Ted Talk Blog Response

             In the Ted Talk Chimamanda Adichie recounts her rather “American” experience despite being a native Nigerian, and how she discovered how generalized Africans were as she studied literature. I would say that out of the ignorance she was forced to deal with something positive arose. She realized she was partly ignorant herself to her own roots, which allowed her to reflect on and recognize her African heritage. Her talk made me reflect on the dangers of globalization. Pop culture and the media are dangerous tool by which we as a people are tricked into believing false stereotypes like the “lazy Mexican”. Everyone should be proud of their cultural background and make the effort to not stereotype or assume about someone elses.

Heart of Darkness Setting

            Setting is always a key component in a novel. However in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad the vast jungles of the Congo transcend the ordinary role a setting plays and become much more significant. In a way the dense jungles are more of a character than most of the ones who are present in the play. The importance of the setting raises the question: can setting truly be more important than characters? In the novel the jungle holds far more importance than any of the characters, and is what symbolizes the “Heart of Darkness”.

            Conrad does not rely heavily on characters to convey his message. We can see in the begging of the novel how we doesn’t even give name to a great number of characters including the narrator. On the other hand he spends a great deal of time describing the setting and using vivid imagery to make it come alive, a distinction none of the characters share, with the possible exception of Kurtz. Here is a quote for example: “the creek, the mud, the river-seemed to beckon with a dishonoring flourish before the sunlit face of the land a treacherous appeal to the lurking death, to the hidden evil, to the profound darkness of its heart.”(102). Aside from the imagery proposed by Conrad the Jungle holds a lot literary value. It is debatable whether the “Heart of Darkness” is actually the Jungle or if it is the colonial mentality shared by the colonizers. This could mean the heart of darkness is interchangeable and the Thames could be the real heart of darkness as it is the way in which the colonizers are connected towards the rest of the world.

            Joseph Conrad has done a unique thing in this novel. He created a setting which outshines all other elements in the novel as far as importance. The unique nature of the jungle resembles its darkness and encourages us readers to find where the “Heart of Darkness” resides in our lives.

Heart of Darkness Symbolization

            Darkness is a universal symbol of alarm, when used correctly it instills fear and dread into the minds of those who picture it. In Heart of Darkness, darkness is very significant as it relates to the characters, setting, and plot. Through the use of symbolization Joseph Conrad intelligently uses darkness to represent the lack of morals displayed in the novel.

            In the novel darkness is often talked about in reference to the jungle. However I don’t believe it is the setting itself that provokes this evil. It is the advance of the colonizers into the jungle that is can be thought of as “dark”. I first came to this observation when I read this quote in part II:” The glimpse of the steamboat had for some reason filled those savages with unrestrained grief”. Marlow does not seem to realize although he attempts to disassociate from the actions of the company he is still involved with them and very much a part of “the darkness”. The darkness is not necessarily is something tangible I believe it can be interpreted as the colonial mentality found in the “heart” of every colonizer.

            Exactly what is represented by darkness in the novel can be left up to interpretation. However there is no denial that the darkness must be linked to the actions that Marlow and the rest of the colonizers do unto the innocent Africans. Heart of Darkness forces us to look into the reality of colonization and realize the truly dark nature of it.

Heart of Darkness Reflection

            A little over a century is a long time. Since 1902 the year in which Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was published, we have made long strides forward in deteriorating social problems like racism. However Heart of Darkness was published before the notion that all men are equal and should be free, which in turn greatly impacted the tone of the novel as a whole. This made me wonder how the novel might have been different if society had different view on foreigners at the time. Joseph Conrad´s views were surely a byproduct of the mainstream thoughts at the time.

            Our main character from part I Marlow is quite skeptical about the prejudices that his fellow Europeans share. This objective point of view is important because it allows us to view the novel through discerning eyes. However it is important to understand that Marlow still has racist tendencies, he still possesses the typical European mentality that Africans were uncivilized savages and has clear moments of prejudice. For example; “they were dying slowly-it was very clear. They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now-nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom. (83) This quote exemplifies perfectly how Conrad dehumanizes Africans and how his views are shaped by the colonial mindset of the time.

            When coming across works of literature like Heart of Darkness it is important to remember the context in which it was written. The book is a clear example of racism, but would have disagreed with it if you were a European living in 1902? Probably not. This novel clearly demonstrates the influence of society on an individual and reminds us to once in a while questions society’s view.

1.      What examples from the song are ironic?

“Great Nations of Europe”

“He had them torn apart by dogs on religious grounds they say
the great nations of Europe were quite holy in their way.”

This song has quite a bit of irony in it. I actually found the title to be somewhat ironic, since he calls them great even though he depicts them as barbaric. Irony is basically using certain words to convey the opposite about what those words mean, so you can see how calling them “Great” or “Religious” is very contradictory.

2.      What examples are not Ironic?

“There's pictures in a museum, some lines written in a book
but you won't find a live one, no matter where you look.”

“Destroying everything in its path from sea to shining sea
like the great nations of Europe in the 16th century.”

These  examples are not ironic because in the present we know these things to be true. He is describing actual events and even though the tone is lighter it is still very literal.

Character Change in OFOCN

Watching characters evolve and develop throughout a novel is one of the biggest payoffs in literature. In One Flew over the Cuckoo´s Nest Chief Bromden goes though the combine and emerges quite differently. However this is not thanks to Nurse Ratchet’s attempts at rehabilitation. Even though the Chief succeeds in escaping from the fog, the rest of the patients don’t. This raises the question: can people really change? I believe with the right circumstances people can rise to the occasion and change themselves for the better. 



               A lot of people believe that mental illnesses are incurable, that they can only really just be temporarily dealt with. Modern psychiatry proves that this is untrue. Nevertheless In the context of this novel mental medicine was quite more barbaric than it is today. Patients including the chief were afraid to deal with their problems because it could lead to treatments like EST. This creates quite a problem for the mental stability of the chief. We must remember that it was fear that turned chief Bromden "death and dumb". It is only through the help of McMurphy who is not plagued with fear that he eventually transforms and refuses to hide in the fog again. It is very significant to the novel as a whole that the chief was able to change himself, as it McMurphy´s goal to prove to nurse ratchet that his ways are superior to hers.
 
               In the end it is McMurphy who helps us answer our question. Through the use of perseverance and will power the Chief succeeds in changing himself and proving the nurse wrong.

Portayal of Women in OFOCN

            The portrayal of women through literature does not really exemplify the power of control women can exert. However in the novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest we are introduced to nurse Ratchet. Through the use of powerful imagery Ken Kessey succeeds in making nurse Ratchet an imposing character throughout the novel.

            Nurse Ratchet is basically the only significant female character in the book, making her quite unique. Even though she is described as having large breasts there is no sexual quality to her, she exudes only a cold calculating persona. Through the eyes most people the nurse is an amicable person. The chief however might describe her as one of the key pieces of the “combine”. We know the Chief is not the most trustworthy of narrators especially after reading a passage like this:  “She’s going to tear the black bastard’s limb from limb, she’s so furious. She’s swelling up, swells till her backs splitting out of the white uniform.” Still an image like that can’t be ignored. The nurse immediately induces fear wherever she goes; all the patients know what lies underneath that calm exterior. There is a sharp contrast in the way the nurse is portrayed. We see her as the “big nurse” or the way she behaves in the group meetings; calm and collected, but still seething with anger.

            Nurse Ratchet was a pleasant surprise from the standard fare of passive female characters. Her impact is so large that pop culture often refers to her when describing emasculating women. What made this possible was the vivid imagery that made her more believable than most characters.  She has become a staple in American literature and female figures.