When a man hears nothing, he receives no information. However, in the proper context, silence can make more of an impact than words ever could. Because silence provides no information, it forces men to interpret situations by themselves and reach their own conclusions. Additionally, silence can express a thought or emotion whose complexity transcends the bounds of conventional language. Since Joseph Conrad explores topics of profound depth in Heart of Darkness, he frequently uses silence to convey what mere words cannot, symbolizing inexpressible concepts that exist only within the heart of man. .
The nouvelle begins quietly with an appropriate hush among Marlow's crew. In depicting the opening scene aboard the Nellie, the narrator writes, "Between us there was . . . the bond of the sea" (1). He describes each of his shipmates and then continues, "We exchanged a few words lazily. Afterwards there was a silence on board the yacht. . . . We felt meditative, and fit for nothing but placid staring. The day was ending in a serenity of still and exquisite brilliance" (2). Here Conrad opts to include only brief descriptions of his characters and their physical setting; the real substance of the moment, the atmosphere, lies in the unspoken tranquility of Marlow's shipmates. Permeating the air around the men, it communicates the deepness of their bond and the brilliance of the day's serenity to the reader. .
Later in Marlow's tale, silence serves to represent mystifying grandness. Shortly after recalling his conversation with the Central Station's brickmaker, Marlow says, "Beyond the fence the forest stood up spectrally in the moonlight, and through the dim stir, through the faint sounds of that lamentable courtyard, the silence of the land went home to one's very heart--its mystery, its greatness, the amazing reality of its concealed life" (22-23). The land's arcanum fills Marlow with a sense of wonder that words alone cannot articulate, and its silence stands as an index to some "amazing reality.
My People the Sioux shows how an Indian perceived the events that took place during the time frontiersmen were invading Indian lands. ... It's evident with Standing Bear's silence on the way home that he has many different thoughts on the idea. ...
Native Americans have accepted the task to stay tied to their culture, to practice sacred ceremonies, to protect sacred and tribal lands, and to speak in a unified voice while preserving tribal identities. The silence the United States Government and others once hoped to achieve has been broken by contemporary Indians who are speaking out for their rights as the first inhabitants of North America. With renewed determination, Native Americans have rid themselves of their silence and are unwavering in their desires and efforts to be heard. ...
He begins to preach in a low, silence shattering voice. ... The preacher stops and silence slices through the wind, and the putrid small of dust fills my nose. ... As she weeps, a tear streams down her wind burnt face, and lands on a crimson petal of the bold rose. ...
Flippin Out He walks in late and immediately I can relate. Windblown and flustered he walks directly in front of the professor and takes a seat across the room. The assignment is given and everyone is on edge. Each student is instructed to pair up with another to interview them and I'm reli...
Quietness or silence is a value that serves many purposes in Indian life. ... Like silence, patience was a survival virtue in earlier times. ... However, the recognized tribes have a status that its citizen-members greater control over their lands, lives, and long-term survival....
As soon as the film starts, the big round Earth is shown within the complete vastness of the space in total silence. ... Stone gets farther away from the space ship, the silence takes over again. ... As her shuttle lands on water, she swims from the bottom of the ocean slowly and makes her way towards the surface. ...
Here the groundwork is being laid out by Linda Hogan on how these lands were shaped, and the importance of the water. ... What importance silence is. ... The appreciation of silence and oneness with nature, that when treated with respect provided. ...
