Joseph conrad heart of darknes

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Joseph Conrad's Use of Light and Dark in His Writings Many books are written by an author purely for informational, recreational, or monetary reasons, but some books are written to demonstrate a point. Joseph Conrad's book Heart of Darkness is one such book. If the book is examined only superficially, a tragic story of the African jungle is seen, but when the paragraphs are picked apart, a deeper meaning arises. Joseph Conrad uses the theme of light and dark to contrast the civilized with the savage in Heart of Darkness. The next 5 pages analyze Conrad's use of light and dark in Heart of Darkness. First, they explain how Conrad's past and experiences affected his writing. Then, they show how light versus dark is used to contrast the civilized and the savage. Finally, they will examine Conrad's use of light and dark in Heart of Darkness to contrast the civilized and the savage.

Joseph Conrad's past experiences contributed greatly to his literary style. He was born December third, 1857. His childhood was unstable; "Conrad's parents came from families that sacrificed property, liberty, and life in the futile struggle for independence." (Gillon-3) His father, Apollo, "joined a radical patriotic group which was working for another uprising." (Gillon-4) Apollo was jailed, and then was exiled to Vologda, in northern Russia. Joseph and his mother, Evelina were allowed to go with Apollo. During this time, Joseph's mother died because of Russian officials refusal to treat her with care. The remaining two Conrads moved to southern Russia. Conrad had few friends because his family was exiled, his mother was dead, and he spent much of his early years with his depressed father. "The mood of hopelessness and resignation became a pervasive quality of his work." (Gillon-5) He was a seaman for his...