Four Novels--Common Theme

Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is built on two completely contrasting settings. The Congo, or “dark place,” represents a “black space” (180) on a map, a jungle that leaves the protagonist or any other Europeans with no specific expectations. The natives are deemed to be savages by the “civilized” England, and are seen as inferior people who need the care and contribution of the “better world.” This perception leads to Marlow’s inner conflict. Upon personal inspection of the Congo, Marlow begins to see how inefficient and how inept European i

mperialism really is. Marlow directly feels this experiences this when he sees the how savagely the English treat the natives at the Inner Station. This forces him to reconsider and to realign his perspective between the reality he experiences—the savagery and inefficiency of the English imperialism, and the myth felt by the English themselves—the belief that colonization is wonderful and best for society. Moreover, the Congo setting provides Marlow with a true view as to how shallow England’s view on Kurtz is—the “idol” and “hero” (218) is nothing more than a man who has lost all civilized forms of life. Thus, the “civilized” setting, England, functions as a place that opposes everything Marlow experiences in the Congo, thus leads to the conflict Marlow feels in his perspectives and thoughts.

The feelings Victor so often represses and subdues in Frankenstein are parallel to what the existent, yet submerged emotions the protagonist possesses in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day. It is thus easy for the reader to see how Darlington Hall is another setting that provokes and forces emotional conflict within the protagonist. The values that are central to any human being—love, friendship, opinion, and self-respect are all vanquished by Darlington Hall and Stevens’ submission. The absence of any such feelings explains why Stevens feels so affected when Mrs. Kenton catches him reading a romance novel, and serves to show how repressed Stevens’ really is. The romance novel represents something Stevens’ suppresses all of his life—love. In addition, the climax of the novel—the meeting between Stevens and Mrs. Kenton shows the contra

Some topics in this essay:
Cake Everglades, Victor Frankenstein’s, Heart Darkness, Watching God, Vladimir Estragon, Elizabeth Victor, Stevens Kenton, Moreover Congo, Hall Cornwall, Hall Stevens’, emotional conflict, conflict protagonist, spectrum emotions, darlington hall, heart darkness, emotional conflict protagonist, allows reader, beckett’s waiting godot, hurston’s eyes, waiting godot, beckett’s waiting, contrasting settings, eyes watching god, ishiguro’s remains day, conrad’s heart darkness,