“They were conquerors…They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind-as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only” (Conrad 4). | Through narrative structure, Marlow’s viewpoint of imperialism is reflected, revealing the blindness of conquering.
Evil in Beowulf, to illustrate the obvious contrast between good and evil and puts a spin on it by telling the story from Grendel’s point of view, ultimately connecting to the theme of Grendel’s need for community in Gardner’s work. In Beowulf, the author emphasizes the differences between Good and Evil by portraying the monsters as unstoppable forces, while most humans are depicted at the monsters’ mercy. An example of the theme Good vs. Evil in Beowulf is “So Hrothgar’s men lived happy in his hall Till the monster stirred, that demon, that fie, Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild Marshes, and made his home in hell…” (Beowulf, Canto 1 Lines 101-104). This quote from Beowulf shows how the men in Herot are at peace until the monster, Grendel, ruins the serenity of the hall.
They contrast each other making each more black or more white. In this paragraph Mr. Harvey and just how evil he is will be discussed. On page 26 we see that Mr. Harvey is so evil he has convinced himself he is innocent. “He wore his innocence like a comfortable old coat.” He has gotten away with murdering people so many times it has just become natural to him. Right from the very beginning it is apparent that Mr. Harvey is evil.
The Congolese natives are uncivilized and a more primitive human life form than the European colonists. Their behavior in the novel further proves that they are savage beings. They communicate via a “violent babble of uncouth sounds” (Conrad 28) and “short grunting phrases” (65) and are seen as “naked human beings—with spears in their hands, with bows, with shields, with wild glances and savage movements” (99). The natives act similar to what prehistoric humans would have, proving to be a very primitive form of life. The nature of the way the Congolese live is considered savage by the Europeans due to how uncivilized they are.
One of the worst things to be associated with at that time (and still is today) is with fratricide, or the killing of a brother (Grendel). The easiest way to be considered Holt 2 evil in society is fratricide, and Grendel is already born into the same group as Cain. It is also stated in the poem that Grendel was put in the same group as Cain because he was apart of, “Cain’s clan, whom [God] had outlawed / and condemned as outcasts” (Raffel). The simple fact that Grendel is even associated with one of the worst
Inhumanity and monstrosity is depicted in Frankenstein, through the characters of Victor and the creature, whom can be perceived as doppelgangers. Initially the creature is seen as physically horrifying, which is expressed through description, the hyperbole “his face was wrinkled into contortions too horrible for human eyes to behold,” but is initially benevolent until contact with civilisation transformed him into a vengeful murderer. This also evokes Rousseau’s Romantic theory of the noble savage; that man’s existence is superior amongst nature, when he is not exposed to the malicious influences of society. Towards the end of the novel, Victor is also seen to be a monster, as he did not take responsibility for his creation, which leads to his realisation, “I, not in deed, but in effect, was the true murderer.” This is also a similar case for Tyrell in Blade Runner; however, he does not feel guilt for the treatment and injustice of his replicants. “Commerce is our goal,” is his slogan, depicting his greed and inhumanity, which is reflective of the economically driven 20th century.
Blindly murdering a man on grounds of simple speculation! HA! But I am no statesmen to go against the ideals of Cassius or Brutus. Where these men so blinded by emotion that they were willing to mercilessly kill a man? These men are the darkest light ever shone our precious
Intro to Literature Dr. Jason Todd 7 November 2013 Darkness of Colonization Jason Conrad’s Heart of Darkness truly revealed the ugly truth of colonization. What allows us to get an even better perspective of what is going on is the fact that instead of telling the story through the eyes of the natives being oppressed and colonized, we see it through the eyes of Marlowe, a man who is working with the colonizers, allowing us to basically see things from the viewpoint of the oppressors themselves. The story being told this way also introduces the idea of “otherness” due to the fact that the colonizers see themselves so much better than the natives they are colonizing. (Achebe) This can easily be seen in the way that they treat them, in the stereotypical assumptions they make about them, and even in the way that they describe them. It may be this delusion of great superiority that causes the colonizers to believe that it is nothing wrong with them forcing their ways upon the natives.
He slowly discovers through his observations that “business” in the Congo and his ideas of how his own “civilized” world is actually the savage one. The hypocrisy lies in the fact that the European’s attitudes towards the Congo’s inhabitants were that they were uncivilized and that the white man’s purpose there was to bring culture to their land. A true to life “white man’s burden” if you will. The rhetoric used throughout by the story’s characters make it abundantly clear what their ill-conceived notions of the colonized lands were and what their
Although he is indicated as the “amazing” Mr. Kurtz, readers find out at the end that Mr. Kurtz was the one with the dark heart. “Heart of Darkness” does not reveal its meaning in digestible morsels, like the kernel of a nut. Rather, its meanings evade the interpreter; they are larger than the story itself. (Yale.edu-modernism research) “Heart of Darkness” is about savagery, racism, slavery, harshness. The story is an exploration of the difference between the savagery and civilization, and the colonialism and the racism which makes the imperialism possible.