The Central Library Brown Baggers discussed Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad on July 20th. (While the member who suggested this title took full ownership of the selection, he also reminded everyone that titles are suggested and then voted on as a group.) For some it was a reread, while for many others it was the first Conrad title they had ever read.
Published in installments in 1899 London, the storyteller, Marlowe, is recalling a harrowing journey he took as a sea captain traveling up river into the Congo in search of the ivory trader Kurtz. As he journeys, he hears stories about Kurtz’s reputation and output and witnesses some of the brutal effects of colonialism on the natives. Upon finally meeting Kurtz, Marlowe finds that Kurtz appears to have gone crazy yet the locals worship him. Since Kurtz is also very ill, Marlowe attempts to bring him back to civilization but Kurtz dies on the return journey.
The main topics of discussion included:
What caused Kurtz to go crazy? Isolation? The sense in his mind that he has become his own deity? Is this what happens to a man when there is nothing to contain human nature? Does greed overcome accountability and morality?
What is the meaning of “Heart of Darkness”? We come across the title phrase several times in the text. Is it referring to the depth of depravity and darkness within the human heart and mind? Or as one reader asked, is it a psychological book about one’s own internal journey into an individualized heart of darkness? Another reader mentioned that it might also refer to the heart-shaped African continent.
The racism and violence depicted in the book has caused more contemporary critics to characterize Conrad and his writing as racist. Our readers agreed that Conrad was writing what he saw at the time: an indictment of imperialism and colonization perpetrated by all the European countries. For another discussion on reading “classic” works with ideas or representations that can now be characterized as racist, see this blog report on a recent discussion held by Books on Tap book club members discussing Cannery Row.
Most of our readers found Heart of Darkness difficult to read, in part due to the density of the text as well as the violent and harsh treatment of the local population, and were grateful that it was under 100 pages. Yet I believe all had a sense of accomplishment and greater cultural literacy for having read this much-referred to title.
Other titles/films mentioned:
Upcoming titles:
August 17 – Horse by Geraldine Brooks
September 21 – Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
October 19 – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
November 16 – Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell