listens to Kurtz and is constantly impressed by his knowledge, nurses Kurtz through his illnesses, cedes control of the ivory stockpile to Kurtz, and lets Kurtz disappear for awhile without questioning him—something a partner or peer would not allow. More than that, the Russian is, I feel, jealous of the lone woman—who is, I presume, Kurtz’s mistress. The Russian talks about how he would have shot the woman if she came on the boat, without explanation. I think the purpose of the Russian is to show how thoroughly convincing Kurtz is, what a persuasive man he is, which could later have an effect on Marlow. As for the clip, I think Coppola makes an interesting choice by using a photojournalist character to portray the Russian. The first rule of photojournalism, war photojournalism in particular, per reading about the profession, is to never engage with the subject. Otherwise, the photograph—what you’re passing off as rock hard testimony to an event—becomes inherently biased. It’s quite literal “don’t jump off the boat”. Therefore, I think it befits the clearly extreme persuasion powers of Kurtz to show the Russian as a photojournalist—someone whose job it is to not interact with his subject has almost fallen in love with his subject. 2. Though I object to both (also, all) women in the story relying on men to undertake the real action—the aunt wants Marlow to go forth and shine “light” and Kurtz’s possible mistress’s only action, that we see, is to call for support of him—this new woman does appear to be powerful. She is able to get the rest of the non-European population to protest with her, when Kurtz is put on the ship, but then she is the only one left when it clears up. Marlow at least calls her “superb” (67) even if he calls her “barbarous” directly preceding. “…woman did not so much as flinch” (67) Marlow says, proving that she does have sheer will.
1) I think the nationality is interesting, as if Russia and possibly other Asian countries fanatically follow the colonialism of Europe. Kurtz is the embodiment of the culture and ideals of Europe and its civilization and colonialism, and the Russian, perhaps representing other Asian countries, worship him and possibly what he represents. The Russian seems to represent the crazy worshiper, or to use Conrad's word, disciple of God, represented by Kurtz. He seems to be in total awe and in love with Kurtz, seeing him as a great man.
I think Coppola does Conrad's Russian extremely well in his representation. I personally get the exact same feel when both talk. If I could imagine the Russian, it would most likely be like the American Photojournalist.
2) I'm somewhat confused by her, but Marlowe describes her as like an apparition, some sort of stately and exotic creature separate from everything else. She seems to be related to Kurtz in some way, with some sway over him. She could possibly be his partner. She feels almost like the queen of the "kingdom" Kurtz seems to have created. As said before, I'm not sure what to think of her, but Marlowe does describe her as the opposite of his Aunt. He seems to think his Aunt is petty and doesn't really understand the world, which he then uses to describe all women, however here he describes this woman as if he is in awe of her, as if she reflected life itself.
1. I thought the Russian character was very interesting. He basically worships Kurtz and is amazed by him. It’s interesting also that Conrad does not give “The Russian” any specific name, meaning that his character is representative of something bigger, perhaps countries like Russia worshipping Europe’s every move and colonial enterprises. I think Coppola’s portrayal of the photojournalist was an accurate variation of the Russian in Conrad’s story. The movie version worships Kurtz and views him as this beyond intelligent, supreme, God-like figure, which isn’t too far off from the Russian’s view of Kurtz in the novella.
2. Marlow seems to put this woman on a pedestal and is in awe of her, but describes his awe in the same condescending manner he has with all the women of the story. He doesn’t really understand women and writes them off as not suitable for man’s work, yet still believes there’s something special about them, he just can’t quite figure out what. This woman seems to have a hold over the place and in particular, Kurtz. I can’t tell what the relationship between the woman and Kurtz is, but I’m interested to see where the story goes.
1) The Russian is a funny character. He is definitely is a follower of Kurtz and idolizes him. He is not bothered by or concerned for Kurtz. Instead, he bases his beliefs off of Kurtz. If Kurtz puts heads on fence posts, then the heads must have belonged to rebels. Also, his lack of a proper name makes him a representation of the country of Russia. This implies that since Kurtz represents “the best of Europe”, countries like Russia, who is not colonial powers at this point, blindly support and idolize European colonial powers. I think Coppola’s decision to make the “Russian” an American photojournalist was a good one. The journalist and the Russian definitely have the same sort of incoherent reverence for Kurtz. Also, if the Russian’s idolization of Kurtz represents countries looking up to big European colonial powers, then does the photojournalist’s idolization of Kurtz represent the American media’s support for the Vietnam War?
2) The woman is a strong character. From what we can gather from other characters, she seems to have some sort of power over Kurtz. This is a power that not many people seem to have. She is proud and powerful. She is unfazed by the European men’s attempts to scare off the “natives”. She also seems to be in a position of power among the “natives”, as she leads them in a chant when the boat leaves. She is the exact opposite of what Marlow thinks a woman should be like, yet he is in awe of her.
1. I don't think annoying is the correct word to describe the Russian. However, he is definitely overzealous and extremely enthusiastic towards Kurtz. Conrad refers to him as a disciple, implying that he worships Kurtz as a deity. He praises Kurtz and thoroughly justifies every act that could be defined as immoral. The American photojournalist in Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" mirrors the Russian's excitement and loyalty to Kurtz. I think the American character definitely does the Russian justice, because they both possess childlike and devoted qualities. It was interesting of Joseph Conrad to choose the Russian to be a Russian opposed to any other of the European ethnicities– I don't know enough about Russia's colonial background compared to that of other European nations to argue a point about this, but it was definitely a significant choice.
2. This woman’s scene doesn’t last for very long in the story, which almost makes it stand out to me as a reader more. Marlow gives all his attention to this woman and describes her every movement with great detail, opposed to him distractedly looking through his binoculars while conversing with the Russian, whom he didn’t take as seriously. The natives seem to respect her also, and she holds power over Marlow in this scene. I don’t fully understand her purpose or significance to the plot but I’m interested to learn because similar to Marlow, I was captivated by her character.
I think he's really thrown-together, especially compared to the woman. He's a follower that seems to be obsessed with Kurtz, much like Marlow. It's also interesting how Conrad chose to not give the Russian a name. It makes him sound like he's representing all of Russia.
I think that the woman is obsessed with Kurtz in her own way. Unlike the Russian however, she still has power and dignity. She is described as "savage and superb", which I think is a great description of her from what we know. She could represent the jungle and the wilderness itself. She's powerful, regal, and everything seems to stop when she shows up. It's interesting how even though the members of her community are being killed, she still follows and maybe loves him.
1) The Russian spent a long time alone in the jungle before meeting Kurtz, and Kurtz's eloquence lead him to adore him. The Russian puts him on a whole other level and excuses any cruelty he might display as immaterial given the overall image he has of Kurtz. Kurtz is this incredible, poetic, godlike figure, and the Russian can't conceive of him doing anything wrong. His isolation in the jungle may have contributed to this, as he would've been hungry for any sign of home after that. Kurtz is a beacon of European culture to him. In Apocalypse Now, he is portrayed as a photojournalist, and defends and adores Kurtz in the same way. Similar to the way Russians were viewed as following Western European culture, photojournalists followed the action of the war.
2) The woman is the polar opposite of European restraint. She is passionate, as opposed to the refined attempted "efficiency" of Europe. She is a woman who seems to have power innately, rather than just do to association with a man. Also, she dresses very differently from the conservative, long dresses of Europe. Also, the description of her as "regal" is interesting considering European attitudes towards Africa then.
1. The Russian is obsessed with Kurtz's civilized aspects, which I find interesting because one of Kurtz's defining characteristics is the coexistence of civilization (poetry, ideas) with savagery (severed heads). The Russian likes Kurtz's civilization so much that he is willing to overlook his savagery. Maybe he symbolizes the attitudes of people (countries, maybe) towards Western civilization: they like the profound thought and expression (and power, etc.) with which it is associated so much that they are willing to look past its ugly side (colonialism, brutality, racism, grandiosity).
I think the photojournalist captures the Russian well. Several of his lines connect to what the Russian says. He presents the frenzied, fanatic air of the Russian very well as he gushes on and on about Kurtz. Coppola also covers the scene in which Marlow looks at the severed heads through the telescope quite smoothly, as well.
2. The woman is unlike anything we have seen in the novella, and probably unlike anything Marlow has seen in his entire life. She contrasts the women he knows with her air of power. She seems more "alive" than the stuffy women Marlow has met so far. Marlow devotes a lot of time to her description, so she obviously captivates him. I think that she can be tied to the idea of Mother Nature. It makes sense for Conrad to use the word "fecund" to describe a character representing nature because nature is often connected with fertility.
1. I’m very interested by the Russian. I’m confused as to why he is so taken by Kurtz. What has Kurtz done to deserve this positive attention? I don't know how he can deeply admire Kurtz for all the wrong that he has done. He shows very strong devotion to Kurtz. The Russian looks up to him as though he is a form of god. I think that the Russian has no name because he, doesn't know who he is himself. He is an avid follower of Kurtz who sees no wrong in what he does. He says that Kurtz was going to shoot him once. Kurtz is compared to God by this. When a christian feels like god has done them wrong or of those sorts, they might be scared or upset, but they will soon forgive him. I think that they are very similar. I definitely get the same feel of the character when hearing from them both. I do think that Coppola should have made the “Russian” (really American) more connected to Kurtz, like he was in the book. In the Heart Of Darkness, the Russian had a more direct connection to Kurtz by taking care of him while he was sick, he also came close to shooting the Russian. The “Russian” in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now wasn't connected to Kurtz, the most personal encounter was when he tried to take a picture of Kurtz and he said he’d kill him if he tried to do it again. 2. She is a very powerful black woman who is the truth of real beauty. She is a native of the compound where Kurtz has been staying. Although she is an independent woman, she is still devoted to Kurtz in a way. Her devotion to Kurtz is unlike the Russians devotion to him. She is important and she is very drawn to Kurtz. She, unlike the Russian, has power over the people in the village. Somewhat like Kurtz, they look up to her like she’s a Goddess. She loves Kurtz and is very loyal to him. She embodies beauty and savagery. She comes out with full body armor on looking simply beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
1. The Russian appears to be a disciple of Kurtz, rather than a peer. Because he isn’t named, the Russian appears to be nothing more than one of a larger group of followers of Kurtz instead of an individual. The Russian listens to Kurtz and is constantly impressed by his knowledge, nurses Kurtz through his illnesses, cedes control of the ivory stockpile to Kurtz, and lets Kurtz disappear for awhile without questioning him—something a partner or peer would not allow. More than that, the Russian is, I feel, jealous of the lone woman—who is, I presume, Kurtz’s mistress. The Russian talks about how he would have shot the woman if she came on the boat, without explanation. I think the purpose of the Russian is to show how thoroughly convincing Kurtz is, what a persuasive man he is, which could later have an effect on Marlow. As for the clip, I think Coppola makes an interesting choice by using a photojournalist character to portray the Russian. The first rule of photojournalism, war photojournalism in particular, per reading about the profession, is to never engage with the subject. Otherwise, the photograph—what you’re passing off as rock hard testimony to an event—becomes inherently biased. It’s quite literal “don’t jump off the boat”. Therefore, I think it befits the clearly extreme persuasion powers of Kurtz to show the Russian as a photojournalist—someone whose job it is to not interact with his subject has almost fallen in love with his subject.
ReplyDelete2. Though I object to both (also, all) women in the story relying on men to undertake the real action—the aunt wants Marlow to go forth and shine “light” and Kurtz’s possible mistress’s only action, that we see, is to call for support of him—this new woman does appear to be powerful. She is able to get the rest of the non-European population to protest with her, when Kurtz is put on the ship, but then she is the only one left when it clears up. Marlow at least calls her “superb” (67) even if he calls her “barbarous” directly preceding. “…woman did not so much as flinch” (67) Marlow says, proving that she does have sheer will.
1) I think the nationality is interesting, as if Russia and possibly other Asian countries fanatically follow the colonialism of Europe. Kurtz is the embodiment of the culture and ideals of Europe and its civilization and colonialism, and the Russian, perhaps representing other Asian countries, worship him and possibly what he represents. The Russian seems to represent the crazy worshiper, or to use Conrad's word, disciple of God, represented by Kurtz. He seems to be in total awe and in love with Kurtz, seeing him as a great man.
ReplyDeleteI think Coppola does Conrad's Russian extremely well in his representation. I personally get the exact same feel when both talk. If I could imagine the Russian, it would most likely be like the American Photojournalist.
2) I'm somewhat confused by her, but Marlowe describes her as like an apparition, some sort of stately and exotic creature separate from everything else. She seems to be related to Kurtz in some way, with some sway over him. She could possibly be his partner. She feels almost like the queen of the "kingdom" Kurtz seems to have created. As said before, I'm not sure what to think of her, but Marlowe does describe her as the opposite of his Aunt. He seems to think his Aunt is petty and doesn't really understand the world, which he then uses to describe all women, however here he describes this woman as if he is in awe of her, as if she reflected life itself.
1. I thought the Russian character was very interesting. He basically worships Kurtz and is amazed by him. It’s interesting also that Conrad does not give “The Russian” any specific name, meaning that his character is representative of something bigger, perhaps countries like Russia worshipping Europe’s every move and colonial enterprises. I think Coppola’s portrayal of the photojournalist was an accurate variation of the Russian in Conrad’s story. The movie version worships Kurtz and views him as this beyond intelligent, supreme, God-like figure, which isn’t too far off from the Russian’s view of Kurtz in the novella.
ReplyDelete2. Marlow seems to put this woman on a pedestal and is in awe of her, but describes his awe in the same condescending manner he has with all the women of the story. He doesn’t really understand women and writes them off as not suitable for man’s work, yet still believes there’s something special about them, he just can’t quite figure out what. This woman seems to have a hold over the place and in particular, Kurtz. I can’t tell what the relationship between the woman and Kurtz is, but I’m interested to see where the story goes.
1) The Russian is a funny character. He is definitely is a follower of Kurtz and idolizes him. He is not bothered by or concerned for Kurtz. Instead, he bases his beliefs off of Kurtz. If Kurtz puts heads on fence posts, then the heads must have belonged to rebels. Also, his lack of a proper name makes him a representation of the country of Russia. This implies that since Kurtz represents “the best of Europe”, countries like Russia, who is not colonial powers at this point, blindly support and idolize European colonial powers. I think Coppola’s decision to make the “Russian” an American photojournalist was a good one. The journalist and the Russian definitely have the same sort of incoherent reverence for Kurtz. Also, if the Russian’s idolization of Kurtz represents countries looking up to big European colonial powers, then does the photojournalist’s idolization of Kurtz represent the American media’s support for the Vietnam War?
ReplyDelete2) The woman is a strong character. From what we can gather from other characters, she seems to have some sort of power over Kurtz. This is a power that not many people seem to have. She is proud and powerful. She is unfazed by the European men’s attempts to scare off the “natives”. She also seems to be in a position of power among the “natives”, as she leads them in a chant when the boat leaves. She is the exact opposite of what Marlow thinks a woman should be like, yet he is in awe of her.
1. I don't think annoying is the correct word to describe the Russian. However, he is definitely overzealous and extremely enthusiastic towards Kurtz. Conrad refers to him as a disciple, implying that he worships Kurtz as a deity. He praises Kurtz and thoroughly justifies every act that could be defined as immoral. The American photojournalist in Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" mirrors the Russian's excitement and loyalty to Kurtz. I think the American character definitely does the Russian justice, because they both possess childlike and devoted qualities. It was interesting of Joseph Conrad to choose the Russian to be a Russian opposed to any other of the European ethnicities– I don't know enough about Russia's colonial background compared to that of other European nations to argue a point about this, but it was definitely a significant choice.
ReplyDelete2. This woman’s scene doesn’t last for very long in the story, which almost makes it stand out to me as a reader more. Marlow gives all his attention to this woman and describes her every movement with great detail, opposed to him distractedly looking through his binoculars while conversing with the Russian, whom he didn’t take as seriously. The natives seem to respect her also, and she holds power over Marlow in this scene. I don’t fully understand her purpose or significance to the plot but I’m interested to learn because similar to Marlow, I was captivated by her character.
I think he's really thrown-together, especially compared to the woman. He's a follower that seems to be obsessed with Kurtz, much like Marlow. It's also interesting how Conrad chose to not give the Russian a name. It makes him sound like he's representing all of Russia.
ReplyDeleteI think that the woman is obsessed with Kurtz in her own way. Unlike the Russian however, she still has power and dignity. She is described as "savage and superb", which I think is a great description of her from what we know. She could represent the jungle and the wilderness itself. She's powerful, regal, and everything seems to stop when she shows up. It's interesting how even though the members of her community are being killed, she still follows and maybe loves him.
1) The Russian spent a long time alone in the jungle before meeting Kurtz, and Kurtz's eloquence lead him to adore him. The Russian puts him on a whole other level and excuses any cruelty he might display as immaterial given the overall image he has of Kurtz. Kurtz is this incredible, poetic, godlike figure, and the Russian can't conceive of him doing anything wrong. His isolation in the jungle may have contributed to this, as he would've been hungry for any sign of home after that. Kurtz is a beacon of European culture to him. In Apocalypse Now, he is portrayed as a photojournalist, and defends and adores Kurtz in the same way. Similar to the way Russians were viewed as following Western European culture, photojournalists followed the action of the war.
ReplyDelete2) The woman is the polar opposite of European restraint. She is passionate, as opposed to the refined attempted "efficiency" of Europe. She is a woman who seems to have power innately, rather than just do to association with a man. Also, she dresses very differently from the conservative, long dresses of Europe. Also, the description of her as "regal" is interesting considering European attitudes towards Africa then.
1. The Russian is obsessed with Kurtz's civilized aspects, which I find interesting because one of Kurtz's defining characteristics is the coexistence of civilization (poetry, ideas) with savagery (severed heads). The Russian likes Kurtz's civilization so much that he is willing to overlook his savagery. Maybe he symbolizes the attitudes of people (countries, maybe) towards Western civilization: they like the profound thought and expression (and power, etc.) with which it is associated so much that they are willing to look past its ugly side (colonialism, brutality, racism, grandiosity).
ReplyDeleteI think the photojournalist captures the Russian well. Several of his lines connect to what the Russian says. He presents the frenzied, fanatic air of the Russian very well as he gushes on and on about Kurtz. Coppola also covers the scene in which Marlow looks at the severed heads through the telescope quite smoothly, as well.
2. The woman is unlike anything we have seen in the novella, and probably unlike anything Marlow has seen in his entire life. She contrasts the women he knows with her air of power. She seems more "alive" than the stuffy women Marlow has met so far. Marlow devotes a lot of time to her description, so she obviously captivates him. I think that she can be tied to the idea of Mother Nature. It makes sense for Conrad to use the word "fecund" to describe a character representing nature because nature is often connected with fertility.
1. I’m very interested by the Russian. I’m confused as to why he is so taken by Kurtz. What has Kurtz done to deserve this positive attention? I don't know how he can deeply admire Kurtz for all the wrong that he has done. He shows very strong devotion to Kurtz. The Russian looks up to him as though he is a form of god. I think that the Russian has no name because he, doesn't know who he is himself. He is an avid follower of Kurtz who sees no wrong in what he does. He says that Kurtz was going to shoot him once. Kurtz is compared to God by this. When a christian feels like god has done them wrong or of those sorts, they might be scared or upset, but they will soon forgive him.
ReplyDeleteI think that they are very similar. I definitely get the same feel of the character when hearing from them both. I do think that Coppola should have made the “Russian” (really American) more connected to Kurtz, like he was in the book. In the Heart Of Darkness, the Russian had a more direct connection to Kurtz by taking care of him while he was sick, he also came close to shooting the Russian. The “Russian” in Coppola’s Apocalypse Now wasn't connected to Kurtz, the most personal encounter was when he tried to take a picture of Kurtz and he said he’d kill him if he tried to do it again.
2. She is a very powerful black woman who is the truth of real beauty. She is a native of the compound where Kurtz has been staying. Although she is an independent woman, she is still devoted to Kurtz in a way. Her devotion to Kurtz is unlike the Russians devotion to him. She is important and she is very drawn to Kurtz. She, unlike the Russian, has power over the people in the village. Somewhat like Kurtz, they look up to her like she’s a Goddess. She loves Kurtz and is very loyal to him. She embodies beauty and savagery. She comes out with full body armor on looking simply beautiful and terrifying at the same time.