Heart of darkness and Archetypes

  With the book Heart of Darkness there are many archetypes that enhance the novel and are prominent towards the novel's meaning. Along with the hero's journey Archetype, there are others such as, the ocean and the color black.
      The archetype of the hero's journey is set with the character Marlow, who is a British adventurer who wants to go on an adventure in to the heart of Africa  to look for another white male by the name of Kurtz. he first part if the hero's journey stars with the Departure. The call to Adventure aspect of the hero's journey starts actually when Marlow was young because he always knew that he wanted to go adventures when he studied maps, only when he became older did he finally find he opportunity on the boat. The Supernatural aid aspect of the hero's journey is in the form of Marlows aunt who had conections with people of a higher order that allowed resulted in Marlow getting a position on the boat. Marlow  departure starts in the city of Thames near Gravesend, her Marlow has already contemplated going on an adveture to Africa, where a Belgium company does business. Marlow decides to leave because he hears that the previous captain died after being attacked by the native Africans who are often portrayed as savages.  The natives according to the novel killed the previous captain on the grounds of disrespecting and hostile behavior towards their chief. The Refusal to call aspec of the hero's journey occurs when Marlow has bits os doubt after hearing about most of the expeditionst who never return from a doctor that checks his sanity before departure. Ultimately though Malow is sure of his trip and takes part in the Crossing og the First Threshold part when he finally crosses the ocean and sets foot in Africa. After the arrival to Africa Marlow is in the Initiation phase where he experiences Africa and is taking part in his quest.
     The archetype of the ocean is apparent in the novel. The crossing of the Ocean to a new world, an unknown world represents a spiritual mystery. Marlow who has never been to Africa before, though has heard about it does not know what to expect. The archetype also ties in with the way in which Conrad wrote the novel. Conrad himself stated that he purposely  wrote the novel the way he did as a kind of form follows function idea. The jumbles nature of the novel represents Africa and going through a jungle. The experience of trying to guide ones way through the mysteries of the jungle is synonymous with trying to guide oneself through the meaning of Conrad's novel.
       Another archetype that is apparent is the color black. The color blank often represents darkness, which in a sense has to do with the title of the novel. with the title Conrad introduces the first sense of darkness, in a rather condescending way towards the continent of Africa. This belief that Africa is full of savages who, are in a sense absent of light or enlightenment play towards the criticisms of the racism present in Conrad's novel Though this is one on the darkness's that Conrad seeks to point out. There is another sense of darkness which mostly has to do with Europeans and colonization. This darkness is the corruption of the company and the cruel way in which he natives of Africa are stripped of resources and treated as if they were worth nothing.

Rochester Emerges.

   As the novel goes on it gets a lot more interesting. Here Rochester the main male character from Jane Eyre is finally introduced. During this section of reading we notice a shift. The shift that occurs is the point of view from which the story is told. Other things things to note are the circumstances of the marriage, the references to the contrast in environment, and some thematic elements.
        In this section of reading we we introduced to Rochester from Jane Eyre. We learn that Rochester is the fiance of Antoinette, yet has no knowledge of her at all. Rochester himself states that he he gets married within the first month that he arrives to the island three weeks of which he is sick in bed. We also learn the reasoning for Rochester's marriage to Antoinette. As a arranged marriage by his father and brother Rochester being the second son was proposed a 30,000 pounds for marring Antoinette. Upon hearing the circumstances of this deal and Rochester's story one would be very critical of Rochester and his Character. One would think him very foolish for agreeing to something so important as marriage without knowing anything about the person you are about to marry especially if it is only for the money. Only after being with Antoinette for a while does Rochester start to notice some characteristics of Antoinette's charater that, that to Rochester, are out of the norm. This is where the thematic element of social class play in. Rochester notices that Antoinette is friendly with the people of the island and wont assert were rank or authority over them. I think that Rhys switches the point of view and gives us insight into Rochester's perspective.

What is a Sargasso

       There is a new book on the AP lit reading list. This new book is title Wide Sargasso Sea which is supposed to be about Bertha Mason from Jane Eyre, and her interpretation of the events. From what the reading so far, it is left to be said that the story is rather strange but filled with alot of symbols and themes that seem to mirror that of Jane Eyre. There is also something to be said about the syntax of the nivel and what it has to do with the story itself.
          There are many questins that come to mind when reading Wide Sargasso sea.The first of these questions begin with, why is there no mention of Bertha Mason if the story is supposed to be her take of the event that happened in Jane Eyre? or What is the connection between this story ans that of Jane Eyre? and finally, Why is the story told from the viewpoint of a child. The story like Jane Eyre is told in the first person close point of view of Antoinette. This point of view is significant because it is from the childs eyes. This view explians why there are often fragments with in the story or confusion of details. It also gives us insight into how what the child, Antoinette experienced as a child and how that will effect her as an adult. With in the story the many themes of Jane Eyre are present, The first of those being the importance of social class. Antoinette describes her family as being in a way persecutted by the towns people of the island. One of the reasons of that has to do with the fact that her mother is from the french colonized town of Martinique. It is also stated that her family is not accepted by either the white or black population of the island, because the women of the island feel that she is too beautiful and young for her husband. another example of the importance of social class comes when Annete Antoinette's mother is angry or disappointed with her for not having cleaner clothes in front of the new neighbors who look very rich and clean. Other examples of the, probelms associated with Antoinette's family's social standing are present with how many of the people of the island verbally abuse them. Often they are called white cockroaches and told to go away.
     The are also the Gothic elements that were present in Jane eyre that are present in the novel. In the novel Antoinette talks about, her mother's only friend and neighbor Mr. Luttrell who mysteriously shots his dog and goes out to sea to never return possibly to avoid the forshadowed trouble that may come from ex-slaves killing the whites of the island. Another example of the Gothic element are seen with, the  imagery of death and decay. In the novel Annetes horse dies and the imagery of the horses eyes being "black with flies".