Saturday, October 12, 2019
Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism
Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness à In Joseph Conradââ¬â¢s novel Heart of Darkness, Marlowââ¬â¢s view of women embodies the typical 19th century view of women as the inferior sex. There are only three relatively minor female characters in Heart of Darkness: Marlowââ¬â¢s aunt, Kurtzââ¬â¢s mistress, and Kurtzââ¬â¢s "Intended." Marlow mentions these female characters in order to give the literal aspect of his tale more substance. While they definitely play specific roles in the story, they do not relate with the primary theme of the story.à The primary theme focuses more on how Marlowââ¬â¢s journey into the heart of darkness contrasts the "white" souls of the black people and the "black" souls of the whites who exploit them, and how it led to Marlowââ¬â¢s self-discovery. In the beginning of Marlowââ¬â¢s story he tells how he, "Charlie Marlow, set the women to work--to get a job." He tells this in the context that he was so desperate to travel in the trade industry that he did what was unthinkable in those times: he asked a woman for financial assistance. The woman, his aunt, also transcended the traditional role of women in those times by telling Marlow that she would be delighted to help him and to ask her for help whenever he needed it. This incident did not have much to do with the symbolic theme of the story; it simply served to tell the reader how Marlow managed to be able to travel to the Congo. On a higher level, it was intended by Conrad to illustrate Marlowââ¬â¢s opinion of womenââ¬â¢s inferior role in society, which embodied traditional 19th century society. The two other female characters are not mentioned until much later in the story, after Marlow has arrived at the Inner Station. When Marlow reaches this point in his tale, he jumps ahead and tells a little bit about The Intended, Kurtzââ¬â¢s fianceà © who was to marry Kurtz when he returned. The Intended woman does not appear until the very end of the novelette, in which Marlow visits her and lies to her about Kurtzââ¬â¢s dying words. The Intended had a more significant role in the story than Marlowââ¬â¢s aunt; however, her role as a whole was somewhat limited and did not affect the main theme of the story. The third female character, Kurtzââ¬â¢s African mistress, is briefly mentioned two times near the end of the novel. Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness :: Feminism Feminist Women Criticism Feminist Perspective of Heart of Darkness à In Joseph Conradââ¬â¢s novel Heart of Darkness, Marlowââ¬â¢s view of women embodies the typical 19th century view of women as the inferior sex. There are only three relatively minor female characters in Heart of Darkness: Marlowââ¬â¢s aunt, Kurtzââ¬â¢s mistress, and Kurtzââ¬â¢s "Intended." Marlow mentions these female characters in order to give the literal aspect of his tale more substance. While they definitely play specific roles in the story, they do not relate with the primary theme of the story.à The primary theme focuses more on how Marlowââ¬â¢s journey into the heart of darkness contrasts the "white" souls of the black people and the "black" souls of the whites who exploit them, and how it led to Marlowââ¬â¢s self-discovery. In the beginning of Marlowââ¬â¢s story he tells how he, "Charlie Marlow, set the women to work--to get a job." He tells this in the context that he was so desperate to travel in the trade industry that he did what was unthinkable in those times: he asked a woman for financial assistance. The woman, his aunt, also transcended the traditional role of women in those times by telling Marlow that she would be delighted to help him and to ask her for help whenever he needed it. This incident did not have much to do with the symbolic theme of the story; it simply served to tell the reader how Marlow managed to be able to travel to the Congo. On a higher level, it was intended by Conrad to illustrate Marlowââ¬â¢s opinion of womenââ¬â¢s inferior role in society, which embodied traditional 19th century society. The two other female characters are not mentioned until much later in the story, after Marlow has arrived at the Inner Station. When Marlow reaches this point in his tale, he jumps ahead and tells a little bit about The Intended, Kurtzââ¬â¢s fianceà © who was to marry Kurtz when he returned. The Intended woman does not appear until the very end of the novelette, in which Marlow visits her and lies to her about Kurtzââ¬â¢s dying words. The Intended had a more significant role in the story than Marlowââ¬â¢s aunt; however, her role as a whole was somewhat limited and did not affect the main theme of the story. The third female character, Kurtzââ¬â¢s African mistress, is briefly mentioned two times near the end of the novel.
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