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When reading this reflection written by a former IB student, the main takeaway I got was the fact that we need to listen to what the author is trying to say rather than what we want to say about the text. I also have noticed that there is a purpose behind every author’s choice. I have seen with Heart of Darkness that Conrad’s experience directly influences the choices he makes in the novel. The one thing I still need to work on is understanding the basics of the text or the way it is written because it will help me better understand the novel overall.

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“Marlow ceased and sat apart, indistinct and silent, in the pose of a meditating Buddha...” (77). The author chooses to conclude Marlow’s story abruptly and shift to the narrator to display the atmosphere after Marlow has finished his story. Marlow is meditating, revealing his internal peace, a bit unexpected after the dramatic story he has told. The waters are tranquil and flow somberly, displaying how life has returned to normal since this wretched time of imperialism. It seems unusual that Marlow is not more distraught and being that setting often describes the mood, the calm waters seem to prove that the world has moved on as well. The novel ending as the ship leads into the heart of darkness, displays the lack of hope for the future.

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Kurtz gives Marlow a photo and a packet of papers because of the fear that the “noxious” Manager will take them into his own possession, perhaps claiming to be responsible for his accomplishments or to not even mention them to future generations. He wants Marlow to continue his legacy and share his story because he wants to feel as though he has been a successful man. He says it’s a “duty” to share his ideas because of his desire to be acknowledged. This displays Kurtz’s self-entitlement and his own belief in his wisdom and power.

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“I was then rather excited at the prospect of meeting Kurtz very soon” (33). Through Marlow’s anticipation of meeting Kurtz, the reader can infer Marlow may idealize the character. Since arriving in Africa, Marlow’s vision for his new life has been completely changed. He is disappointed by what the journey has brought but hopes there is still some humanity in all of this business. Kurtz may be the hard-working, dedicated and civil man he appears to be and allow Marlow to feel justified for staying in Africa.

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“No man here bears a charmed life” (29). This line could foreshadow the doom that is to come for all people involved in imperializing. The workers at the Company live a morally corrupt life while the Africans are forced into hard labor. There is no benefit coming from imperialism; only power-hungry men losing sight of the damage they have inflicted and weak slaves that must obey these men. Even today, we cannot achieve a world where everyone, or perhaps anyone, is truly happy.

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“Mr. Kurtz was... I felt weary and irritable... He was a chattering idiot” (22-23). This connects to the statement of inquiry as our interpretation is formed by the way thoughts are communicated. We often believe what people with high authority tell us, such as politicians, without forming our own beliefs. The Manager dislikes Kurtz by characterizing him as someone dull and having a disregard for others. By the Manager giving Marlow a unfavorable opinion of Kurtz, Marlow will be quick to judge him without forming his own opinion.

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“I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected together with a chain...” (16). Marlow’s description of the Africans under the control of the company leaves the reader questioning the morals of the business. The reader can infer the Company is unethical and treats humans as though they are tools to be used for their benefit. They put these Africans under intolerable circumstances, starving them and imprisoning them, all so they may gain a profit. It is similar to the slavery that was a major contributor in the start of the Civil War.

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“–and I left. In the streets–I don’t know why– a queer feeling came to me that I was an impostor” (13).
Through the syntax, the reader can infer Marlow feels as though he does not belong. The abrupt pauses in his dialogue reveal his regret in coming to Africa and how he is disillusioned when seeing the harsh realities of his new life.

“...the oily and languid sea, the uniform sombreness of the coast...” (14).
Through the description of the setting, the reader can infer Marlow’s disappointment in the unknown world he now is a part of. The atmosphere reflects his mood, gloomy and lost.

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“Then – would you believe it – I tried the women to work... to get a job! Heavens!” (8). By Marlow saying this, he is acting as if women are inferior to him. This line creates himself to be an arrogant character. It also is a comment on the gender roles at the time: men working and women staying at home. Conrad displays the unequal treatment of women through this line.

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“Marlow sat cross-legged right aft...resembled an idol” (3).
By the narrator describing Marlow as god-like, he insinuates his approval of him. Marlow seems to be a powerful yet peaceful figure like Buddha, and therefore may play a big role in the fight against imperialism. He will work to end the injustices he sees and strive for the powerful to respect the powerless.

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Through this phrase, the reader can infer Marlow’s disillusionment to the new world he has discovered. He was infatuated by Africa, as he has never been there before, but upon arrival, he is exposed to all the undesirable circumstances the Africans are forced to face.

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In this soliloquy, the audience begins to question the duality of Caliban. Caliban describes the island as an atmosphere “that [gives] delight, and [hurts] not,” implying that he himself enjoys the life on the island. His description of the island contradicts the story he has told Stephano and Trinculo just mintues before when describing the nature of his and Prospero’s relationship and the service he has had to give to him for 12 years. Caliban speaks in blank verse, which seems surprisingly for a character deemed half-man, half-monster, as the low-class spoke in prose. This sweet, rich dialogue contradicts the character of Caliban and makes him more dynamic.

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The Tempest: Epilogue Prospero 5.1.331-338

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The Tempest: Epilogue Prospero 5.1.331-338

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In Prospero’s farewell monologue, more connections between the Duke of Milan and Shakespeare himself can be made. By saying let the audience’s approval “set [him] free,” it implies Shakespeare desires to be free from his hard life of work. This almost despairing message he ends the play with is compromised by the multiple couplets used throughout the monologue. Rhyming words such as “assaults” and “faults” release the tension, not only on the stage, but in the audience. Overall, the actor creates a more light-hearted tone.

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Prospero’s speech indicates the harsh realization he encounters of his own personal weakness. Similes such as “like this insubstantial pageant faded,” are included to compare his magical illusion with the morality of his power, as well as to more easily communicate with Ferdinand and Miranda. His statement “our little life is rounded with a sleep,” personifies his, Ferdinand and Miranda’s lives. Sleep is a metaphor for death. People are mortal, and therefore his power is mortal. He will never be truly satisfied with his life because he knows everything must come to an end. We feel a sense of despair from Prospero due to his past experiences of having his throne taken from him and perhaps the first time we seem him as a weak authority figure. A sense of pity is felt by the audience because of Prospero’s diction.

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Prospero describes Ferdinand committing to marriage with Miranda as a gift “worthily purchas’d,” displaying the objectification of women at the time. Shakespeare’s intent in Prospero saying this is to show how women were treated as less than men, and as less than people. Even the old tradition of the woman in the marriage’s family paying for the wedding is because the parents of the bride were very appreciative a man would take her under his care. For a father in today’s world to treat his own daughter like a material object is insensitive and unacceptable. Women have many more rights in the modern world than in the Victorian Era, but many activists still fight for a world where gender is not a factor of the respect you receive or power you hold.

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“Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises, sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not. Sometimes a thousand twanging instruments will about about mine ears; and sometimes voices...”
In this quotation, Caliban is trying to persuade Stephano to take part in overthrowing Prospero so Stephano may rule the island. Caliban has made it seem like his life on the island has been miserable but then completely switches sides and begins to praise the island. This quotation portrays him as an untrustworthy character because he will say things only with the intention of benefitting himself. Praising the island will lead to Stephano defeating Prospero in order to become king and to free Caliban from Prospero. He has selfish motives and a lack of morals. The enjambement in this quotation creates a natural and conversational tone to insinuate that Caliban’s positive feelings for the island are true, when in fact he is only out to get revenge on Prospero.

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The Tempest: Miranda & Ferdinand 3.1.87-91

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The Tempest: Miranda & Ferdinand 3.1.87-91

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In this passage, Miranda and Ferdinand decide to get married. Ferdinand being of royalty and willing to sacrifice his status for love displays his humility. The hand shake they offer to each other is symbolic of their marriage. At the time, a daughter of nobility would have her husband chosen for her by her father. By the newly wed couple thinking they are on their own, without Prospero watching, Miranda shows her first sign of disobeying her father and becoming an independent woman. Miranda asking the question, “My husband then?” shows how she initiates the official marriage and thus has become more powerful than before. There is a gender role reversal, setting the marriage up for a life of controversy against society’s standards.

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“Knowing I lov’d my books, he furnish’d me from mine own library with volumes that I prize above my dukedom.” -Prospero 1.2.166-168
Through this quotation, Prospero is seen as a simplistic man who values knowledge over power. In the end, knowledge is power, so these books may can in handy in the future to allow him to regain his throne. We also learn that Gonzola is a noble, selfless character, who has the need to please others. His gracious acts may come to a fault as he will always give and not receive, obey without speaking his own beliefs. He may lose himself by constantly putting others before him.

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Iris Murdoch’s opinion of literature being the most important aspect of culture is evident in the novel Wide Sargasso Sea. The narration of the novel transitions from a white creole named Antoinette and a English man named Rochester. Antoinette shows the West Indies struggle and Rochester shows the power England imposes over the island. English society has colonized the West Indies culture, causing the island to lose its own identity. We see how English standards have rubbed off on the white creoles by their treatment of the slaves and their treatment of women within their society.

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The main difference seen in these two novels is the comparison between the characters of Antoinette and Rochester. In Jeans Rhys’ novel Wide Sargasso Sea, the audience views Antoinette as a pitiful protagonist and Rochester as a hate-filled antagonist. In contrast, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë portrays Rochester as a masculine, enticing protagonist and Antoinette as an insane, uncivilized woman. With the different narrator’s giving their own perspective, the audience learns that every story has a bias, favoring one side or the other.

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Tia throwing the rock at Antoinette is highly indicative of the blacks relationship with the whites in the West Indies. It goes to show that race plays a factor in everyone’s lives, even the young. Antoinette as a child would be naive to a world with so much hatred, but she soon has to face the harsh realities of life. She grows up quickly and misses out on the normal, playful childhood, but rather one filled with secrets and uneasiness.

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Women at the time were often taught at convent schools how to behave as proper women of the higher class. This societal norm is the exact opposite of how Antoinette behaves at the end of her life. The “cookie-cutter” life white female Creoles are expected to be, causes Antoinette to rebel through her loss of sanity. Being told what to do, causes everyone to want to do the opposite in order to feel in control of their life. Society causes her to hand over her fortune and thus feel powerless in her marriage. She gives Rochester everything and accepts only judgement in return. Her loss of control leads to the loss of her mind, because power is the life goal of any person. In the end, she is consumed by this hopelessness for her life because of her lack of authority, and thus burns down Thornfield.

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Fire is a major motif in Wide Sargasso Sea. The two major fires taking place within the novel can be associated with the theme of entrapment. The slave owners feel controlled by Mr. Mason, and set fire to Coulbiri as an act of protest. Antoinette is literally trapped in the attic at Thornfield but more metaphorically trapped in her marriage with Rochester. Her acting on her vivid, repetitive dreams is her own form of rebellion.

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At the time of the novel (1830-1850s West Indies), the number of slaves outnumbered the number of free white people. The whites had more control over the blacks, even with less representation. This unjust statistic leads to a atmosphere of unjust behavior and power. This situation could be a cause of the slaves setting fire to Coulibri.

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The context and culture included in the novel formed my perspective of the characters. Antoinette is used as a tool to exemplify the struggle white Creoles faced within society. Antoinette did not belong with the blacks or with the English. She is an out-cast, leading to her need to belong.