In the second decade of the twentieth century, the ideas of the great psychologist Sigmund Freud began to influence the novelists. Dreams, fantasies and obsessions became significant aspects of modern characters. The new realism lay not in plot but in complexities of individual psychology. The writers experimented with form and time of narration, which is regarded as a part of the character's consciousness.
The journey in Heart of Darkness covers not only thewaters? filling our physical world, but also the contradictoryocean? which exists in the heart of man and all of mankind. Through Marlow's somewhat fanatical eyes we view the enigma that is humanity, and the blurred line between light and dark. It is a voyage into the deepest parts of the human heart and mind, leading to an illuminating discovery (epiphany), enlightenment, and finally turning downwards into the crevices of a hell existing within each and every one of us. Although Conrad depicts a journey into the Congo, through Marlow, his use of symbolism and wordplay show that it is something much more profound.
The Heart of Darkness as a whole is one big metaphor, whose numerous examples can be either complicated or self-evident. Almost every action, object, and character in Conrad's book has a deeper, more relevant meaning behind it, serving to bring the reader closer to the conclusion that the voyage is indeed an inward one. The first major indication of this is the posture of Marlow as he recounts his journey into the Congo. According to the narrator, "he had the pose of a Buddha preaching in European clothes and without a lotus-flower." This lotus position is one typically used for meditation, which is in fact defined as a spiritual journey promoted by a purity of thought. Successful meditation leads to a more wise understanding of human nature and allows one to observe the secret workings of the mind. Therefore Marlow's pose shows his true destination, suggesting from the very first pages that his journey is actually within himself.
On "Don't Look Back- In Steven Holtzmans piece "Don't' look back-, he discusses the arguments between todays' media and the book'. Many say that the internet, CD's and other technological medias are taking precedence over the original version of media, in example the paperback book. The new adv...
Within the poem "Dark Pines under Water," Gwendolyn MacEwen describes an internal journey, in the mind of the reader, through a mysterious dream. ... An end result becomes a journey that encourages the reader to take part with the poem. ... "This land like a mirror turns you inward" "And you become a forest in a furtive lake" (MacEwen 1-2) Through a simile, an outside land is used to reflect an idea of the reader, which takes the form of metaphoric forest; however, she changes this image by saying this forest is submersed "in a furtive lake," making wh...
In the essay, "Calypso Borealis", Muir gorgeously describes a journey into a swamp surrounding the Great Lakes. On the start of his journey, he is greeted by an overwhelming amount of plant life. ... Wordsworth describes it as, "In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye, Which is the bliss of solitude." ...
The first four insights of the book are all simply explaining what happens to us a we begin our journey. ... So we are left too complacent to turn inward to ourselves to learn more about our world. ... Maybe Jesus Christ and Bob Marley were just people who had turned inward to themselves to grow as people, rather than prophets. ...
Our journey through this world, with its unexpected obstacles and stumbling blocks, is easily compared to one woman's trip to town on a mission of unselfish love, to get medicine for her grandson. Whether the worn path in this story is representative of Phoenix's life, or simply life in general, it is filled with symbols for the obstacles and evils found in any one person's journey through a lifetime. ... Her devotion to her grandson and her determination to care for him are there to see in her arduous journey, which the nurse comments on: "She makes these trips just as regul...
It could almost be stated that both "At the waters edge" and "Alter Ego" are timeless poems; hence they exist in a realm not affected by the movement of time, or life's journey. "Mozart said he could hear a symphony complete, its changing harmonies clear, playing in his inward ear in time without extent- Simultaneously a source of wonder and paradox, both Mozart and Harwood's "Alter Ego" exist beyond the limits of time. In knowing her alter-ego, total identity will not be revealed until the end of life's journey. ... Past in this instance is used to seek meaning throughout...
(Hawking pg. 86) As the star contracts the gravitational force gets stronger and light cones bend inward more. "Eventually, when the star has shrunk to a certain critical radius, the gravitational field at the surface becomes so strong that the light cones are bent inward so much that light can no longer escape." (Hawking pg. 94) Black holes gravitational force is said to be great that it even pulls time inward, slowing time on the other side. ... Such a journey would not, therefore, involve a violation of causality" (Michigan par. 10) "Also, causality, as some physicists object, is merely...
The type of initiation the character had was a distressing journey from innocence to knowledge and experience. ... For example, at the end of the day when the stalls were closing down and there was not enough time, this provided an external mood that was in harmony with his inward mood. ...