Characterization of "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad

CHARACTERIZATION 

1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization. Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

Direct Characterization

The narrator is the one that describes Marlow and his manners when hes telling the story and Marlow describes the people he meet during his journey. Marlow uses direct characterization so the listeners ( and the readers) can capture the moment in their own minds and picture the characters with the physical description that Marlow gives. One example that was very powerful for me was when he described the dying slave workers just because you get this heart wrenching picture of the native Africans.

Indirect Characterization

It interested me how only the white Europeans had dialogue but this only added more to the huge picture. The Africans were unequal to the Europeans and the author does not give them a voice just as the Europeans didn't and so the reader gets a rounder picture with the wordless Africans. The author also might have done this to give the Africans another "savage" characteristic.

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character? How? Example(s)?

"He looked like a harlequin. His clothes had been made of some stuff that was brown holland probably, but it was covered with patches all over, with bright patches, blue, red, and yellow—patches on the back, patches on the front, patches on elbows, on knees; coloured binding around his jacket, scarlet edging at the bottom of his trousers; and the sunshine made him look extremely gay and wonderfully neat withal, because you could see how beautifully all this patching had been done. A beardless, boyish face, very fair, no features to speak of, nose peeling, little blue eyes, smiles and frowns chasing each other over that open countenance like sunshine and shadow on a wind-swept plain."

The author's syntax and diction change when describing a person in the sense that he uses more creative and "colorful" words to paint the picture of the character. He points out colors to describe certain aspects and makes sure to use colors can add on to the feel of the character. For example, the quote above uses blue and twice and yellow and red. These colors aren't dark and these are the colors that usually catch the eyes attention. Blue and yellow are colors of the sky which he makes reference to when he speaks of the sunshine and his boyishness. The author knows what words and aspects to emphasize and build on but does not repeat himself.


3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic? Flat or round? Explain.

Darkness, as it is a main theme, is important to the transformation of Marlow. He goes into the darkness (Africa) and comes out a different, experienced man. I believe he does not fall into darkness as Kurtz does but he does witness it and it does eat away at him. One can not go into a situation like that and come out indifferent and unchanged and this is what the author pointed out. It seems Marlow watched as Kurtz fell into the darkness and with his last words, learned from his experience so as to not make the same mistake. The relationship he had with Kurtz can be seen as dynamic because at first he is indifferent of the man, then somewhat obsessed, then he sees his loss his marbles and he is disgusted with him and finally he admires the man. In the end, Marlow comes out somewhat haunted by Kurtz' spirit and his last words, "The horror! The horror!

Marlow was a round character because we got to see different sides of his character. He gave us a more sympathetic side when he befriends is ship helper and when he gives a biscuit to a dying slave. I got a sense of sexism where he explains that women shouldn't know darkness and most likely can't handle it, he does not treat women badly but just sees them as much simpler and unequal beings and treats them as such.'


4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character? Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction.

This is an analysis of the book from the beginning to the end.

I felt like I had met a person because the author structures the point of view in a way that accomplishes this feeling. He has Marlow telling the story and the immediate listener is not the reader but a unknown narrator which acts like a bridge for the story. This makes the reader feel as if Marlow is talking to them directly in a conversation and not in a written work.