Seeing Feminism Through A Lene Of Heart Of Darkness: A Literary Criticism

Seeing Feminism Through a Lense of Darkness: A Literary Criticism

In the final years of the extremely influencian Victorian Era, Joseph Conrad released Heart of Darkness. This period spanned from 1837 until 1901 and was characterized by the contemptuous and dismissive treatment of women along with the narrow-minded and arrogant attitude of the English (“The Victorian Period”). Heart of Darkness is a novella that takes place in London and the Congo during the Victorian era and it follows the story of Marlow as he travels to the Congo for the Belgian trading company he works for. His journey closer and closer to the central station in the Congo presents increasingly compromising experiences to his moral state. The unjust motives behind Imperialism

She depicts her hopes that he will use this opportunity working for the trading company to “[wean] those innocent millions from their horrid ways” (Conrad 9). She clearly respects Marlow and has full faith in him. The aunt plays a vital role in the plotline, which contradicts the Phallogocentric attitude that was relevant in the Victorian era. Phallogocentrism refers to language ordered around the “masculine” that serves to disqualify, degenerate, and silence the “feminine” (Siegel). The first impression of his aunt makes her seem concerned and consistent with the Imperialistic time period’s mindset. The reader also is able to understand the importance of the aunt to the story, since she introduced Marlow to the idea of travelling to the Congo and encouraged him to make a difference. Her importance is quickly shot down, as Marlow immediately contradicts the intelligent characteristics presented regarding his aunt. He tells the men on the boat that “It’s queer how out of touch with truth women are. They live in a world of their own, and there has never been anything like it, and never can be” (Conrad 9). The reader is briskly ripped away from their opinion on Marlow’s aunt and thrust into the inclosed frame of mind of the time period. Marlow makes it clear that he, along with all other men, are more aware of the current events

She is introduced prior to Kurtz’s death when Marlow visits her. She is the epitome of females in the Victorian era. Via Marlow’s descriptions, she seems completely naive and isolated from the truth. Her picture of Kurtz and the intent of his actions are at a direct contrast to the “true” side of Kurtz that Marlow witnessed. The intended is a striking exemplification of Marlow’s former statements about the women’s “world of their own” (Odak). The purpose of including the interaction between Marlow and Kurtz’s former intended is not only to provide proof of his views towards the guileless qualities of women, but also to show the little thought and respect they get in important subjects. When Marlow travels to tell the intended of Kurtz’s death, he chooses to follow his own advice and keep her in her perfect world in order to preserve his own by lying about Kurtz’s final words. He informs her that Kurtz’s final words and thoughts were directed towards her when in truth he died remembering the horrors of the Congo. This interaction serves to show the little consideration that women of the time received even in grave moments like these. Marlow even goes as far as to state that the truth is too intense and dark for her to handle, implying that women in the time period were also seen as incompetent and too pusillanimous to handle the truth, even about things that are crucial to them. The intended is the final female