heart-of--darkness《黑暗的心》读书报告

ReadingReportofHeartofDarknessOutline1.Plot2.Socialbackground3.Character4.Style5.Symbolism6.Theme7.ReferenceBasedonJosephConrad’sownexperiencetravelinguptheCongoRiverintotheAfricaninterior,HeartofDarknessfollowsthedisturbingjourneyofEnglishivory-tradingagentMarlowintothejunglesofAfricainsearchofamysteriousmannamedKurtz.1.PlotMarlow,anEnglishman,tookaforeignassignmentfromaBelgiantradingcompanyasaferry-boatcaptaininAfrica,essentiallyalongCongoriver.Marlow’sduty:Heisemployedtotransportivorydownriver.However,hismorepressingassignmentistofindoutKurtz.HeartofDarknessexposesthemythbehindcolonizationwhileexploringthethreelevelsofdarknessthattheprotagonist,Marlow,encounters—1）thedarknessoftheCongowilderness,2）thedarknessoftheEuropean’scrueltreatmentofthenatives，3）theunfathomabledarknesswithineveryhumanbeingforcommittingbrutalactsofevil.Marlow’sadventuretakesplaceintheCongoFreeState,anareathatatthetimewasthepersonalpropertyofLeopoldII,kingoftheBelgians.In1899,whenHeartofDarknessfirstappeared,thegrimconditionsthatactuallyprevailedthereandthegrotesquelyinhumanetreatmentoftheAfricannativeswerebecomingwidelyenoughknowntocreateaninternationalscandal.2.SocialbackgroundMarlow：Theprotagonistandmainnarratorofthestory,hestumblesintoAfricalookingtosailasteamboatandrescuingKurtz.Russiantrader：Kurtz’sdevotedcompanion,heisanidealisticexplorerwhohaswanderedtotheCongoonaDutchship.HeissoyoungthatitisuncertainwhetherornothefullyunderstandswhatheisdoinginAfrica.Heismoreorlessattractedtotheglamorofadventure.3.CharacterKurtz：HeisinchargeofthemostproductiveivorystationintheCongo.KurtzbecomesthefocusofMarlow’sjourneyintoAfrica.Heistheuniquevictimofcolonization;thewildernesscaptureshimandheturnshisbackonthepeopleandcustomsthatwereonceapartofhim.Manager：Marlow’sdirectsupervisor,heisahard,greedymanwhovaluespowerandmoneyaboveallelse.Kurtz’sAfricanmistress：AbeautifulwomanloadedwithjewelrywhoappearsontheshorewhenMarlow’ssteamerarrivesatandleavestheInnerStation.SheseemstoexertanundueinfluenceoverbothKurtzandthenativesaroundthestation.LikeKurtz,sheisanenigma:sheneverspeakstoMarlow,andheneverlearnsanythingmoreabouther.1).Conrad’sproseisadifficultanimaltowrestle.Itseemslong-windedandtedious,butissurprisinglypoetic.2).AlthoughHeartofDarknessisrathershort,itseemslikealongreadbecausethereissurprisinglylittleaction.3).Thetextisverycerebral–thatis,muchofithappensinsideMarlow’shead.4.Style5.1CongoRiverMarlow’sjourneyontheCongoRivercanbesaidtorepresentajourneyintoone’sinnerspirit.AsMarlowprogressesfurtheruptheriverinhissearchforKurtz,hebeginstolearnmoreandmoreabouthimself.5.Symbolism5.2Title:HeartofDarknessThetitlecanbeunderstoodbothliterallyandsymbolically.Literally,thecontinentisdarkandforbidding,withanunexploredheart(theCongo)initsdepths.The“darkness”depictedclearlyreferstothe“darkest”sideofhumannatureasseeninthebrutalcolonistsandivorytradersillustratedinHeartofDarkness.Thesymbolicmeaningof“heart”inHeartofDarkness:geo-politically,“heart”isthebadgeofDarkAfrica;ethically,itstandsforthegreedyheartsofthewhitecolonizers;social-aesthetically,itsymbolizesthecivilizedbutdepravedcapitalistsocietywherewealthandfameareconsideredthemostimportantthing.5.3IvoryTheivorysymbolizesgreedandthedestructivenatureofman.ThemanagersandagentsoftheCompanyaresoobsessedwithobtainingivorythattheyforgetabouttheirmoralsandso-calledcivilizedways.6.ThemeAnalysis1.Darkness(title)2.EvilofImperialism(repeatingimagesorsymbols,e.g.ivory)3.Self-discoveryjourneythedarkmotivesofcivilization:thissymbolictitleisaharshcriticismofcolonialenterprise:thehypocriticalveneerofimperialism.(Yet,themenwhoworkfortheCompanydescribewhattheydoas“trade”,andtheirtreatmentofnativeAfricansispartofabenevolentprojectof“civilization”.)6.1DarknessThestoryalsoexposestheclashes,theexploitationandbarbaritybetweenEuropeanandAfricansocietiesduringthe19thcenturycolonialexpansionism.6.2EvilofImperialismHeartofDarknessisstructuredasajourneyofdiscovery,bothexternallyinthejungle,andinternallyinMarlow’sownmind.Thedeeperhepenetratesintotheheartofthejungle,thedeeperheexploreswithinhimself;bytheclimax,whenKurtzhasbeenrevealedforthedisgraceheis,Marlowhasalsolearnedsomethingabouthimself.Andhereturnstocivilizationwiththisnewknowledge.6.3JourneyintotheSelf2020/4/21.WhywasKurtzcorruptedinthe“HeartofDarkness”thoughhewasrecognizedasanapostleofcivilization?2.MarlowdeclaresatlastthatKurtzis“remarkable”,why?Thought7.Reference[1]林倩倩.从“黑暗”和“心”的象征意义看《黑暗的心》的主题[J].中国科技创新.2008,(7)[2王松槐.浅析康拉德《黑暗的心》的主题思想[J].作家杂志.2010,(8)[3]约瑟夫·康拉德.黑暗的心[M].湖北:湖北人民出版社.2008.[4]张惠珍.自我思想的升华——析康纳德《黑暗之心》的主题[J].作品研读.2012,(1)[5]张湛,郑蓉颖.新历史主义视角下的康拉德——《黑暗的心》主题探究[J].郑州大学学报.2008,(3)ThankYou！