Martin Luther King Jr Biography

The most important voice ever heard, the man of nonviolence, and the one who changed it all. Martin luther king jr. was his name. King was born to his parents Martin luther king Sr and Alberta williams king who already had his older sister named Christine King Farris and his younger brother A. D. King. From the beginning everyone who knew King knew he was going to be something special.

From the age of three King had a white playmate who was about his age. They always would play their childhood games together. The boy did not live in Kings community, but he was usually around every day, The boys father owned a store across the street from Kings home. One day the boy told king that his father had demanded that he would play with him anymore. King didn’t really understand this so. But knew this was wrong (U.s History)

Long after this event he organized the bus boycott, King formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which dedicated itself to the advancement of rights for African Americans. In April 1963, King organized a protest in Birmingham, Alabama, a city King called 'the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.

When the marches started the marchers faced attacks by the police. Tear gas, cattle prods, and billy clubs fell on the peaceful demonstrators. Public opinion weighed for the most part on the side of King and the protesters. Finally, President Johnson ordered the National Guard to protect the demonstrators from attack, and King was able to complete the long march from Selma to the state capital of Montgomery. The action in Selma led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

One of the biggest marches ever was the march on washington The march made specific demands to end to racial segregation in public school, meaningful civil rights legislation, including a law prohibiting racial discrimination in employment, protection of civil rights workers from police brutality a $2 minimum wage for all workers and self-government for Washington, D.C., then governed by congressional committee Despite tensions, the march was a resounding success.

More than a quarter of a million people of diverse ethnicities attended the event, sprawling from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial onto the National Mall and around the reflecting pool. At the time, it was the largest gathering of protesters in Washington, D.C.'s history.King delivered a 17-minute speech, later known as 'I Have a Dream'. In the speech's most famous passage, in which he departed from his prepared text, possibly at the prompting of Mahalia Jackson, who shouted behind him

In conclusion martin luther king really impacted the 1960s in many ways by, martches nonviolence and speaking out.

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Hero Journey in the Kite Runner

Once in a while, people cannot help but throw a quick glance over their shoulder, checking for something they know is not there. Their past actions taunt them; they wish they could be “someplace with no ghosts, no memories, and no sins” (Hosseini 136). The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini details the narrative of two friends—Amir, a young Pashtun boy, and Hassan, his friend—whose lives change drastically. Amir encounters Hassan’s rape and emotionally pays for his inaction. As he grows older, he is able to find a way to atone for his mistake. The Kite Runner delves into the journey of Amir to depict the theme of how his actions contribute to his growth, ultimately revealing that everyone’s course of actions shapes their growth from youth to adulthood.

Hosseini starts by setting the story in Kabul because it sets the backdrop for Amir’s childhood. One of the main issues Amir faces in Kabul is his desire to please his father. Baba does not believe praising his son is the solution to making him a man. Because of Baba’s belief, Amir’s childhood consists of him turning a blind eye to every other issue he encounters to acquire his father’s approval. However, Baba overlooks Amir’s attempts: “A boy who won’t stand up for himself becomes a man who can’t stand up to anything” (Hosseini 22). Baba’s words illustrate Amir’s signature characteristic during his childhood: cowardice. Amir allows his father and his Pashtun title to dictate his decisions. Amir’s negligence to see beyond his own desperation to appeal to Baba forces him to hurt others at the expense of his own desires. To further depict Amir’s childish behavior, Hosseini describes Amir agonizing over the mechanics of his friendship with Hassan.

Amir reveals his perspective on his friendship with Hassan, noting, “Because history isn't easy to overcome. Neither is religion. In the end, I was a Pashtun and he [Hassan] was a Hazara, I was a Sunni and he was Shi’a, and nothing was ever going to change that. Nothing. But we were kids who had learned to crawl together, and no history, ethnicity, society, or religion was going to change that either” (Hosseini 25). He acknowledges that ethnicity and religion will always be the white elephant in their relationship; however, nothing can interfere with the fact that they were born and raised together. Amir allows his inherited characteristics to make him believe that his history with Hassan both does and does not surpass his love for the boy. Amir’s ambivalent feelings to distinguish Hassan’s worth speak towards his close-minded mentality as a child. Amir’s childhood proves to be an ambiguous time as he attempts to please his father and decide what he wants from Hassan. As a result, his abrupt transition from Kabul to America for a blank slate is easier said than done.

Despite his unshakeable past, Amir’s decision to escape to America contributes to his maturity. Amir’s distance from his mistakes provides him room to learn who he can become. Amir compares America to his own rebirth; it is a place of hope and freedom. However, Amir still has a hard time forgetting his past with Hassan, recalling, “A city of harelipped ghosts [Kabul]…America was different. America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the water carry me someplace far” (Hosseini 136). His past is a ghost city with one ghost following him everywhere: “harelipped” Hassan. This is a significant event because Amir finally acknowledges his error of inaction instead of avoiding the truth. Eventually, he learns that his love for America grows from the lack of signs or memories of Hasan and a chance to move on. Following Baba’s death not long after, Amir admits that “My whole life, I had been ‘Baba’s son.’ Now he was gone. Baba couldn't show me the way anymore; I’d have to find it on my own” (Hosseini 174). As Amir truly enters adulthood and makes decisions without his father, he realizes that he had made selfish decisions in hopes that his father would shower him with love and attention; this had unwittingly made him dependent on his father. Amir has hit rock bottom without a father figure, but it is about time he learns to think for himself. Amir’s maturity is evident when he accepts Rahim Khan’s invitation to do what he knows is right.

Even so, Wahid’s comment still makes him uncomfortable, admitting, “Wahid rested his thick hand on my shoulder. ‘You are an honorable man, Amir agha. A true Afghan.’ I cringed inside' (Hosseini 238). Wahid’s praise causes Amir to grasp how his guilt has controlled his life. In that same manner, Amir finally seeks redemption after living in shame of a sin he committed so many years ago. At this stage, Amir has come to not only acknowledge his mistake, but he also reflects on his younger self. Rahim Khan continues to help prove Amir’s growth by asserting that “I know that in the end, God will forgive. He will forgive your father, me, and you too. Forgive your father if you can. Forgive me if you wish. But most important, forgive yourself” (Hosseini 302). Rahim Khan offered Amir a chance see how he has become a better man, but he had taken it upon himself to accept the challenge. “God will forgive” signifies that God shows compassion to pardon mistakes, but it is people who hold onto things that need to be absolved. Truly atoning for his sins would require Amir to reflect on his own actions and finding it in his heart to forgive himself. Subsequently, Amir makes amends with his past upon seeing the personal progression he’s accomplished since his childhood.

Each stage of Amir’s life demonstrates how he shows growth from the consequences of his actions. Amir goes from committing a sin and repenting for his actions to maturing to confront and fix his mistakes. Using Amir, the author displays that the theme “coming of age” includes personal growth, motivation, the desire to improve, and the willingness to strive for the change. Hosseini starts the novel by illuminating Amir’s troubled childhood and concludes with a buoyancy of hope that Amir deserves. Although the trek Amir endures depicts him as the antagonist and protagonist, that is the truest portrayal anyone can find of themselves on the journey to coming of age.

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The Kite Runner Loyalty

“For you, a thousand times over!” (Hosseini 67) is one of the most memorable lines from Khaled Hosseini’s novel The Kite Runner. It demonstrates the undying loyalty, comradery, and love expressed by Hassan, a young foreign boy in Afghanistan, to his closest friend and main protagonist of the novel, Amir. Throughout both novels written by Hosseini, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, the theme of familial loyalty plays a very prominent role in the overarching structure and plot of the novels, resulting in a message most readers would take to heart. This is further exemplified in A Thousand Splendid Suns’ main characters, Mariam and Laila, whose relationships with other characters in the novel such as their children, husbands, parents, and each other, demonstrate their quality of undying familial loyalty.

Khaled Hosseini was born in Afghanistan, the setting of both novels, in the city of Kabul on March 4, 1965. Hosseini lived with his father and mother. His father, a wealthy Afghan diplomat, was a member of the Afghan Foreign Ministry and Hosseini’s mother was a high school teacher who taught the language Farsi and history. Hosseini’s family was one of many families who was affected due to the various invasions and violent events that were happening in the country during this time. Hosseini’s father was given orders to relocate to Paris in 1976 and took his family with him to ensure their safety. However, instead of returning to their home country of Kabul, in 1980 the family decided to seek political asylum in the United States (Ghilazi). This was because of the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, an event that plays a role in both The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns.

In The Kite Runner the protagonist, Amir, is forced to flee Afghanistan with his father as a result of the invasion, separating him from everything he has grown accustomed to: his home, his culture, and his closest friend. In A Thousand Splendid Suns, Laila, one of the main characters of the novel, is affected by the war against the Soviets because both of her brothers leave to join the war and end up being killed in battle, and a rocket strikes her house as her family is planning to flee, resulting in the death of her parents and Laila becoming severely injured. It is apparent that in writing these novels, Hosseini projected his childhood experiences into these characters, resulting in an almost autobiographical depiction. While his childhood wasn’t as violent or tumultuous as those of the characters, it is obvious that Hosseini’s separation from his childhood home and culture affected him greatly.

Hosseini’s family was granted asylum and given permission to move to San Jose, California in 1984. Hosseini proceeded to graduate high school and pursued the study of Biology at Santa Clara University where he graduated with a Bachelors in the field. Hosseini then attended the University of California’s School of Medicine, obtaining his medical doctorate in 1993. He soon became a practicing physician from 1996 to 2004. It was during this period that the idea for Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, began to form. His novel was published in 2003 and was met with critical acclaim in America and was then published in 70 countries. However, it was never published in Afghanistan, the setting of both novels.

This was because the novel was not received well in these countries due to the way that its people were depicted, and topics of rape and homosexuality were not accepted culturally. However, due to the fact that the events of 9/11 had happened just a couple years prior to the publishing of the novel, the novel’s message resonated with Americans, and helped them to put a “human face” on the Middle Eastern people and understand that they were people who valued the same ideals, such as family and loyalty, that Americans do. According to Hosseini, he received many messages from readers that stated something along the lines of “I have to be honest with you, I really didn't know much about Afghanistan and I frankly didn't care much, and then somebody said you have to read this book and then I kind of reluctantly agreed, and all of a sudden Afghanistan has become a real place to me and the Afghans have become real people and I see the parallels between my life here and the life of the people in this completely remote country, and now when there's a news story about Afghanistan -- be it a bombing or an attack on a village -- it registers on a very personal level.” (Milvy).

According to an author of the New York Times, Edward Hower, The Kite Runner provides a “vivid and engaging story that reminds us how long his people have been struggling to triumph over the forces of violence – forces that continue to threaten them even today”. A Thousand Splendid Suns was met with similar reception stateside, being cited as “Another artistic triumph, and surefire bestseller for [Hosseini]” (Syonitz). However, this novel differs from that of The Kite Runner, as it focuses on women’s role in Afghan society, something that Hosseini felt needed to be addressed after revisiting his home country in 2003 (RFE/RL 2018).

The topic of gender was not touched on in The Kite Runner, with the only prominent female character being Amir’s wife, Soraya. However, it is an underlying motif in A Thousand Splendid Suns that helps reinforce the theme of familial loyalty that is prevalent in the novel. In middle eastern countries, such as Afghanistan, women are treated very poorly, resulting in them basically becoming property to the men from these countries. This issue began to become more prevalent in these countries when the Taliban seized control, forcing women to cover their faces and bodies and become completely subordinate to men. Examples of this are displayed in A Thousand Splendid Suns through one of the main characters, Rasheed. After marrying Mariam, Rasheed forces Mariam to wear a burqa stating that “A women’s face is her husband’s business only” (Hosseini 70). This is also reinforced by the fact that Rasheed becomes increasingly frustrated with Mariam as she is unable to bear the child that he so desperately wants, resulting in her being abused and treated awfully by him. One night, Rasheed abuses Mariam physically because he does not approve of the dinner that she had prepared and forces her to eat rocks – resulting in some of her teeth shattering. Mariam’s feelings toward Rasheed is apparent in the quote from the novel: “It wasn’t easy tolerating him talking this way to her, to bear his scorn, his ridicule, his insults, his walking past her like she was nothing but a house cat. But after four years of marriage, Mariam saw clearly how much a woman could tolerate when she was afraid” (Hosseini 98). Rasheed’s treatment of women is further exemplified through the way he treats Laila. While the Mariam and Laila do not get along through the beginning of the novel, they begin to trust and additionally love each other as the novel progresses. Mariam makes a sacrifice for Laila when she stays behind in Herat so that Laila can begin a ‘new life’. Additionally, both Mariam and Laila also sacrifice their safety when they come together to end Rasheed’s abuse by killing him with a shovel (Hosseini 348). Killing someone is no small event, and shows the lengths to which they are willing to go. They develop almost a mother-daughter relationship of love and trust that is really the centerpiece of the novel, and the events that they go through together and for each other show how much that they will sacrifice in order to protect the other.

A similar relationship is presented in The Kite Runner through Amir and Hassan. Amir, a young Pashtun boy, along with his father, Baba own two servants Hassan and Ali, two Hazaras. The Pashtuns and Hazaras are two classes that are present in Afghanistan, the Pashtuns representing those who believe in Sunni Islamic beliefs, and the Hazaras being those who follow the Shi’ite beliefs of Islam. Despite the fact that one party is in servitude to the other, they all share a very close familial bond, that is only shattered due to Amir’s biases and fear of action. This is displayed in the way that Baba treats both Ali and Hassan as family, and never refers to them as servants, and becomes extremely upset with Amir when he refers to them as such. Baba even goes as far as paying for surgery to fix Hassan’s cleft lip, another feature that sets him apart from his counterpart in the novel, Amir. When they were younger, Amir and Hassan were close friends, and as later revealed to Amir in the novel, half-brothers. Hassan has an undying dedication to Amir. He looks up to him, and almost idolizes Amir. This is exemplified in instances such as when Amir reads to Hassan and they bond over a favored story, and through the turning point of the novel, the sport of Kite Running.

Hassan and Amir work tirelessly on their kites throughout the years and end up winning the cultural event. Amir flies the kite, while Hassan helps him ‘run’ by feeding the string and chasing after the final opponents cut kite: a prized trophy showing the feat the boys had pulled off. It is during this event where Hassan is brutally assaulted by another young boy from the community, Assef. Assef and two other boys corner Hassan and demand the kite, but when Hassan refuses to give it up because he does not want to let down Amir, Assef and the boys force Hassan to pull down his pants. Assef then rapes Hassan. Amir sees all of this unfold, but is fearful to act, resulting in a chasm that separates the boys for the rest of their life. Amir cannot deal with the guilt he has to face from betraying Hassan and gets both Him and Ali sent away by framing Hassan as a thief.

Years later, Amir knows he has to make up for his failure to act and stick up for his friend and brother. He travels back to Afghanistan years later and discovers that Hassan and his wife have passed, but left behind a child, Sohrab. Amir is determined to save Sohrab from the tumultuous war-ridden landscape that is Afghanistan and make up for his past mistakes. These events help strengthen the theme of familial loyalty in the novel, since Sohrab is his nephew. Despite Amir’s failure to act when he was younger, he regrets the situation deeply and feels that he must make up for his betrayal of Hassan. This is ultimately displayed in the last spoken line of the novel, where Amir asks Sohrab if he wants to fly the kite and if he should run the kite for him. Sohrab nods, and Amir replies with “For you, a thousand times over” (Hosseini 371), the echo of Hassan’s dedication to Amir that is still prevalent in Amir’s current life and his familial dedication and loyalty to Sohrab.

Hosseini is able to effectively communicate the theme of familial loyalty through his writing style and the use of rhetorical strategies and devices. In an interview, Hosseini was questioned if he “envisioned the cinematic possibilities of an uplifting ending when he wrote the books” (Milvy). Hosseini claimed that he never intended for the books to be turned into movies, that most of the action in the books occurred inside characters heads. In reference to The Kite Runner, Hosseini states “it wasn’t until I read the novel a couple of more times that I saw that there was a cinematic quality about it. When writing, I need to see exactly how the scene is choreographed and where characters are in relation to each other… [the novel] lends itself to cinematic adaptation” (Milvy). When reading the novels, it is very easy for the reader to imagine the events of the story happening inside the mind, due to the vivid use of imagery that Hosseini’s cinematic approach to writing conveys.

Examples of imagery in The Kite Runner are during the Kite fighting scenes. An example of this is when Hassan and Amir are about to win the kite fight at the beginning of the novel. Hosseini writes, “The tension in the air was as taught as the glass string I was tugging with my bloody hands. People were stomping their feet, clapping, whistling, chanting…Music blasted. The smell of steamed mantu and fried pakora drifted from the rooftops and open doors” (Hosseini 65). This imagery allows for the reader to feel as if they are part of the action, standing in the street, hearing the chants and smelling the cooking meat from the street vendors. Another example of effective rhetoric is in the scene where Assef rapes Hassan. While controversial, it conveys to the reader how shameful, apprehensible, and painful the scene is. Hosseini uses short, choppy sentences in this scene to help dramatize the scene through suspense and to emphasize the imagery. This is exemplified in the quote “He unzipped his jeans. Dropped his underwear. He positioned himself behind Hassan. Hassan didn't struggle. Didn't even whimper” (Hosseini 75). Hosseini also uses a metaphor in this scene: “It was a look I had seen before. It was the look of the lamb” (Hosseini 75). This metaphor is used to show how helpless Hassan is in the scene, and the he is resigned; he knows that there is nothing he can do to stop this.

Hosseini also uses effective rhetoric in A Thousand Splendid Suns. One rhetoric device that is very prevalent in this novel is the symbolism of pebbles. This symbolism often appears when Mariam is experiencing pain. In this instance, the pebble demonstrates how Mariam felt isolated from her family since her father was ashamed of her: “…she added a fourth column. A solitary, eleventh pebble” (Hosseini 29). Another example is when Mariam’s home is destroyed by the rocket, where a “shower of dirt and pebbles and glass” hurt her. Finally, the symbol of pebbles representing Mariam’s pain is apparent in the scene where Rasheed makes Mariam chew on pebbles because he is displeased with the rice that she cooked.

Rasheed “snatched her hand, opened it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it…His powerful hands clasped her jaw…forced the cold, hard pebbles into it…Mariam chewed. Something in the back of her mouth cracked…he was gone leaving Mariam to spit out pebbles, blood, and the fragments of two broken molars” (Hosseini 103-104). This scene where Mariam is forced to chew the pebbles is also an example of Hosseini’s vivid use of imagery, with phrases such as “A gust of his smoky breath slammed against her face” (Hosseini 104) and “Dread pressed on her chest. She tried taking a few deep breaths. She caught her pale reflection in the darkened living-room window and looked away” (Hosseini 103). The imagery in this scene allows the reader to share in the discomfort and pain that Mariam is experiencing from her abusive relationship with her husband.

In closing, the relationships between the titular characters of these novels, Amir and Hassan and Baba, and Mariam and Laila and Rasheed allow for the development of the prevailing theme of familial loyalty. The Kite Runner uses fatherhood and brotherhood to demonstrate the broken and then reformed pacts of trust and loyalty. Likewise, A Thousand Splendid Suns uses parental relationships through fatherhood with Mariam and her father, and motherhood through Mariam and Laila to demonstrate the effects to which loyalty can affect ones’ outlooks and ideals. Additionally, both Mariam’s and Laila’s spousal relationship with Rasheed exemplifies how loyalty to family can be unhealthy at times, despite good intentions. Hosseini conveys this theme effectively in both novels due perhaps to firsthand experience and because he grew up in Afghanistan and experienced atrocities years later upon his return. Khaled Hosseini presented both Afghanistan and its people honestly and efficaciously.

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The Kite Runner Redemption

The Kite Runner written by Afghan-American author Khaled Hosseini. Also his first book written. It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Akbar Khan district of Kabul, who has a best friend that he would do anything for named Hassan. Themes of redemption are shown quite frequently in the book with a important scene showing an act of violence against Hassan that Amir could have prevented but he just stood and watched. The rest of the book shows Amir's attempts to make up for this mistake by rescuing Hassan's twenty years later. Throughout all of Amir’s life, he is looking for redemption. Whether Amir is saying the wrong thing or hiding himself from a hurtful truth so he won't hurt himself more, he always finds new things he will have to redeem himself for.

In this novel there are many different quotes about my theme, redemption. The first one that stood out the most was “ What was so funny was that, for the first time since the winter of 1975 I felt at peace. I laughed because I saw that, in some nook in the corner of my mind, I had been looking forward to this.” (303) This quote shows how Amir feels at peace after Assef almost kills him. He feel as thought taking the beating from Assef finally him showing that he would do anything for Hassan. He is, in a way finally redeeming himself for his wrong doing and he standing up for not only Hassan, but his son also.

My next quote comes from a letter that was written by Amir's old friend and he received the letter after just being being beaten by Assef. He reads the letter in the hospital and then without saying anything shoves it under his hospital bed one part of the letter stated, “Sometimes I think everything he did, feeding the poor on the streets, building the orphanage, giving money to friends in need, it was all his way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good.” (316) This quote shows Rahim Khan's letter to Amir where he tries to teach him about redemption using his father as an example. This helps Amir understand how to redeem himself of all of his mistakes

My last quote comes from the beginning half of the book during the kite tournament. Amir has been searching for Babas approval his whole life and he believes by winning this tournament can help him achieve that, hers is the quote from the kite tournament, “I was going to win, and I was going to run the last kite. Then I’d bring it home and show it to Baba. Show him once and for all that his son is worthy. Then maybe my life as a ghost in this house would finally be over.” (60) In this quote Amir says that since he won the kite tournament, the only thing he needs to show his dad is the final kite. Amir thinks that his dad does not love him and unless he wins the kite tournament and brings home the last kite, his dad will continue to not pay attention to him.

In conclusion Amir has been fighting guilt and looking for ways to redeem himself his whole life. He knew after he betrayed Hassan he had ruined their relationship forever. That guilt of what he did do was haunting him his whole life, almost 20 years later Amir finally found a way to redeem himself even though Hassan is no longer living. This book shows people a lot about redemption and how someone feels after finally letting go of guilt even if it was years before.

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Benjamin Franklin Biography

Benjamin Franklin is a very well known public figure in American history. He “was a statesman, author, publisher, scientist, inventor and diplomat” (History). He lived from 1706- 1790 and made an extravagant impact on our modern world today. He was a man of great creativity who put his brilliant ideas to life by making many important inventions that you may even find that you may recognize yourself. Despite his success throughout his lifetime, many people are unaware of his Franklin’s story and how he became the successful scientific genius that he became.

Ben Franklin was born in Boston, and was one of 17 children, him being the youngest. His father’s Josiah Franklin was a candle and soap maker, and his mother’s name was Abiah Folger. Franklin’s father had high hopes for him, he wanted his son to attend a clergy or “body of all people ordained for religious duties, especially in the Christian Church” (Google) but he could only afford to send him to school for one year when multiple years are required. When things did not go to plan, Franklin went to work for his father in the candle making business.

From a young age, Benjamin Franklin was always very intellectually gifted and book smart, however, he did not finish school. He had an outstanding work ethic and the mind of a genius that was always eager to learn more. This personality trait was recognized by his father, so to put his intelligence and creativity to good use, his father acquired him a job with his son James at a printing shop. Ben Franklin learned a lot from his job with his brother in the period of time that he worked for him, but because of how Franklin was being mistreated by his older sibling, he decided to leave and move to New York for a bit of time before he moved to Philadelphia where he then lived for the rest of his life.

One writer puts it this way, “The journey of Benjamin Franklin and electricity began in 1743 when Ben attended a lecture on electricity given by Scottish Dr. Archibald Spencer while on a trip to Boston” (Revolutionary War and Beyond). However, during Ben Franklin’s time electricity was an entirely new concept that many people looked at as a source of entertainment rather than how we view it today. Scientists such as Ben Franklin looked at electricity and did not view it as a way of entertainment, he knew that it held the potential to do much more than that. With him determination and creativity, he was then capable of many findings.

Around 1747, Franklin was conducting many experiments during his research to help better his understanding on electricity and how it works. During this period of time he discovered the different electrical charges, positive and negative. He was the first scientist to differentiate and name the two charges by these names, they typically were referred to as vitreous and resinous.

'During this point in time, scientists believed that electricity was a result of friction when a cloth rubs against another object, but this theory was soon shot down with the discovery of the principle of conservation of electric charge” (Revolutionary War and Beyond). The principle of the conservation of an electric charge states that rather than an object creating electricity, it passes from one object to another. Franklin’s findings about electricity put scientists many steps ahead with his findings, which led to the creation of many inventions, ideas, theories and experiments.

During Benjamin Franklin’s time, the thought was floating around that there is a possibility that lightning and electricity correlate with one another, but there was no solid evidence to back up this theory. However, Franklin did find that the two had at least twelve similarities which include: “giving light, color of the light, crooked direction, swift motion, being conducted by metals, crack or noise in exploding, subsisting in water or ice, rending bodies it passes through destroying animals, melting metals, firing inflammable substance, and that they both have a sulfurous smell” (Revolutionary War and Beyond).

One of Benjamin Franklin’s most well known and most successful experiments is the kite in a thunderstorm experiment. The materials necessary for this experiment included “a large silk handkerchief, a hemp string, and a silk string. He also had a house key, a Leyden jar (a device that could store an electrical charge for later use), and a sharp length of wire” (Franklin Experiment). Alongside him he had his 21 year old son who assisted him throughout the experiment. One writer stated that Franklin did this experiment “To demonstrate, in the completest manner possible, the sameness of the electric fluid with the matter of lightning, Dr. Franklin, astonishing as it must have appeared, contrived actually to bring lightning from the heavens, by means of an electrical kite” (Franklin Institute).

Another additional scientist that is known for their incredible intellectual abilities as an inventor is a man named Alexander Graham Bell. He was born on March 3rd, 1847 and died on August 2nd of 1922. What did Bell do you may be asking yourself? Well, Alexander Graham Bell is credited with invention of the telephone in the year of 1876. In addition to inventing the first telephone, Bell was the first man to own and have the first ever telephone company in 1877 named “the Bell Telephone Company” (Biography). Because of him we are able to keep improving technology in phones, we are able to mass sell phones, talk to someone halfway around the world, get a job, all because of Alexander Graham Bell’s endless hours engulfed in research and extensive study.

Fail after fail, Bell finally got things down to a T and made his first telephone call on March 10th of 1876. However, this project was not simple. Instead of taking on the task alone, Bell gathered a few colleagues together to really hit the nail on the head. A man named Thomas A Augustus Watson assisted Bell in perfecting the invention of the telephone primarily from 1874 and 1875, which led to the final product being invented, perfected, and patented (Biography).

With time and diligence, Alexander Graham Bell “began to promote the telephone in a series of public demonstrations. At the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, in 1876, Bell demonstrated the telephone to the Emperor of Brazil, Dom Pedro, who exclaimed, “My God, it talks!” Other demonstrations followed, each at a greater distance than the last” (Biography). People were in complete and utter awe in Bell and Watson’s findings. They managed to shapeshift the way things operate in our world today. Before telephones were invented people typically wrote letters as a way of communication, and had to wait several days if not more to get a response; nowadays people like myself and many others get frustrated when they do not get a response within minutes.

Overall, these two very intelligent and talented inventors did what others did not and stepped up to the plate and invented something entirely new. From my own personal opinion, I believe that it is important to be educated and aware of inventors and people that have made an impact on the world we live in today. It’s because of inventors and goal getters such as Alexander Graham Bell and Benjamin Franklin, that put in the necessary time and concentration to ultimately leave an impact on society forever.

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Fact or Fake News

With the use of technology these days it has become more and more easier to have all you doubts answered by just one click. Does the information given need to be sited and backed up by the company that is giving out the information or is it up to the consumer to investigate and determine on its own if the article being read is a hoax…? Both consumer and company should have the responsibility to make sure the source is credible. The author should have evidence towards their stated argument. The reader also has the responsibility to make sure the source is credible.

When companies give out information without credible evidence how do we actually know if something really is authentic or not, if the whole idea was to rely on the company since the beginning about the information given. An example I would give is, if scientists found water on Mars and we want to know more about it how can we humans know there is actually water or not if we are relying on the information. Since not all humans can go to Mars and investigate for themselves. Sometimes it is hard to tell between authentic or forged news. Just like stated in the article by The Washington Post/Adapted by NewsELA Staff November 11, 2016 from an employee who worked at the News Feed Product.

Sometimes when the information given to us on the internet is so incorrect we can tell right away. Something so exaggerated that we say, “Oh this is totally fake.” What happens when the company is giving out the wrong information but we can not tell directly? Then it will be up to us to conscientiously conclude on the main idea and determine if the background of the article is evident. Just one problem, when we are in a hurry we rely on the internet way too much. When trying to prove someone wrong or figuring out a doubt you go with the first article you read and forget to do some background checks. We rely on the very first website we click on. Weather its on computer or cellular. When we are on the search across the internet we do not realize that the website that first shows up is because it has been viewed by people who asked the same question. We do not bother to look if the website is cited or some little simple mistakes that can easily be detecting that the ¨news¨ given is actually fake.

I am not saying that the company has to do all the work for us, but they do have to backup their statements letting us know that they have believable evidence.

A lot of information we do not know is made up by the companies way of making money. They sell the information or hoax it to gain some sort of money. Not knowing that the wrong information given out will be spread by other people. Not only are they aware of what they are putting out but they still benefit from the writing regardless whether it is real or fake. They will only see the perception of money wise and that is where the mistake of putting out fake news really comes from. In the article by PBS News Hour/Adapted by NewsELA Staff December 11, 2016 it was reported that a terrible disease called Ebola was circulating on Facebook back in 2014. The story had been shared a little more over 330,000 times. The company who started the information earned money by people who simply clicked on the link to the story.

Yes, it is our responsibility to make sure a source is believable, but it is also the companies responsibility to show us that the information given out is proved by hard core evidence. Nowadays we mostly rely on the internet for information around the world and as more time seems to go on we have determined to let ourselves be controlled by it and believe everything by just one read.

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How Fake News Affect our Lives

What challenges do billions of readers face every day? According to the article “The Real Fake News Crisis' by Katy Steinmetz the challenge is whether to trust something on the Internet or not. In this article, Katy Steinmetz discusses how fake news impacts readers every day and why even the brightest are bad at making decisions such as whether to trust the content on the internet. She gave a few examples of the things fake news affected like the 2016 election and conspiracy theories that are affecting others life’s. In this article, Katy Steinmetz also discussed why we are prone to falling for these lies and what could be done to prevent the spread of false news on the internet.

Fake news affects readers every day whether the readers are aware of it or not. Studies have also shown that being exposed to fake news made readers more likely to think the news is accurate since they have seen similar content before. This is because readers utilize the knowledge subconsciously but since the brian encountered this information before it will use information as an indicator that it is real. The spread of fake news makes it more difficult for everyone on the internet to differentiate the facts from fake news. Simple things like going to an event became harder because there are hackers that are creating fake events at the same location where there is another event happening so they can bring thousands of people who oppose each other on the same street and cause riots. false news like this could threaten the lives of the people who attend the event and are not aware of the other fake event that was created by the hackers. Therefore putting innocent people in danger. For example, In India, false rumors of child abductions circulating over WhatsApp have caused mobs to hurt innocent people, sometimes leading to death. Most of the people that were hurt were usually tourists that knew nothing about the situation, but mobs thought they were the kidnappers.

Studies have shown that people are retweeting stories without double-checking the content because they simply rely too much on search engines they found on. Take Google as an example; it’s been known that people think google search engines are more accurate than search engines like Bing because they are more popular. People also think the more times a word appears in a google search the more the result is accurate which is also false because google search engine utilizes algorithms to find websites that suit the requested facts and has nothing to do with the legitimacy of the content on the website.

Reports have shown that many Americans of all ages are struggling to raise important questions about the material they find on the web. That's not because all the Americans are ignorant, but it's often because they don't know what to look for to determine if and when the links are real. They only evaluate sources based on things that could easily be manipulated such as the graphic design of the website or the site’s URL. This is because people also don’t have time to read anything, but the headline before they share news on their social media accounts. Most people read the headline and share information because of their desire for more likes and views on social media. In 2016 alone, a poll found that almost a quarter of Americans say they unknowingly posted made-up news and 14 percent of those said they exchanged made-up news when they believed it was false because they liked the content. According to Katy sch, fake news travels 6 times more than the truth.

Fakes news spread has experts fearful for the future of democracy. On July 31, Facebook announced that it had found evidence of a political-influence campaign on their website. The social-media advertisements were promoted on Facebook by the Russian agencies that were targeting American voters with false information about their candidates. After this information came to light, Facebook lost more than $120 billion in stock in a single day because stockholders saw this issue as an issue that would limit the companies' growth.

Tech companies all of the world are under increasing pressure to come up with a way to put a stop into the spread of false information on their platforms. Companies like Facebook start attaching warnings to posts that contain false information that was deemed to be misleading by fact-checkers. But a study found that this could make users more likely to believe the facts, because how can any website determine the news or articles are real and which ones are not? There is no certainty that any computer system or algorithm could effectively differentiate between the truth from false without any bias.

In an era where people spend more than half of their day on the internet, it is hard for many platforms like Facebook and Twitter to fact-check everything because they don’ t have enough employees to manually review the billions of posts every day. Even if they did, they would be violating the First Amendment, which allows people to freely speak regardless of where the speech is true or not. High tech companies are limited to what they could do because they could only alert the users to a certain thing, like fake events people create but they cant FactCheck everything.

Companies like Facebook that were attaching warnings to posts that contain false information that was deemed to be misleading by fact-checkers backfires on them. Because readers were more likely to believe the content as true. This is because people look for news that matches with their beliefs, it is extremely difficult to eliminate false news from platforms. Living in an era where technology has become a daily use , spreading false information has become easier than ever before. Reader and viewers should look for information that denies their beliefs to get a different perspective of their view. Tech Companies should start uploading different news to prevent false news from spreading as well.

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Importance of Recycling

Recycling is the fastest most easiest way to clean up this world, communities, cities, and etc. Getting trash should always be a main priority for any city, because more trash left around is more trash that can add on to more trash building up other trash. The rotation of trash is never going to end until someone makes it end but everyone is focused on every other thing going on in this world. Which makes it hard to focus on the trash until it becomes a big problem to the point where trash is blocking your home, your job, your car, and etc. It would be easy for people to recycle if the rules or laws for it was enforced harder than what they are not with a little 250 dollar fine but actual jail time for littering and not recycling.

People don’t understand that when they don’t recycle they are throwing away or letting good materials that can be used go to waste. These materials can be used for other more useful things that can be used for household appliances and objects. There’s a lot of material that can be turned into useful everyday material that we can use. Recycling helps protect the environment it help reduce the use of extracting mining,quarrying, and logging, refining and processing raw materials. Recycling also helps save energy so that we can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions which can also help stop climate change.

Recycling is not something that everyone can always get done sometimes it can be because of the people or because of the state or Country. Some countries like China stop recycling for no reason. There is a major factor when it comes to the reason why we can’t get people to start recycling. They are the largest impactor of waste paper, used plastic , and scrap metal. It would be all their fault alone because its states in the U.S that’s not recycling either or who were recycling but discontinued their program.

There would be much less trash if there was a recycling law. People wouldn’t have a choice between not doing it and just wanting to leave trash everywhere. Everybody would want to recycle in fear of what would happen if they didn’t but it would still be certain people who would try and break the law. If the police or no one was looking they would try and throw paper or trash down without doing the right thing and recycling their empty carton and container. The people that actually try to get the trash up and actually help recycle should try and take precautions to be able to get the trash up that others disregard.

If they really want to help they should push pass the fact that its other people trash and just get to the fact that they are helping save the planet we live on. People think when they go and dump trash and recyclables out in the open or in a trash can that they are recycling that’s not true. All you have to do is sort your trash can and see what can be used and what cannot be used. Just think of it as you giving up something you just used and having it cleaned or remade out of that material and being put back out to be used again. Some states actually have laws that is set so when you throw away a certain percentage of recycling materials in your garbage then your going to to get fined.

It is also a requirement for you to recycle your batteries and some states require companies to help fund the recycling for the batteries that they put out. While Recycling has requirements they also have benefits. Some benefits of recycling is that it prevents pollution by reducing the need to collect new raw materials and it saves energy. If you turn in your materials then there are some places that sort your recyclables for you.

We live in a world obsessed with throwaway plastics known as single-use plastics.Once discarded, plastic is likely to end up in oceans after being washed down rivers, flushed down toilets, or windblown from dumps. It’s no wonder thousands of tonnes of plastic sit unrecycled in landfills. The worst part of this is that plastics break down into micro-plastics and end up in our oceans. Some people might say that the numbers are rising more and more everyday more and more countries or states are trying to ban plastic bags, straws, and lids.

They say our oceans are being killed, sea creatures are dying, and the ocean water is becoming polluted. California is a state that is doing something about the plastic ban by trying to ban plastic straws unless its specifically requested by a customers. Mill Mccleary said, “straws are one of the top 10 sources of plastic Marine debris, but we really do not need them.” Plastic is harmful to the ocean and is extremely hurtful to almost extinct species that is living down there in the ocean. Nobody wants other people trash washing up or floating in the water while they are trying to swim and have fun.

Most people and businesses have signed the skip the straw campaign, but it still has and need to be more people recycling and refraining from using plastic if they are going to try and put a stop in a plastic population. If you don’t need to drink using a straw, commit to skipping the straw and add your voice to the sea of people taking a stand for the ocean. It is a small step that goes a long way for ocean health.Skip the straw simply requests that restaurants refrain from automatically putting a plastic disposable straw in each beverage, but rather allow customers to request a straw if they so desire.Unfortunately, Many more continue to make their way into our ocean, where they pose a real danger to sea turtles, albatross, fish and other ocean wildlife.

Some states such as Florida who you would have thought would stay clean because of the type of states its known for being and appoal of the states but that’s wrong they discontinued their recycling program in some cities. Cities like Deltona, Florida have ended their recycling programs all together i guess that’s the one city in Florida that you wouldn’t want to go to because of their problem. Deltona received 39,000 in rebates for recycling in 2015. Now recycling would cost the municipality more than 700,000 annually. Florida and the U.S are going to try and stop relying so much on plastic.

Doing that would just put us in the same situation as stopping the process of depending on plastic in a couple more years we would just be depending on another resource. More and different types of plastics are being banned it could be good for some cities like Deltona who has cut the programs but, you can’t say your not going to recycle but still want to use the materials in your city for your clothes and all other things plastic is used for. Cities in Florida is not all bad though there are some cities like Volusia County,Florida who want to stay clean. They are encouraging kids, parents, students, and all people to start recycling. Bay Country, Florida also recycle they uses a method that most people may not know about.

In Bay County the primary method of recycling is through the Bay County Waste-to-Energy facility. A Waste-to-Energy facility, unlike an incinerator which just burns waste, extracts energy from the waste. More cities like Gainesville,Florida has banned the plastic bag and foam takeout containers, because their goal is to try and be waste free by 2010.Some other states like New York are behind the city of Gainesville in getting the ban pulled through. They did succeed in getting the ban pulled through on plastic foam containers, and more people are getting into a habit of reversible bags when they go to the store.

San Francisco has now become another state that wants to help out on the recycling train. It was plastic straws to containers but now San Francisco has came in clutch, and is making movements to ban plastic water bottles. San Francisco might have just started trying to get plastic banned because they had stopped recycling at a point in time. So San Francisco has been trying to redirect themselves back to recycle. They don’t want to be alone in the race to start recycling and saving their city and others in the process.

Some don’t think it could be done but it can be done as long as you do it as a team and not alone. San Francisco’s recycling recovery company has helped in getting San Francisco to start recycling by 2018. They would almost be the only city to establish relationships with foreign buyers some wouldn’t do that because some don’t have any connections with these other cities, and wouldn’t want to try and start any. They have been going past doing work just for the city and just making the city do work. They have moved to the streets and started helping civilians know what to do when it comes to recycling.

The Recycling Program started helping out again by putting signs on recycling bins to show people were actually to put recycling materials. When recycling most people are not aware of the danger it cause to the earth but, getting people aware of the situation might just encourage them to recycle. Give the people facts and ways that not recycling is not only harming us but it is also harming the wild life on earth. It is to up the people if they want to recycle or not or if they would take the time to sort the trash like that which some people can not do. Raise aware to the the problem of not recycling get people talking about it and help encourage others to recycle.

Michigan is another state that has decided to be on the plastic ban train and stop the plastic bags from being used anymore. You can not be a good city with water that is affected i guess that's why Michigan decided to clean up their act. They are one of the few who decides to run with the plastic ban no one wants trash around their city especially when it is something as simple as bags. People take those home some people leave them lying around when they don’t see a use for them. That’s why we see so many food place bags and store bags around us.

That kind of affects other people such as poor people who can’t afford plastic bags that’s disposable, because those bags are not cheap. Most of the people who couldn't afford those bags decided to buy some with taxpayers money. Everyone else still uses the same bags that is supposed to be recycled, but their not like “Los Angeles Times’’ said because their still being caught in trees, and blowing across land shores and beaches and hurting the environment. As recycling saves energy it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions, which helps to tackle the climate change. Recycling is one of the many ways to stop endangering the earth.

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What does Democracy Mean to you

To me, democracy is air; I met it as soon as I drew my first breath. Since it was just given to me, I was not able to realize its importance. I did not know how much sacrifice people had to make to bring democracy to my home country, South Korea. As I grew older, I learned how the past dictators of Korea massacred civilians and tried to hide the truth by controlling the media. I also learned about the innocent deaths of those who stood up against the government to bring us the rights what I took for granted. It is no longer surprising for us to vote and expect our voices to be heard.

But for people living outside the boundaries of democracy, this may not always be the case. Rights to vote and the rights to free speech may not be guaranteed that easily. In countries that do not guarantee democratic rights, power is not necessarily in the hands of the people.

Rather, it is often in the hands of the very few holding guns and weapons. Samuel Doe, who was once a military leader of Liberia, seized power by leading a violent coup against the former president. Doe maintained his political power for years, not because he earned a majority of support from the people, but mostly because he had guns and money to back his supporters.

Such instance of dictatorship may not sound so surprising. We have heard so many similar stories of violent regimes of dictators from Hitler of Germany to North Korea under Kim Jong-un. This may be why many people argue for the democratization of nations that deprive citizens of human rights. Democracy seems to play a crucial role in keeping peace. According to the democratic peace theory in Immanuel Kant’s Perpetual Peace, democratic states tend not to go to war with each other. Kant claimed that all states being republics can prevent war because the majority will not want war unless it is for self-defense purposes. David Singer and Melvin Small also did statistical research and found similar results that there were no wars between democratic states. Thus, this suggests that it is much more likely for non-democratic states to engage in war. This makes it seem as if there is some kind of evil that lurks only outside of the borders of democracies. Could it be that there are only good politicians in democracies, while there are only evil ones in others?

British historian Lord Acton famously said, “Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely.” If so, even politicians in democracies are susceptible to corruption. Yet, forms of government other than democracy may make them even more vulnerable. Political scientists like Bruce Bueno de Mesquita came up with the selectorate theory to explain this phenomenon. According to the theory, rulers can rise to power without winning the majority’s support. In fact, rulers of non-democratic governments might have greater incentive to bribe a small coalition of loyal supporters instead of implement policies that benefit many citizens.

This incentive system makes it less likely for autocrats to implement infrastructure for the public. There are interesting statistics that illustrate this. Various comparative studies show how public resources like drinking water, for instance, can be more available and sanitary in democratic countries than in non-democratic ones. According to the statistics listed in The Dictator’s Handbook, 90% of the citizens of Honduras have access to clean water while less than half of the citizens of Equatorial Guinea have access even though the per capita income of Equatorial Guinea is nearly ten times higher. Political scientists found similar observations in high-level education as well. No non-democratic country other than China and Singapore has its school’s name listed in the world’s top 200 university rankings.

Thus, democracy is more fit to catering to human needs like basic human rights. The UN Declaration of Human Rights stipulates rights such as freedom of expression, freedom of thought, right to trial, no slavery, and no torture. While these rights may seem natural to many of us, they might not be taken for granted in many authoritarian states. Even when I am living under the safe blanket of protection in South Korea, people living right above our borders do not share the same amount of freedom. North Korean refugees tell stories of how they could have been interrogated and dragged into political prison camps, deprived of rights like free speech and freedom of religion. The horror stories of the authoritarian government of North Korea almost reminds me of people’s lives in the book 1984, a dystopian novel that depicts a society where all the citizens live under the control of the godly-figure called Big Brother. In the book, there are posters everywhere that say, “Big Brother is watching you” while telescreens in the houses monitor people’s everyday lives. The society depicted in the novel does not seem too much like a far-fetched dystopia considering how the bleak scenario already seems to be happening in authoritarian states like North Korea that manipulate the news and spread propaganda.

One may argue that not all non-democratic states are in such horrible conditions. Nor do all democratic states guarantee freedom and happiness. Rulers of democratic states may not necessarily be better people than those in autocratic ones. Political realists often claim that there is only one thing political rulers want, regardless of how democratic the states are: to stay in power. And this same logic applies not only to the world’s worst dictators but also for renowned leaders like Nelson Mandela. There are no exceptions as to good politicians and bad politicians; there are only politicians who want to remain in power.

If this premise stands, we may be able to understand why democratic states are better in terms of catering to the needs of the people. In a democracy, or the system of government run by the power of the people, the best way politicians can stay in power is to get elected. In order to win the elections, the politicians would have to please their voters by catering to the voters’ needs. Such democratic system serves as a prevention measure against corruption and rights violations. This is because people can not only exercise their democratic power to best represent their needs but can also hold corrupt politicians accountable for their wrongdoings. Incompetent leaders can be replaced or kicked out of office through procedures like impeachment. Surely, rulers like Samuel Doe or Kim Jung-un would have a hard time finding their place in well-operating democracies.

It is worth noting that democracy also has its own set of problems. The majority of the people that influence democracy may not always make the right choices, giving rise to issues like populist policies. Yet, in the words of Winston Churchill, democracy is “the worst form of government, except for all the others.” While democracy may not always give people the best outcome, it can at least guarantee that they can choose to avoid the worst. It can prevent us from being violated our basic human rights like free speech. Furthermore, democracy proves to be effective in bringing many of the rights and freedom mentioned throughout this essay.

Like air, democracy can be found almost everywhere - from the rights to free elections to the access of clean water. It is as difficult for me to envision living in a state without democracy as it is to imagine life without air. Only when I hold my breath would I be able to understand the value of air. And I may, perhaps, truly understand the value of democracy only outside of its boundaries. But I most likely wouldn’t have to take such a risk. I am already fortunate enough to be living in a democracy.

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Heart of Darkness Historical Background

While in England somewhere in the range of 1898 and 1899, Joseph Conrad composed the novella Heart of Darkness. Occurring during the stature of European dominion in Africa, Heart of Darkness follows the excursion up the Congo River of Marlow, a steamship chief. Marlow comes to Africa to get away from the exacting bounds of European culture. Marlow is hopeful, and during his movements up the Congo, he is anxious to demonstrate that there is some acceptable to the European presence in Africa. Despite the fact that Marlow searches for indications of the benefit of dominion, he discovers none. Along these lines, Marlow is anxious to meet with Kurtz, another dealer in the Congo. Marlow is so anxious to meet with Kurtz on the grounds that he trusts Kurtz is the man the will demonstrate to him that there is acceptable in the European presence in Africa. In any case, as Marlow ventures up the Congo, seeing the impacts of European colonialism on Africa, he understands that there is nothing but bad within the sight of Europeans; besides, he is presented to his own heart of obscurity that he has found in the wide range of various Europeans in Africa.

Joseph Conrad was propelled to compose Heart of Darkness as a result of an excursion through the Congo right on time in the 1890's. Heart of Darkness manages European government in Africa during the 1890's. During this time, Africa was the property of King Leopold II of Belgium. Leopold accepted that his statement of purpose was to decrease the savageness of the African public by carry development to the African public. For most Europeans, the mainland of Africa was the Dark Continent in light of the fact that individuals of Africa were viewed as unrefined, ignorant, coming up short on a genuine government, and without any culture. Europeans thought of it as their obligation to bring all that the Africans needed culture and human advancement to the mainland; along these lines, colonialism in Africa started.

Conrad investigates the core of dimness through the Protagonist of the novel: Marlow. As Marlow ventures up the Congo River, seeing the abominations of European colonialism on the African public, the peruser acknowledges what the core of obscurity is. The core of dimness is in the core of each individual where every individual is confronted with their actual and regularly characteristically abhorrent nature. An individual's experience with their own heart of murkiness is quite often achieved by an individual's own improper activities that permits them to see the real essence of themselves or others. As Marlow ventures up the Congo, he sees European culture's heart of murkiness, and he understands that European colonialism isn't the caring mission for the human progress of the African landmass, yet rather a mission of misuse based ravenousness and desire in the hearts of Europeans in the Congo.

Marlow comes to Africa since he feels extremely isolated from the government in Africa; moreover, Marlow has heard what the pundits say about colonialism in Africa. At the point when he goes to Africa, he is hopeful about the European presence there notwithstanding a portion of the narratives he has heard. From the start of his excursion, Marlow is stood up to with the craziness of government in Africa when he sees a French boat over and over shelling a spot of forested coast for no clear explanation saying, "Nothing occurred. Nothing could occur. There was a bit of craziness in the procedure, a feeling of terrible joke in the sight; and it was not dispersed by someone on board guaranteeing me sincerely there was a camp of local he called them adversaries!– hung far away some place." Pg. 11 As Marlow proceeds with his way up the Congo River, he experiences rot and passing at a disturbing rate. He was overpowered by the loathsomeness of the passing and obliteration he sees: It is here that Marlow first experiences the core of murkiness and gradually starts to acknowledge what it is. Marlow is indeed confronted with this staggering feeling of rot and passing when he arrives at the external station of the organization, he experiences a gathering of local African individuals who have essentially been subjugated in a group of prisoners; moreover, he sees that the Europeans are enduring also: infection, gnawing bugs, and unbelievable warmth. This scene at the external station is a significant one since it shows that not exclusively is the African public enduring on account of colonialism, however so are the Europeans too. Fundamentally, nobody is procuring any genuine benefits from the European presence in Africa. During a ten-day stand by at the external station, Marlow is first told about Kurtz. Subsequent to being presented to a staggering measure of proof against colonialism, Marlow is currently acquainted with man doing useful for individuals of the Dark Continent. Marlow understands this; hence, he wants to find and conversed with Kurtz in order to see direct the decency that Kurtz accomplishes for individuals of the dull mainland.

A Marlow goes up the Congo River, he is being uncovered increasingly more to the viciousness, this heart of dimness, which every one of the Europeans in Africa appear to gangs. For instance, Marlow catches a discussion between the Manager of that organization and his uncle about the state of Kurtz. Marlow finds that these men wish to hang Kurtz and are examining manners by which to achieve this. They wish to drape Kurtz to even out the rivalry in support of themselves since "anything should be possible in this country." These two men, both humanized from the start, forces these savage and base inclinations. Marlow sees this and is by and by presented to the core of dimness that man has. Conrad works effectively of passing on this viciousness and creature activities when he has Marlow depict the uncle of the supervisor's idiosyncrasies during the discussion saying, "broaden his short flipper of an arm for a motion. . .that appeared to allure with a disrespecting prosper before the sunlit substance of the land a tricky appeal to the hiding demise, to the secret insidiousness, to the significant dimness of its heart." (Pg.27) As Marlow proceeds up the waterway to discover Kurtz, the indications of European culture were supplanted by a more basic and savage inclination. I accept this to be an illustration for the core of obscurity: An individual may look socialized on a superficial level, yet as you further investigate them, you start to see that they are really savage on a fundamental level.

In the wake of showing up at Kurtz station, Kurtz in taken on board Marlow's boat, and the two meet and represent the first run through. Soon thereafter, Marlow tracks Kurtz off the boat and discovers him observing some sort of ancestral service. Marlow trys to get Kurtz to return to the boat, however as he takes a gander at Kurtz alone in the wild he remarks that he understands that in light of the fact that Kurtz had been distant from everyone else in the wild, his spirit was separated from everyone else and had gone frantic; besides, Marlow understands that his spirit has this exact same inclination to it. Right now, Marlow goes to the acknowledgment that he also has his own heart of obscurity. The following evening, as the boat cruised down the Congo, Marlow observes Kurtz's passing. As Kurtz kicked the bucket he said, "The loathsomeness, the ghastliness."( pg.62) I accept this statement is a discourse on which man can do when not repressed by society's limitations. On account of Kurtz, society was able to over-look any of his more sketchy activities in light of the fact that Kurtz provided them with ivory. At the point when Kurtz says these words on his deathbed, he is addressing the abominations man can submit when there are no limitations set on him by society.

Marlow comes to Africa with the expectation of seeing the benefit of European Imperialism direct. All things considered, Marlow is presented to the core of haziness: a base and savage intuition that all man groups, yet is never really uncovered except if the conditions are right. As Marlow ventures up the Congo, his experiences with the core of haziness become more regular and amazing. Through the novel, he fights his own heart of dimness until he at long last surrenders to it toward the finish of the novel. Through Kurtz's passing, Kurtz had the option to say something valid about the wreck that human existence has become: "The frightfulness! The repulsiveness!" Because of Kurtz, Marlow had the option to investigate the haziness that Kurtz had become mixed up in, and gain from that murkiness whether this was valuable or hurtful is a vulnerability.

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Heart of Darkness Main Idea

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness could legitimately be depicted as a withdrawn excursion, remembering insightful change for the explorer. Both figurative and strict excursion was taken on by Marlow, the hero of the novel, into the "heart of dimness". The excursion makes Marlow question the presence and struggle of light and dull inside every individual.

During the excursion, Marlow understands that each human has the presence of evilness inside themselves. Henceforth, he sees that malevolent incomparability at the focal point of humankind, which helped him in arising as a renewed person from the excursion. The perusers of the novella additionally acknowledge albeit in a roundabout way that Kurtz, who was a very much presumed ivory dealer and the rival of the novel, changed from a man with sincere goals to one who yields to his most profound cravings and desires.

The most unmistakable excursion inside the novel is Marlow's excursion. His excursion into the human's hearts of Darkness and the profound openings of the human subliminal quality, even his disclosure of what hides in the pits of the inner mind prompts huge change in him despite the fact that this entire excursion was allegorically composed as his excursion into the core of the Congo.

All through the novel, the progressions which came inside him was implied. The psychological change inside Marlow's character has a monstrous association with what he saw in Africa. As Conrad himself got a considerable lot of the slaughters under the domain of Leopold II, when he captained a boat in the Congo in 1890, perusers accept that a significant number of the loathsome things that Marlow sees that controls his difference in sees with respect to humankind are straightforwardly enlivened by the individual encounters of Conrad.

As per the setting of the story, Marlow was in a way was fixated on the effective ivory broker Kurtz and he saw Kurtz destruction toward the end. Here Conrad offers matches between Africa which are viewed as the spot of Darkness and London, which is the main town on earth.Heart of Darkness by implication remarks on bigotry and government. The essential of Conrad's work is the possibility that there is a slight distinction between individuals who are named savages and individuals who are considered acculturated.

The novella has given different motivations in numerous creators and film chiefs, for example, Francis Ford Coppola was propelled for a film named Apocalypse Now in the year 1979. In the rundown of 100 best books in English of the twentieth century, the Modern Library positioned Heart of Darkness 67th on their rundown.Albeit the occasions portrayed in the core of Darkness might have happened anyplace, yet Conrad picked the Congo as the main place due to the effect and sensations of the environment, the people in question and furthermore because of the actual lifestyle there.

Conrad makes an otherworldliness and high-pressure which begins one to consider what may occur straightaway and surprisingly however nothing phenomenal happens, every last one of the occasions amounts to the premonition of the story. The story gives how even good motives may transform into something bent and evil even abusive.

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Heart of Darkness Literature Analysis

A single moment in a novel is sometimes hard for a reader to consider significant after a quick read. However, a closer look reveals the deliberate choices Joseph Conrad made while writing The Heart of Darkness to convince the reader of how Kurtz has been consumed and overtaken by savagery. The broken up sentences in this section create a feeling of incompleteness, and the asyndeton builds up tension to the climax of the moment: the reveal of Kurtz to be the favorite of a personified wilderness. The ivory ball simile and sensual imagery further characterize Kurtz’s loss of physical and psychological humanity. All these elements of Conrad’s writing show how Kurtz will never be able to escape the menacing grasp of the wilderness and is an example of losing yourself to your primitive instincts.

Conrad’s deliberate use of multiple literary techniques adds to the complexity of this moment. The moment begins with a personification of wilderness as a sort of authority figure who holds power over Kurtz. The image of Kurtz being patted on the head is a way for Conrad to show the reader that the once mighty Kurtz has become submissive and powerless when confronted by the wilderness. The image of the wilderness “taking and embracing” Kurtz and then “consuming his flesh” shocks the reader by first creating trust between Kurtz and the wilderness, who is shielding Kurtz’s inner savagery, and then wilderness betraying Kurtz by taking his soul. Also, the simile in the first sentence draws a parallel between the dehumanization of Kurtz and an ivory ball that symbolizes the trivial notion of placing the worth of the Congo on material things. In addition, when Conrad says that the wilderness has made it so that Kurtz has “been withered”, this diction reinforces the idea of submission in the reader’s mind, as something withered is often directly associated with something that has been dehydrated, or in Kurtz’s case stolen. The wilderness has stolen Kurtz’s humanity and taken it for itself. Kurtz has been away from society for so long that his thirst for civilization has not been fulfilled and he has therefore been deprived of his humanity.

In addition to the use of various literary techniques, Conrad uses syntax to build up the image of the wilderness consuming Kurtz piece by piece. The broken sentences reflect Kurtz’s torn nature at this point in the novel, the asyndeton creates tension, and the final short sentence gives the reader a sense of false certainty over Kurtz’s fate. The use of an extended broken sentence throughout the moment shows Kurtz’s neverending and difficult struggle to keep his humanity. The asyndeton speeds up the pace of the moment and creates suspense towards what the reader thinks must be a horrific conclusion, which is why the last sentence is so impactful. Though the last sentence seems less chaotic than the one before, the initial stream of consciousness represents Kurtz’s ability to think freely.

Overall, this moment plays a significant role in the novel’s overall theme of the deep-rooted corruption of the soul as a result of the exposure to the wilderness and imperialism. This moment is a prominent example of the extent to which Kurtz was exploited and corrupted by imperialist powers at play. It represents a transition to the final part of the book in which Marlow realizes that Kurtz is not the idol he had made him out to be. Rather, he is merely a shell of his former self, a shadow, and a tainted human. It is also a continuation of Marlow’s sense of disillusionment immediately following the death of the Helmsman. Conrad’s deliberate use of concrete diction and asyndeton, along with his use of personification, exaggerated sentences, and imagery, all highlight the importance of this moment in the novel’s overall commentary on the irreality of the human condition.

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Character Analysis in the Heart of Darkness

The corrupt will always win. This essay shows the comparative and contrasting aspects of two characters, the Brick maker from Heart of Darkness and Cap from The Lonely Londoners. They have been carefully chosen due to the simple fact that they are both “evil” characters in the novels. Both characters in each novel have different paths to follow, although they share a simple and clear world view, selfishness, their philosophies set them apart. The topics that will be discussed will focus on three elements that differentiate their outcome of their life, this includes concentrating on their work ethics, their innocence, and how petty each character is. Analyzing these three concepts determines the philosophy and world view the authors have captured for these two characters. In both novels the authors Joseph Conrad, of Heart of Darkness, and Sam Selvon, of The Lonely Londoners, introduce the characters that have a distinct essence, they show us the world they have created where a little perseverance and skill can take you, with minimal effort.

The first concept we will look at is work ethics. Work is a fundamental element to life and a responsibility to ourselves in order to achieve any goal. Working gives us importance and self-discipline. Naturally it is understandable why the characters choose not to work. In the article “The Working Poor: Lousy Jobs or Lazy Workers?” Marlene Kim explains “Most Americans believe that if one works hard, one should not be poor. Yet the working poor are one of the fastest growing segments of the impoverished population…” Ultimately this means that the working population can remain in the poverty level. These characters choose to use every advantage they possess in order to succeed in life, they work for what they believe is worth their time and effort and chose not to work hard in other areas.

The brick maker in heart of darkness is a very interesting character with a very high standard in his world view for himself. He holds working and becoming a person of importance as a must his in life. We do not have much of a background to this character as we are introduced to him when he is already a manager. What could be seen in his world view is that working is his place to be. Although he doesn’t seem to be working at all, this fools the eye. It seems as if the brick maker holds working into a very high standard in his life, not wanting to let go of the power he possesses as manager, he dreams to achieve more in his life, more than what he is considered to be.

Cap in the Lonely Londoners gives us insight into a character we all love to hate and hate to love, the Nigerian captain or Cap. This character has a very singular way of thinking, it’s all about him and him only. The world views this character holds is to be royalty and should be treated as such. Many instances can be seen where he has been given everything he desires, both knowingly and unknowingly. This character’s background involves his family and an opportunity to study and sub sequentially given money, but due to his lack of responsibility he blew it all away and proceeded to use his charm to gain everything he had. Interestingly enough most characters understand how and who he is, and they continue to fund his lavish lifestyle. Cap does not want to succeed in life, as he just wants a place to live in and food to eat with endless funds.

Uniting both characters comes down to the way they work. Both the characters Cap and the Brick maker understand that they must achieve more in their life, they choose to do this by the expense of others. What brings these two characters to life, and allows us to understand their work ethics, is their ability to use their wit and charm to gain an advantage in life. The characters show their master mind way of flattery and underlying intention, as they do not flatter those that they do not find useful to them. They climb the wealthy ladder by means of using their smarts and charm to either deceive or to gain wealth in their life. Wealth does not only come from money as wealth can be happiness or in this case status over other individuals, making them very different.

The second concept is trust worthiness. How is a person trust worthy? Innocence is a key aspect as to how trustworthy a person can be. If we believe that a person is truly innocent, we can confide in that person. Innocence is a big role, we comprehend that one can do no wrong if innocent enough, as stated by the article Who is Presumed Innocent of what by whom? “The presumption of innocence enjoys worldwide recognition as a fundamental procedural guarantee and has acquired the status of a human right, as it is enshrined in international and regional human rights instruments and forms part of the written or unwritten constitutional law of many nations.” (Stuckenburg 2014). When a person loses their innocence, this can be any form of corruption, the trust soon follows. The Brick maker and Cap have different variants in their life that allows their identity to be seen within this single word.

The Brick maker in heart of darkness does not know the word of innocence. He is portrayed as always having something to hide, being called a spy, this given to him even by his co-workers. This character shows much ambition and promise, but due to an unknown reason he never produces any bricks. He boldly claims that he is waiting for some type of material that never arrives, making him a very useless character. Although he never produces what his name states, he has absolutely no problem in flattering personnel and deceiving those that are naïve enough to believe in him. He benefits himself and gives off a very peculiar vibe as he is the spy manager, he is the little voice in their head that allows others to do wrongful things. This character does not care to be innocent as he knows what he wants, that is to climb the status ladder. Never the less, he does not care for anyone else that he has already stepped over to achieve his life’s work.

The Nigerian captain in the lonely Londoners is far from innocent, yet a very well-mannered master manipulator. As the words roll off the chapters, we see that Cap is an “educated” man. The strength he possesses include common curtesy and most importantly his education is shown in how he is a gentleman, making him seem as an innocent character. The other characters in the book genuinely know of his lazy aspect in life and understand that he will betray them to benefit himself in a heartbeat. This still does not allow the other characters to hesitate to help him. As manipulative as he is, he maintains his innocent way of life priding himself on it.

Both characters understand who is important. The Brick maker will make exceptions to his uncaring attitude when he is given any opportunity to butter up any individual above him, but he uses this solely in the company he works for. Cap on the other hand does this to anyone he finds useful, no matter the status of the person, usually women. The similarities these two share, when it comes to innocence, is the sheer fact that they know how to use their words, who, what, and where is how they choose to do so. In fact, they choose to only do this when they can be perceived as innocent to the ones they are trying to manipulate continuously. What sets them apart is their targets.

Meanwhile, the third concept consists of personality and philosophy. Petty is a word that means small, in this case it means a very small way of thinking or a narrow way of viewing the world. A petty person wants others to suffer the way they do but does not wish well for anyone else including themselves. A petty individual has a pessimistic view in life, everything always happens to them, and anything that is good, they gruelingly made happen. This overruns the life and philosophy of any individual going through this phase, it is a sink hole of emotions.

Heart of darkness the brick maker is a dark character. Although he is ambitious and working with a very loose sense of the word, he has certain qualities that make him very unlikeable. The brick maker is a petty character that believes that everyone in the world is exactly like him. He believes that sucking up and flattering his higher ups will get him the position he wishes to achieve. As stated before, all he wishes to do is climb that company ladder. Everything he does is to benefit himself and he does not care to look around him and see the damage he helps cause. He is not aware that he is this way, but truly believes that everyone in the world is exactly like him.

Lonely Londoners’ Cap is a very happy go lucky character. He gets everything he desires but does not focus on the negative situations he created. Cap stumbles here and there but has qualities that make him a likeable character, he is fully aware of this. Cap is a character that uses his likeable abilities to capture the attention of different girls, hotels, and all the other characters as he nonchalantly deceives people in his life. He is not a character that becomes engulfed in his own world. Cap Is a character that takes each day as it comes. It seems as if he understands that he is a different character when reading the book, as he does not desire to achieve anything else other than to have his lavish grandiose lifestyle. Cap does not force characters to do wrongful things, that is only for him to do and for him to understand.

Considering the world view of both characters, none is better. Both characters offer the same concept but have different philosophies. The brick maker offers his philosophies of working hard to get what he wants with flattery and staying in a company, but ultimately, he is making this money for himself. He possesses a pessimistic philosophy. On the other hand, Cap from the lonely Londoners shows us what a little curtesy can achieve. Although it is very dishonest to use deceit but great manners to get what he wants, it shows how the population values human appreciation. It is unclear which worldview and philosophy is realistic as both of them are possible. In the long run of course. Perhaps the brickmakers’ world view is more realistic. As we analyze both characters, we can understand that there are people that kiss up to the boss and climb the corporate ladder. This person no matter how much or how little effort they put into their work, if they possess a silver tongue, they can definitely use those assets to work. Likewise, flattery is a huge trait to have, but it can only take you so far. Skipping on payment for hotels, and continuously taking money from family, friends, and lovers can land a person in a world of trouble. Realistically speaking a person could be taken care of for the rest of their life by a loved one, a partner, but it comes with rules… Cap does not have rules as he continues his bachelor life after he is married with no consequences, surely in a realistic setting he would lose everything especially his lavish lifestyle; Making the Brickmakers world view more realistic.

The world views that I believe in is a mixture of the both. I believe that both worldviews and philosophies make a lot of the corporate side of humanity. Without charm and wit, many corporations would not exist. Most of these people in this environment, although not the only environment, must keep a pessimistic view on the world as to continuously grow and reach higher for themselves. I believe that society believes in Caps’ world views. As movies and tv portray this extravagant lifestyle. That likeability that Cap provides, being a gentleman, is something incredibly rare, this helps us understand why many people don’t mind this behavior if it means being sweet talked over and over again. Society holds etiquette as a high standard of living as it was taught through the early 1800’s. According to Edwin Battistella, “Etiquette books like Martine’s addressed a wide range of topics, but as formal dinners became the signature demonstration of refinement, the dining room emerged as the center of etiquette and the woman of the house came to be the primary audience for guides. Aunt Matilda’s Short Hints on Etiquette, an 1887 promotional brochure by Philadelphia’s Dobbins’ Electric Soap Company, began by noting that manners were in a state of transition.” (Battistella 2009). There are many brickmakers in the world, it is called being in a cut throat industry, but the rarity of feeling good is king.

I believe that the very phew qualities Cap has illustrated, the world view he possesses makes the world a better place, but not necessarily a functional one. As society is tired of the fake managerial status they come by in a day to day process, we understand that these people are determined. This is a sadistic view, but many companies would not benefit without these types of people in it, people like the Brick maker. Although, I do believe that Cap teaches humanity something more valuable than the Brickmaker could. Cap focuses on achieving his goals and will not stop until he reaches them. No matter how it is achieved, if one does not stop even if mistakes are made, it is possible to achieve plenty with a little curtesy. It is important to understand that connections and relationships can help success in life. Being called a spy manager is negative, as no one trusts that person, no one wants to be with that person and it always feels like that person should not advance to their ultimate goal of ruling people. Although Cap has the same characteristics but has an optimistic point of view, he is very liked. On the opposite side of the spectrum, it is a very hard life as a pessimist. As stated by Gesualdi Louis “Although it can be argued that having an offender participate and complete a program (of any type) can be a signal that an individual is serious about change, it also can send the wrong signal if that offender continues to engage in criminal behavior.” (Louis 2009). It is very hard to change a person that does not desire to change. If any individual, in this case criminals from the quote above, are not corrected they will continue their negative behavior. These characters, Cap and the Brick maker, are prime examples of this.

In conclusion both world views have benefits and unprecedented troubles that come with them. Understandably one cannot work without the other as both qualities of the characters are needed for society to function and learn from. They may not be the best characters in the book, but they have passion. One is passionate about status. The other is passionate about living a good life no matter what he needs to give up if only temporarily. The world views that these two characters have comes down to their train of thought and what actions they do to defer any negative thought or attitude.

Works cited

Battistella, Edwin. “The Yardstick of Manners.” Society, vol. 46, no. 4, July 2009, p. 363. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s12115-009-9223-8.

Louis Gesualdi. “Corrections in the Community Edward J. Latessa Harry E. Allen.” International Social Science Review, no. 3/4, 2002, p. 218. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.41887113&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid&CustID=s6735259.

Marlene Kim. “The Working Poor: Lousy Jobs or Lazy Workers?” Journal of Economic Issues, no. 1, 1998, p. 65. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.4227278&site=eds-live&authtype=ip,uid&CustID=s6735259.

Stuckenberg, Carl-Friedrich. “Who Is Presumed Innocent of What by Whom?” Criminal Law & Philosophy, vol. 8, no. 2, June 2014, pp. 301–316. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11572-013-9230-0.

Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, North America: Palgrave Macmillan, Published 1899.

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Racism in the Heart of Darkness

In Joseph Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness, there are several reoccurring themes. Out of all the themes that reside in this novel, one stood out. Many instances throughout Heart of Darkness the main character, Marlow, illustrates his surroundings in extensive detail. He describes the Thames River as tranquil and mysterious, Africa as a backdrop, and paints a picture in our minds of the people he encounters. The theme that most stood out to me was they way Marlow illustrates the natives. By examining the way Marlow describes those who are not like him, we can see that Marlow only sees the natives as inhuman, beastly, and inanimate. There are various examples throughout the novel that further strengthen this claim.

One of these examples, Marlow states “I could see every rib, the joints of their limbs were like knots in a rope; each had an iron collar on his neck, and all were connected whose bights swung between them, rhythmically clinking…All their meager breasts panted together, the violently dilated nostrils quivered, the eyes stared stonily uphill.” (Conrad 12-3). It is apparent when he is looking at the natives, that their features are described as either inanimate objects or features that are beastly. The way he is describing these people is almost as if they are a completely different beast despite them being human just like himself. When we investigate this further, it makes sense why he has this way of thinking towards the natives. The reason being is because of Marlow’s need to classify and create a hierarchy in this foreign land in order for him to better grasp where he is at. His “normal” being a white male like himself is placed at the top of his hierarchy and the natives at the bottom. His thinking mirrors well when we look at Ashcroft’s Post-Colonial Studies: Key Concepts textbook. Under the Race section, it states, “Race thinking and colonialism are imbued with the same impetus to draw a binary distinction between ‘civilized’ and ‘primitive’ and the same necessity for the hierarchization of human types.” (Ashcroft 181). Essentially this means that it is in our human nature to categorize so we can make sense of the situation around us. We do this with all walks of life, but we tend to micro-categorize within our own species. Any miniscule difference is exemplified when it is presented in an environment that is not familiar to us. When we look further into Conrad’s upbringing, it makes sense why he thinks the way he does.

It is no secret that Conrad is channeling himself into Marlow in this novel. According to Chinua Achebe’s article, “An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad’s Heart of Darkness”, he states that, “Conrad was born in 1857…It was certainly not his fault that he lived his life at a time when the reputation of the black man was at a particularly low level. But even after due allowances have been made…Conrad’s attitude [has] a residue of antipathy to black people which is peculiar psychology alone can explain.” (Achebe 258). This is a combination of two components. Firstly, Conrad is oblivious to his blatant racism towards black people like Marlow is towards the natives. Secondly, even though Conrad is oblivious to said racism, he holds a deeper grudge towards those who are not like him which, in turn, influences Marlow’s descriptions in the novel. This also implies that Conrad is being an outright racist whether it is intentional or not.

“Racism can be defined as: a way of thinking that considers a group’s unchangeable physical characteristics to be linked in a direct, causal way to… distinguish between ‘superior’ and ‘inferior’ racial groups.” (Ashcroft 181). This way of thinking is apparent throughout Conrad’s novel. A perfect example of this illustrates, “You could see from afar the white of their eyeballs glistening. They shouted, sang; their bodies streamed with perspiration; they had faces like grotesque masks— these chaps; but they had bone, muscle, a wild vitality, an intense energy of movement, that was as natural and true as the surf along their coast.” (Conrad 19-20). This example, like the one previously stated in paragraph two, points out obvious physical differences between Marlow and the natives. For instance, when Marlow is trying to find a similarity between himself and the natives, the only one he can think of is the whiteness of their eyes and how they glisten. He then proceeds to describe their faces as grotesque masks. It is as if though the only part of them Marlow perceives as human is a feature that is miniscule. He disregards the parts that make them human. He describes these poor people as less than him just because their skin is a different tone and anything that can make them remotely unique is tossed to the wayside and forgotten about. With this in mind, we look at Achebe’s article regarding racism in which he states, “Joseph Conrad was a thoroughgoing racist. That this simple truth is glossed over in criticisms of his work is due to the fact that white racism against Africa is such a normal way of thinking that its manifestations go completely unremarked.” (Achebe 257). I will extend this part of Achebe’s thesis by stating the distinction we must keep in mind is although the descriptions illustrated in Conrad’s novel are crude, inhumane, and ignorant, we must keep in mind that this is not what Marlow is thinking in this moment. We must detach Marlow from Conrad for just a moment because even though Conrad channels himself through Marlow, Marlow is still just a character in a novel and cannot help what his creator has written for him to see, think, and feel. He is simply trying to make sense of an otherwise strange situation.

In conclusion, race and racism is more complex than what is seen on the surface. We are reading this novel in a different point in time than when it was originally written. Our thoughts and viewpoints are vastly different than those portrayed in this novel. Heart of Darkness is by no means my cup of tea and I am glad to be done with this novel once and for all. As a reader myself, this has made me glad to go back to the book I was reading before for pleasure.

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Stream of Consciousness in Heart of Darkness and the Love Song

The 20th Century was considered the birth place of several modernist literary devices. Of these tools, stream-of-consciousness, simply known as interior monologue, was a misunderstood but widely growing concept used in many literary works. Authors Joseph Conrad and T.S. Eliot applied this tool in their novels Heart of Darkness and The Love Song of J Alfred Prufrock. Stream-of-consciousness writing was a widely used technique because of its ability to provide readers with a deeper understanding of a character’s thoughts and to allow for personal interpretation.

The stream-of-consciousness technique found itself in modernist literature at the turn of the 20th century when it was first introduced by William James. LiteraryDevices.net quotes James’ book, The Principles of Psychology, saying “… it is nothing joined; it flows. A ‘river’ or a ‘stream’ is the metaphors by which it is most naturally described. In talking of it hereafter, let’s call it the stream of thought, consciousness, or subjective life” (“Stream of Consciousness”). In other words, stream-of-consciousness is the flow of one internal idea to the next. After coining this unique style in 1890, other authors began to take notice. However, most reviews carried a negative connotation as it was found to be choppy and faulty in novels. This was mainly due to the fact that stream-of-consciousness was a spontaneous thought that arose within monologues of the narrators. It can be closely equated to a written version of a character’s thought process as they progress through the story.

With the growing popularity of this concept, several works utilized the controversial tool. Author Joseph Conrad based one of his more popular works, Heart of Darkness, around the internal monologue of the main character, Marlow. Marlow is reminiscing of the story of his adventures within the Congo of Africa with his fellow passengers aboard the Nellie, a boat floating down the River Thames. Conrad used the stream-of-consciousness style to show the chaotic confusion that was Marlow’s tale. Multiple times Marlow moves from one choppy sentence to the next as his memory flows: “An idea at the back of it; not a sentimental pretence but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea- something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to….” (Norton 2410). Although Marlow himself does not intend to be spotty, Conrad leaves these holes within Marlow’s tale to allow reader interpretation and to show how the technique can also correlate with the spots of time that stand out in his memory.

Conrad continues to carefully weave the thoughts of Marlow throughout the story to provide the necessary feeling the reader needs to understand his journey. By doing so, he brings the reader further into the inner circle of Marlow’s tale. The focus on Marlow’s consciousness is largely apparent towards the end of the novella. When time comes for Marlow to speak with the fiancé of Mr. Kurtz about his death, he remembers his thoughts as he waits thinking:

He lived then before me; he lived as much as he had ever lived- a shadow insatiable of splendid appearances, of frightful realities… The visions seemed the enter the house with me- the stretcher, the phantom-bearers, the wild crowd of obedient worshippers, the gloom of the forests, the glitter of the reach between the murky bends, the beat of the drum, regular and muffled like the beating of a heart- the heart of a conquering darkness (Norton 2461).

This inner monologue aids in solidifying the vivid memories that Marlow still has of his last encounter with Kurtz. Conrad shows how using the stream-of-consciousness technique draws the focus onto the inner thoughts of Marlow while blurring the outer world. The spotty memories seem to fade away as the concentration draws further into what he saw in the jungle.

Much like Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, T.S. Eliot’s poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock also follows a stream-of-consciousness layout. Prufrock is talking to himself about his concerns towards losing his youthful liveliness and happiness. As he created this silent monologue, his stream of ideas flow from one to the next, each new idea connecting to the previous. This associative thinking coincides with the stream-of-consciousness toward the end of his poem as he progresses through his thoughts:

I grow old… I grow old… / I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled. / Shall I part my hair behind? Do I dare to eat a peach? / I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. / I have heard the mermaids, singing, each to each. / I do not think that they will sing to me (Norton 2712).

Prufrock’s consciousness is going over the idea of his ever-growing age. He explains how he will change his attire to something more age-appropriate. Furthermore, he recalls that while he walked on the beach he heard mermaids sing. As he ages, he doubts the mermaids will ever sing to him again.

Eliot continues to use the idea of stream-of-consciousness until the last line of his poem. Prufrock finds himself wandering from the beach into the sea by the mermaids that he once heard sing. He yearns for them to sing to him; however, their song still leads him to fall under the depths of their dream. With the last line of the poem, Prufrock finds himself awakened: “…Till human voices wake us, and we drown” (Norton 2713). For a moment, Prufrock gets away from the pouring river that is his conscious thought and finds himself within a dream. This dream has led him to the beach where the mermaids deny his return to reality. Within a moment, he wakes from the dream to find himself once again drowning under the sea of thought that arises from his flowing conscious. He is thrust back into the world where he worries for his age and happiness after having fell under the dream where they vanished.

The creation of the stream-of-consciousness technique for writing actually found its roots in the late 19th and early 20th century as a coined term used by psychologists. During this time, both the psychological and philosophical revolutions were beginning to find their way into the spot light. The idea behind stream-of-consciousness correlated with the roots of these revolutions as figures like Frederick Nietzsche encouraged people to develop and create their own values and ideas. He pushed to show that authors could reform the world in which they were living through their writing. The possibilities of thought and rationality inserted within writing were endless. As described by editors at Encyclopaedia Britannica on their website, “some writers attempted to capture the total flow of their characters’ consciousness, rather than limit themselves to rational thoughts” (Encyclopadeia Britannica). Authors could now weave the inner reality of their characters into the minds of readers. This would allow for more reader interpretation and personal opinions, or conversations, to be developed.

Literature would face a multitude of changes at the end of the 19th century and into the early 20th century. Techniques and devices were being developed, introduced, and applied to works of several renown authors of the time. Stream-of-consciousness, although heavily misunderstood, became the technique of choice for many novelists. Those such as Joseph Conrad and T.S. Eliot used the idea to draw readers further into their work. It would open a door into the flowing conscious of the characters they developed. This allowed the readers to not only further relate to those characters, but there was also room for personal interpretation, conversation, and value that was not originally intended by the author. Due to the growing popularity and potential it possessed, the use of stream-of-consciousness soon became a sought-after literary tool for writers of the Modernist era.

Works Cited:

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Stream of Consciousness.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/art/stream-of-consciousness.

Conrad, Joseph. “Heart of Darkness.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: the Major Authors, by Stephen Greenblatt, W.W. Norton & Company, 2013, pp. 2405–2464.

Eliot, T. S. “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature: the Major Authors, by Stephen Greenblatt, W.W. Norton & Company, 2013, pp. 2709–2712.

“Stream of Consciousness - Examples and Definition.” Literary Devices, Literary Devices, 13 Jan. 2018, literarydevices.net/stream-of-consciousness/.

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Insights which i Found in a Heart of Darkness

A thought of what exists in the hearts of men is key to Joseph Conrad's exemplary novella Heart of Darkness. Marlow's excursion into the colonized heart of Darkness fills in as a vehicle for Conrad to investigate the consequences for mankind at the point when the shallow veil of civilisation is stripped away. Dove into a world without the limitations of Western civilisation, Marlow is left subject to his own ability for patience to oppose the call of the 'drums' which reverberation through the story. Thus, as contended by pundit Albert Guerard in 'The Journey Within', his psychoanalytic perusing of the novella, Heart of Darkness is a 'venture into the self' wherein Marlow should investigate his own heart and see if he is, at his center, savage or socialized.

From the beginning of Marlow's account, unmistakably his encounters have been standing up to. Despite the fact that Guerard alludes to this start as Marlow's 'thoughtful dive', there is a reluctance and dubiousness to Marlow's record which proposes that Marlow himself isn't completely prepared to do genuine contemplation. Marlow portrays his time in the Congo as the 'coming full circle mark of my experience' which tossed 'a sort of light' upon his own reality. The word intensifying expression 'sort of' infers that Marlow doesn't obtain full information, yet readies the peruser for certain disclosures about the significance of what he experiences. When Marlow goes to the 'whited tomb' that is Brussels, confounding pictures of death and stagnation are utilized to foretell that, in Marlow's excursion to the Congo, the decisions he will make might deliver him as callous as the city. That Marlow's encounters will influence his very being is most plainly hinted by the way that he is welcomed by two ladies who look like the Fates of antiquated Greek folklore, for they give off an impression of being 'guarding the entryway of Darkness'. The nature of that obscurity is alluded to by the specialist Marlow sees, whose apparently harmless request 'Ever any franticness in your family?' uncovers that it isn't only Marlow's body that is going to be tested, yet additionally his psyche. Conrad in this manner anticipates that Marlow's physical and mental stores will be important to endure the showdown with his own inclination that will come from participating in the colonialist undertaking in progress in the Congo.

The difficulties looked by Marlow become more clear upon his venture from the Outer Station towards the Inner Station and Kurtz; however they stay, as Conrad more than once reminds us, 'incomprehensible'. Already stood up to with the 'bit of madness' which denotes the Company's activities on his excursion to Darkness, Marlow notices a 'scene of occupied demolition', with rotting bits of apparatus thronw about and 'objectless impacting' in progress at a bluff which isn't obstructing anything'. This symbolism proposes an absence of direction, and a silly endeavor to take care of 'job' of any sort to keep a veneer of provincial venture. This veneer is kept up with specific consideration by the Company's boss bookkeeper, whom Marlow appreciates for having the option to keep up with an appearance of civilisation. Marlow himself rapidly tosses himself into 'crafted by' fixing his boat when he shows up at the Central Station, disregarding the way that 'I don't care for work'.

It appears to be that Marlow is trying to shield himself from something, maybe from the 'quake of distant drums' that he hears on his excursion to the Central Station and discovers 'bizarre, engaging, interesting, and wild'. The sound of the drums is an fundamental device utilized by Conrad to uncover the stripping endlessly of civilisation and furthermore Marlow's steadily approaching experience with his own real essence, a theme that thus reflects how intently Conrad adjusts the African locals to the antiquated beginnings of the European colonizers – an unmistakably bigoted condition which is hard to ignore. Marlow tells his audience members that the as it were reason he had the option to oppose the call of the Darkness to 'go shorewards for a yell and a dance' was that he was occupied grinding away keeping the boat on course so he could get to Kurtz.

Guerard contends that work, without the shallow limitations of 'the butcher and the cop', is Marlow's just defensive layer against the inward draw of his own inclination to the dim call of the Congo. This, in any case, overlooks the way that at the point when Marlow at last goes up against his hazier 'savage' self, he is presently not ensured by work however just has his own internal stores to call upon. With his landing in the Inner Station, the compulsion to dismiss the standards and upsides of humanized society is most grounded as Marlow meets Kurtz. Kurtz presents to Marlow what Guerard alludes to as 'a potential and fallen self', a man who has effectively needed to confront 'utter isolation without a cop' and been not able to meet the challenge. Kurtz is uncovered to have 'taken a high seat among the fiends of the land' and deserted the ruleshat he had looked to maintain as an 'messenger of light'. It is clarified that Kurtz's disappointment lives in single deficiency – he needs restriction. Kurtz's destiny happens not just in light of the fact that he is eliminated from his social setting, yet in addition since he comes up short on the internal ability to oppose the fiendish urges that can grab hold when an individual is the sole mediator of their own behavior. With no position to call upon except for himself, acting like a mythical being, Kurtz is uncovered to be unequipped for practicing the limitation that the man-eaters on Marlow's steamer, notwithstanding an extraordinary deficiency of food, show themselves to be able to do Marlow is similarly defied with the need to practice limitation. The representative drums, which he has heard faintly repeating through the haziness on his excursion to the Inner Station, arrive at their crescendo as Marlow, no more busy with 'crafted by' keeping the liner above water, stands up to Kurtz in the grass close to the hovel.

This showdown represents Marlow's showdown with his own savage self, with his own ability to hold onto control over those whom he sees as lesser creatures than himself. As Guerard contends, Kurtz, depicted as a 'conceal' and an 'started apparition from the rear of Nowhere', addresses Marlow's Jungian shadow, an exemplification of the second rate and secret parts of his character that have been ensured by European civilisation and 'work'. In any case, Marlow makes a decision to get back to the boat, and to civilisation, trying to stay away from a dim experience with his own fact like Kurtz experienced as the 'cover' was lease and he articulated upon his own reality 'The ghastliness! The ghastliness!' Consequently obviously Heart of Darkness isn't just an assessment of the effect of colonization upon the Congo, yet an assessment of the effect upon the spirits of European men at the point when they are eliminated from the acculturating powers with which they have encircle themselves. Apparently, as per Conrad, at the core of the human condition lies a limit with regards to incredible fiendishness, yet additionally a limit with respect to decision, and that eventually it isn't destiny that decides our pathways through life, however our reactions to the motivations and wants lying at the actual center of our mankind.

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Chinua Achebe’s Criticism of Heart of Darkness

Achebe has expressed in the past that "whether or not a clever which commend dehumanization, which depersonalized a part of humanity, can be known as an extraordinary masterpiece. My answer is: no, it can't" (Achebe 344). By Achebe expressing this obviously he accepts that works that praise the entirety of humankind or if nothing else works that don't "dehumanizes" or affront parts of mankind qualify as the possibility to be viewed as extraordinary works, and since Achebe accepts that Heart of obscurity by Joseph Conrad fizzles at this here and there or another.

All through heart of haziness you follow a man named Marlow on his excursion into Africa explicitly up the Congo waterway to meet a man named Kurtz. However out the excursion there is steady depiction of the Africans being not exactly human. Through Conrad, never giving any of the Africans any names all through the term of the novel, however alludes to the Africans on the boat as "Fine colleagues - barbarians And after everything they didn't eat each other before my face" (Conrad 84). This statement assists that these African individuals are not ordinary and act more as creatures without ethics. The novel even has Marlow straightforwardly contrast the Africans with beasts by expressing how "We are familiar with view the shackled type of a vanquished beast, however there – you could take a gander at a thing gigantic and free. It was ridiculous, and the men were – No, they were not cruel. All things considered, you know, that was the most exceedingly awful of it – the doubt of their not being brutal.

They yelled, and jumped, and turned, and made awful faces" (Conrad 85). Marlow plainly states how he considers these to be as beasts, how he is accustomed to seeing them confined up and how he expresses that the most noticeably terrible of it was "the doubt of their not being barbaric". Implying that he sees them as creatures or beasts and the most noticeably awful piece of his manner of thinking was that he has some uncertainty that they probably won't be creatures. This unmistakably shows how Conrad has bombed Achebe's test, because of how the Africans in this work have been "dehumanized" by being alluded to and portrayed as beasts. As expressed before none of the Africans are at any point given a name, the storerooms we are at any point given to a name is the gathering of Africans chipping away at board the boat called the "Savages" (Conrad 84). It seems like each example of this original Africa and its kin are pushed farther and farther, in a way that has them appear to be less and less of real people by alluding to the "beasts" (Achebe 44). The novel likewise depicts "depersonalization" towards the Africans when

"Ahead of schedule after Marlow's appearance in the Congo, the storyteller depicts the affixed slaves, alluding to them as savages. For this situation, notwithstanding, and like many cases all through the novella, this crime is just nonchalantly referenced. Conrad embeds subtleties however rapidly progresses forward to the storyline of Marlow and his battles all through the novella. Straightforwardly following the word 'savages,' Conrad promptly keeps him from noticing the Congolese public, and starts to depict the tactical men running the workspace (23). Conrad offers no genuine response or resistance to the condition of the slaves beside a basic depiction of their condition. Thusly, he debilitates the shock factor to his perusers and consequently sabotages the force of his presentation" (Lim 66).

This is significant in light of the fact that the Africans are pushed considerably farther from being treated as individuals and "depersonalizes" them also by alluding to them as "savages" in substitution of their names or even Africans. While it's currently obvious to perceive how Conrad's novel shouldn't be seen as a show-stopper or observed, Things self-destruct by Achebe is a legitimate illustration of what a novel ought to do. In the original we follow a man named Okonkwo, the peruser is told how rich he is, his achievements, his connections and his past. We discover that Okonkwo has a child that he feels embarrassed about named Nwoye, a spouse and a pseudo child named Ikemefuna. All through this clever Achebe appropriately depicts the fundamental characters such that appeared to be precise and reasonable. All through the main piece of the novel while we are following basically Okonkwo, we are shown his character through which the novel portrays him "a man of activity, a battleship. In contrast to his dad" (Achebe 773). Just from this sentence alone we acquire knowledge into Okonkwo and the Africans in Things self-destruct than the sum of Conrad's Heart of murkiness. The peruser realizes that Okonkwo has character, family and a culture that has encountered battle inside Okonkwo's life expectancy. The novel even portrays what Okonkwo fears expressing "for what seems like forever was overwhelmed by dread, the dread of disappointment and of shortcoming It was simply the dread, in case he ought to be found to take after his dad (Achebe 774). These lines add much more person to Okonkwo and "acculturates" him to where the peruser can identify with him and start to comprehend that Africans are not as various as they have been portrayed. The novel portrays all through of "divine beings" and "goddesses", of otherworldly creatures and "spirits", "great" and "insidiousness". They additionally notice of customs that they would go through and these ceremonies are vital to the town to where in the event that you don't follow them you might be expelled for a while, one of their practices were the place where "twins were placed in stoneware pots and discarded in the backwoods" (Achebe 794).

"Okonkwo was incited to legitimate outrage by his most youthful spouse, who went to plait her hair at her companion's home and didn't restore sufficiently early to prepare the evening supper. Okonkwo didn't know from the get go that she was not at home. In the wake of hanging tight to no end for her dish he went to her cottage to perceive what she was doing. There was no one in the cabin and the chimney was cold He strolled back to his obi to anticipate Ojiugo's return. Furthermore, when she returned, he beat her intensely. In his displeasure he had failed to remember that it was the Week of Peace. His initial two spouses ran out in extraordinary alert begging him that it was the sacrosanct week. However, Okonkwo was not the man to quit beating someone part of the way through, not in any event, inspired by a paranoid fear of a goddess" (Achebe 780-781).

Achebe left these pieces of the story in for an explanation, it was because of how he needed to show "Africa not through a murkiness of contortions and modest confusions yet just as a mainland of individuals not holy messengers, nor simple spirits by the same token" (Achebe 348). He needed to portray the Africans as what they are, as individuals, with the great and awful connected at the hip very much like each and every other human on the planet.

Heart of Darkness has demonstrated that it's anything but a reasonable perspective on Africa or its way of life and ought not be adulated for it and during present day time this will in general be the situation, yet the principle issue comes down to when this was delivered and the mischief of a "solitary story". People are entirely naive particularly when we are youthful, a lady named Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discussed how as the standard was, "living homegrown assist that with coming from close by distant towns, we got another house kid his name was Fide the lone thing my mom enlightened us concerning him was that his family was exceptionally poor, when I didn't complete my supper my mom would say finish your food, don't you realize individuals like Fide's family have nothing, so I gigantic pity for Fide's family. Then, at that point one Saturday we went to his town to visit and his mom showed us a perfectly design bin made of colored raffia that his sibling had made. I was surprised it had not happened to me that anyone in his family could really make something. The lone thing I heard was the manner by which helpless they were, so it had gotten outlandish for me to consider them to be whatever else however poor. Their destitution was my single story of them" (Adichie).

This shows the mischief of what a "solitary story" can do, particularly what heart of obscurity did. Heart of murkiness was delivered in the year 1899, and during this time there was very little information about Africa that was accessible to the overall population however when heart of dimness came out that changed. When this novel came out individuals currently had the option to "learn" about the strange place that is known for Africa. They found out about the "man-eaters" (Conrad 84) of Africa, they found out with regards to how "They yelled, and jumped, and turned, and made terrible faces" (Conrad 85). In the present current age there would be a huge number of different models and stories to preform cross reference to choose whether this story could be considered as sound or not. The issue was in those days there could have been no different stories, and in light of that individuals perusing this had no other thought of what Africa is really similar to, their brain this present time defaults to Conrad's Africa each opportunity the subject is raised.

The motivation behind why this novel was respected in the past is on the grounds that everyone (or most) have had a one-sided view and assessment on Africa. In the not really ongoing past we have been besieged with media revealing to us that Africa is a land loaded with tasty wildernesses and crude individuals living in clans, regardless of whether is be in books, motion pictures or the news it has been engraved into our psyches to consider Africa in this light. While its simple to foster an inclination, it may not be as simple to eliminate it, since predispositions are engraved into us at an early age once we get more established it simply turns out to be natural and you don't ponder it any longer. This predisposition started whenever Africa was found, stories like Heart of obscurity built up the thought Africa that has been told previously. In the wake of survey Heart of haziness through Achebe's eyes it is obvious to perceive how harming this novel is to Africa and its kin. From the way it "depersonalizes" by never giving any names to the Africans, to its "dehumanization" through the correlations of beasts.

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Frida Kahlo’s Love Letters

Youthful hopeful sweethearts learn: connections are untidy and muddled—loaded up with disillusionments, errors, treacheries incredible and little. They self-destruct and now and again can't be assembled back. It's not difficult to become negative and harsh. However, as James Baldwin broadly expressed, "you think your agony and your catastrophe are remarkable throughout the entire existence of the world, yet then you read." You read, that is, the biographies and letters of journalists and craftsmen who have encountered outsized heartfelt happiness and torture, and who some way or another turned out to be all the more enthusiastically alive the more they endured.

With regards to individual anguish, Frida Kahlo's life story offers beyond what one individual could appear to bear. Effectively impaired by polio at a youthful age, she discovered her life perpetually changed at 18 when a transport mishap sent an iron pole through her body, cracking different bones, including three vertebrae, puncturing her stomach and uterus. Reviewing the old Gregorian psalm, Kahlo's companion Mexican author Andrés Henestrosa commented that she "lived passing on"— in close to steady torment, suffering a medical procedure after medical procedure and successive hospitalizations.

Amidst this agony, she discovered love with her guide and spouse Diego Rivera—and, it should be said, with numerous others. Kahlo, composes Alexxa Gotthardt at Artsy, "was a productive darling: Her rundown of sentiments extended across many years, mainlands, and genders. She was said to have been personally associated with, among others, Marxist scholar Leon Trotsky, artist Josephine Baker, and photographic artist Nickolas Muray. Notwithstanding, it was her over the top, standing relationship with individual painter Diego Rivera—for whom she'd held onto an enthusiastic pound since she looked at him at age 15—that influenced Kahlo most intensely."

Her letters to Rivera—himself a productive extra-conjugal darling—stretch "across the long term length of their relationship," composes Maria Popova; they "bespeak the significant and withstanding association the two common, overflowing with the fuming cauldron of feeling with which all completely occupied love is filled: rapture, misery, commitment, want, yearning, bliss."

Diego.

Truly, so incredible, that I wouldn't prefer to talk, or rest, or tune in, or love. To feel myself caught, with no dread of blood, outside time and sorcery, inside your own dread, and your incredible agony, and inside the actual thumping of your heart. This frenzy, in the event that I requested it from you, I know, in your quiet, there would be just disarray. I ask you for viciousness, in the hogwash, and you, you give me effortlessness, your light and your glow. I'd prefer to paint you, yet there are no shadings, in light of the fact that there are so many, in my disarray, the unmistakable type of my incredible love.

So starts the letter envisioned at the top. In another, similarly energetic and wonderful letter, envisioned further up, she composes:

Nothing thinks about to your hands, in no way like the green-gold of your eyes. My body is loaded up with you for quite a long time. you are the reflection of the evening. the fierce blaze of lightning. the moistness of the earth. The empty of your armpits is my safe house. my fingers contact your blood. All my satisfaction is to feel life spring from your bloom wellspring that mine keeps to fill every one of the ways of my nerves which are yours.

Kahlo and Rivera fell head over heels in 1928, when she requested that he take a gander at her artworks. Over her mom's complaints, they wedded the next year. Following ten wild years, they separated in 1939, at that point remarried in 1940 and remained joined forces until her demise in 1954. Over these years, she spilled out her feelings in letters, many, similar to those above, first written in her represented journal. Letters to and from her numerous darlings have additionally quite recently arisen in a stash of individual antiquities, as of late freed from a washroom at Casa Azul where they had been held safely secured at Rivera's command.

The two craftsmen's numerous issues caused colossal agony and "made fractures between them actually," notes Katy Fallon at Broadly, in spite of the fact that "their relationship has been mythologized past acknowledgment," in the method of such countless other acclaimed couples. In the most deplorable treachery, Rivera even laid down with Kahlo's more youthful sister Cristina, his number one model, a demonstration that enlivened Frida's 1937 painting Memory, the Heart, a self-representation wherein she remains with a metal pole puncturing her chest, her hands apparently cut away, face bland. We take in some unacceptable exercises from romanticizing "everything" about Frida and Diego's life, Patti Smith recommends in her accolade for Kahlo's affection letters. However, there is likewise peril in condemning.

"I don't view at these two as models of conduct," Smith says, however "the main exercise… isn't their careless activities and relationships yet their commitment. Their characters were amplified by the other. They went through their good and bad times, separated, returned together, to the furthest limit of their lives." In a 1935 letter to Rivera, read by musician Mona Golabek above, Kahlo pardons his issues, calling them "just teases… . At base, you and I love each other sincerely, and hence go through experiences without numbers, beatings on entryways, curses, affronts, worldwide cases. However, we will consistently cherish one another… . Every one of the reaches I have gone through have served uniquely to cause me to comprehend in the end that I love you more than my own skin."

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Frida Kahlo: Life through Creativity

Frida Kahlo once expressed 'I paint my world. The lone thing I know is that I paint since I need to, and I paint whatever goes through my head with no other thought'. Workmanship has been around for a few centuries and manily affects society. Ladies have been perhaps the greatest subject in Art. They have been addressed in a wide range of viewpoints over time of the time period the composition was made. The three masterpieces that will be assessed and talked about in this paper will be Venus of Urbino by Titian, Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell and Self-representation with edited hair by Frida Kahlo.

The primary show-stopper is the Venus Urbino by Titian which shows one of the numerous portrayals of ladies. The Venus of Urbino was made by Titian whose complete name is Tiziano Vecellio. Wethey states 'Titian was an Italian Renaissance painter brought into the world around the last part of the 1400s in a little town named Pieve di Cadore' ('Titian'). He made numerous works of art in the course of his life however one of his most notable artworks is the Venus of Urbino. The composition shows a picture of a naked lady who is alluded to as Venus the goddess of adoration and magnificence leaned back alongside a lounge chair in a room with two different ladies behind the scenes. The artwork is adjusted due to the ladies in the back balance the naked lady to one side. The canvas is lovely, and it has its own arrangement of subtleties and it portrays the arousing quality and magnificence of the naked lady.

As per Luna ' The second masterpiece is Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell which shows another more present day portrayal of ladies. Norman Rockwell Museum specifies that he was brought into the world in New York City in 1894 and went a few schools of workmanship and plan.

The third masterpiece is the Self-picture with trimmed hair by Frida Kahlo that shows a later portrayal of ladies. Frida Kahlo made a work of art of herself plunking down wearing a suit with trimmed hair and hair that was trimmed off on the ground encompassing her. She was brought into the world on July 6 of 1907. She met Diego Rivera in 1928 whom she wedded the next year on August 21 out of 1929. They later separated in November of 1939 and she made the self-representation of her with trimmed hair (Souter 156).

All in all ladies portrayal through workmanship differs significantly dependent on the time period the craftsmanship was made, however it has likewise changed incomprehensibly all through time. There is more workmanship that addresses the strength of ladies and their capacities. Circumstances are different thus have the points of view of individuals. There will consistently be some who will have similar cliché point of view of ladies simply being acceptable spouses and moms, yet workmanship these days will address in any case.

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Political Life of Frida Kahlo

Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo Calderon was brought into the world on 6 July 1097 in Coyoacan, Mexico. She was brought into the world to a Mexican lady Matilde Calderon and German conceived farther Guillermo Kahlo who had a business as a photographic artist. The family lived moderately well in the blue house that her dad assembled considering the monetary difficulties brought about by the unrest. Alongside her folks she lived with two more established sisters and two relatives from her dad's first marriage and Her more youthful sister Christina. Frida confronted an extreme youth and at the young age of six she was blasted with polio which implied she had to remain in bed for a very long time. Even after her recuperation Frida was left with a more modest right leg which made her limp as she strolled, and her colleagues nicknamed her 'Frida, stake leg'. This deformation drove her to consistently feel reluctant. Frida needed to consider medication thus In 1922 at fifteen years old Frida joined up with a premedical program at the National Preparatory School of the University of Mexico. This was viewed as a lofty establishment and out of 2000 understudies' Frida was just one of 35 young ladies who were acknowledged.

At the school Frida blended in with similar individuals and turned out to be important for a defiant gathering of understudies known as the cachuchas. Inside this gathering they all common this opportunity to partake in the recharging of Mexico following the upset of 1910-20. Through their solid obligation of fellowship they acquired a nature for disobedience to the power. These thoughts and qualities which were gotten tied up with her, would set up her for the future, yet would stay with her for her entire life. While at private academy in her extra time she took drawing illustrations and here is the place where she came into contact with the Mexican painter Diego Rivera, who later has a major influence in Frida's life. As of not long ago the Preparatoria University was confined exclusively to guys, and Frida being one of a couple of female understudies, started to develop confidence and certainty about herself. She kept on concentrating extremely hard with expectations of one day proceeding to clinical school and turning into a female specialist regardless of the social environment at that point, of which being a female specialist was an extraordinariness. Albeit the investigations in science and physiology didn't give Frida a clinical calling they did later have a major impact in her canvases where Frida utilized clinical analogies and allegories regularly painting exacting organs and clinical instruments . Henry Ford Hospital (1932).The Two Frida's (1939).

While thinking about the composition of Kalo according to the perspective of the political setting, a few occasions likewise affected her work. Specifically, the lady's colleague with the Russian progressive Trotsky in 1937 was a critical stage in her life (Frida Kahlo: life story n.d.). For some time, he lived in the place of the craftsman and her significant other, and a heartfelt connection emerged among Trotsky and Kalo. In any case, soon, they needed to separate in view of the exorbitant connection of the progressive to his new Mexican energy, and this load of political discussions additionally affected the craftsman's exercises.

Kahlo didn't take part in any state activities. In any case, the political circumstance on the planet was temperamental, and the Second World War had as of now started when of work on the self-picture. Dim shadings on the material can demonstrate the burdensome mind-set of the craftsman, which was most likely a result of her downturn as well as uneasiness about the circumstance on the planet. Also, Kahlo depended on some political thought processes in her artworks, for example, referencing Adolf Hitler and the Nazi system overall (Frida Kahlo: Mexican painter n.d.). Subsequently, such a setting can likewise be considered while assessing her work.

Subsequent to being liberated from her mortar Frida turned into an individual from the Mexican socialist coalition in 1928, likewise right now as her body was gradually mending Frida accepted her new abilities of painting and began considering herself to be a genuine craftsman. Before long Frida set off to acquire a profession being a craftsman and for this she went to Diego Rivera for exhortation. Frida extraordinarily respected Diego and this interest developed to a close connection and which lead to Frida wedding Diego in Mexico City corridor on august 1929. This piece of Frida's life was a lot of about returning to her Mexican roots and conflicting with the political current, she showed this by wearing the conventional Tehuana outfit. From this day till her demise Frida wearing this lavish outfit that was acclimated with real Mexico. She did this not exclusively to defy the accepted practices of legislative issues however it permitted her to build her picture and set up her own style which would make her effectively unmistakable and uniqu

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The First Voyage of Christopher Columbus

On the seventh of January 1492 Christopher Columbus set forth from Spain under guidance from the King and Queen to track down a westerly ocean crossing direct to Asia. Of this excursion there were a few things of writing kept in touch with which made record of the excursion that actually remain today. Subsequent to perusing two distinct pieces which offer various records from various men, a journal composed by Las Casas a crew members on the journey, which was made after the endeavor, and a letter, to the King and Queen of Spain composed by Columbus himself at the hour of the journey.

This leaves for less possibility of the fact of the matter being obscured by the progression of time. The Diary, then again, is an optional source, this mostly on the grounds that the journal was not composed by Columbus himself however by Las Casas. It was likewise not composed at the hour of the journey however at some point in the wake of taking into consideration a portion of the records to be lost to time. This being the case the journals do not have a portion of the believability that is accessible from the letter making it less helpful with the end goal of chronicled amusement.

The pieces additionally permit you to see and measure the responses between the Indians and the Spanish. The responses were by and large sure nature and one of companionship. "these things satisfied them significantly and they turned out to be sublimely cordial towards us". This response was practically indistinguishable on a large portion of the islands that Columbus visited on his first excursion. Anyway it was not by any means the only response – "When the occupants saw us they fled, leaving their homes. They concealed all they possessed in the under growth".

I accept that the two kinds of responses were brought about by a similar feeling 'dread'. The islanders that responded adversely and escaped their towns to stow away from the Spanish would have been unfortunate of what the white men in ships were able to do. Likewise it very well may be said the towns which responded in a more certain manner and helped the Spanish in the manner important, so they may not to be hurt by "the men from the skies". The response from the Spanish towards the locals was basically something very similar, one of companionship, yet with ulterior intentions.

The Spanish considered the to be as pliant elements, something that they possessed, that on the off chance that they treated them well they would surrender to their needs without an excessive amount of dissent, "I realize they would be vanquished not forcibly but rather by friendship". The Spanish additionally considered the Indians being individuals of lesser knowledge "Albeit individuals are straightforward and look savage", "For when I showed them my sword they cut themselves out of ignorance".

The articles likewise shed light upon how the two societies spoke with one another and showed that it was to some degree absurd. The Spanish accepted that they could comprehend what the Indians were attempting to hand-off to them by deciphering hand flags just as the local dialects that were spoken "To decide by the signs made by the Indians", "We comprehended them to inquire as to whether we came from the skies Come and see the ones who have come from the skies; and bring them food and drink".

This kind of supposition of what the locals were saying asking or advising them were generally very regular, as far as the Spanish might be aware the Indians might have been totally conflicting to what in particular was thought to have been said, that the Spanish just 'heard' what they needed to hear from the Indians. Another type of correspondence between the Indians and the Spanish, was the manner in which the Spanish conveyed that they intended no mischief to the locals at the hour of his first arrival.

This correspondence was done not utilizing words however by giving the local presents and leaving them generally 'untouched' which lead the Indians to a misguided feeling of trust which would definitely finished seriously - "individuals accumulated around him and seemed shocked. He couldn't help suspecting that we were acceptable individuals and that the man in the kayak more likely than not violated us or we would not have stolen him away". " I will convey him to Fernandina and reestablish every one of his assets to him with the goal that he may give a decent record of us. At that point when, god willing, your Highnesses send others here, we will be well gotten and the locals may give us all that they possess".

The readings permit us to brief understanding into the past and to what exactly values the Spanish respected alongside a portion of their presumptions and world perspectives at that point. It is made very clear in both the journals and the letter that the Spanish were passionate Christians and had faith in every one of the essential Christian beliefs two of these that were made apparent in the readings were of Monogamy and Modesty. They likewise anyway esteemed the greater things, for example, abundance got by gold and flavors, new grounds and assets to grow their domain.

There were numerous presumptions made in the readings the primary glaring one was that the local people groups would need to change over to the Spanish lifestyle and the Christian confidence "I trust that their highnesses with decide upon their transformation to our blessed confidence, towards which they are very inclined". The letter which was kept in touch with the King and Queen gives these incredible records of the Gold and valuable metals that could be found on the Island "In this island, there are numerous flavors and extraordinary mines of gold and other metals".

Columbus makes numerous references to the disclosure of Gold in his letter to the Sovereigns however in perusing his journals we comprehend that there were never any incredible measures of gold found on the primary endeavors to the islands other than seeing the little amounts that the Islanders wore as gems. Flavors along these lines are referenced to have been found in wealth on the island additionally "I accept likewise that I have discovered cinnamon and Rhubarb" albeit in his journals he says of the plants on the island "It laments me amazingly that I can't distinguish any of them".

Columbus additionally alludes to the Great Khan the head of the islands who is thought to have a boundless measure of gold at his ownership. He likewise further proceeds to say in the letter that he has framed a solid companionship with the lord expressing that " I have set up an extraordinary kinship with the ruler of that land, to such an extent, the he was glad to call me "sibling" and treat me as such". Yet, in perusing his journals that went on until the third of November it is seen that Columbus in spite of the fact that he looked eagerly he never really prevailing with regards to discovering him.

The most plausible explanations behind there being these limit irregularities between the journals that were kept by Columbus and the Letter that he kept in touch with the King and Queen of Spain would lie with the reality he was attempting to dazzle them. The spirit justification his journey in any case was to track down an immediate course to the Asian mainland and the worthwhile Spice Islands. Yet, obviously with the absence of the islands captivating gold structures, flourishing commercial centers and so on, this was not yet Asia.

So in lying, for example, the extraordinary plenitude of gold and flavors and the way that he framed a particularly solid association with the Great Khan whom managed over the new domains and approached the islands abundance. This would then assuage the royals back in Spain and that the time cash and utilities stood to the journey would not go unrewarded. To lie additionally benefits Columbus the most in light of the fact that his work would be in question if the undertaking was considered a disappointment "Their highnesses can see that I will give them as much gold s they need, if their Highnesses will deliver my an extremely slight help".

It is not difficult to see subsequent to perusing the two pieces that in 1492 the world and what the Spanish knew about the world changed until the end of time. In having perused both the journals that were composed by Columbus archiving his first records with individuals of the Caribbean and furthermore the letter that he likewise kept in touch with the King and Queen of Spain it isn't difficult to see that there are a huge number with many innocent embellishments being told. This excursion what was intended to be a straightforward journey to track down a westerly ocean intersection to the Asian mainland ended up being a gigantic lift for the Spanish yet flagged the start of the end for the locals of Mesoamerica.

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Cuban Attraction of Christopher Columbus

Christopher Columbus was an Italian pioneer and colonizer who finished four journeys a cross the Atlantic Ocean that opened the New World for triumph and perpetual European colonization of the Americas. Columbus had set out with aim to discover and foster a toward the west course to the Far East, yet rather found a course to the Americas, which were then obscure to the Old World. Columbus' journeys were the main European undertakings to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. His Spanish-based campaigns and administration of the settlements he established were supported by Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the Catholic Monarchs of the growing Spanish Empire.

In 1511, the principle Spanish settlement was set up by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar at Baracoa. Various towns after a short time sought after, including San Cristobal de la Habana, set up in 1515, which later transformed into the capital. The nearby Taíno needed to work under the encomienda structure, which resembled a crude system in Medieval Europe. Inside a century the native people were essentially gotten out due to various elements, mainly Eurasian powerful diseases, to which they had no typical hindrance, bothered by ruthless conditions of the extreme pioneer oppression. In 1529, a measles scene in Cuba executed 66% of two or three local people who had as of late suffer smallpox.

On 18 May 1539, Conquistador Hernando de Soto left from Havana at the head of some place in the scope of 600 enthusiasts into a monstrous undertaking through the Southeastern United States, starting at La Florida, searching for gold, fortune, ubiquity and impact. On 1 September 1548, Dr. Gonzalo Perez de Angulo was named authoritative head of Cuba. He arrived in Santiago, Cuba on 4 November 1549 and immediately articulated the opportunity things being what they are. He transformed into Cuba's first unending congressperson to live in Havana instead of Santiago, and he created Havana's first church made of block work. After the French took Havana in 1555, the agent's kid, Francisco de Angulo, went to Mexico.

Cuba developed step by step and, not in any way like the domain islands of the Caribbean, had an expanded agribusiness. Regardless, what was most critical was that the state made as a urbanized society that primarily maintained the Spanish common domain. By the mid-eighteenth century, its homesteaders held 50,000 slaves, stood out from 60,000 in Barbados; 300,000 in Virginia, both British areas; and 450,000 in French Saint-Domingue, which had gigantic scope sugar stick farms.

The Seven Years' War, which shot out in 1754 transversely more than three terrains, in the end arrived in the Spanish Caribbean. Spain's organization with the French pitched them into direct conflict with the British, and in 1762 a British undertaking of five warships and 4,000 warriors set out from Portsmouth to get Cuba. The British arrived on 6 June, and by August had Havana enduring an onslaught. Right when Havana surrendered, the head of maritime activities of the British fleet, George Pocock and the Commander of the Land Forces George Keppel, the third Earl of Albemarle, entered the city as a vanquishing new representative and accepted accountability for the whole western piece of the island. The British expeditiously opened up trade with their North American and Caribbean settlements, causing a fast difference in Cuban culture. They imported sustenance, horses and distinctive product into the city, similarly as a large number slaves from West Africa to manage the youthful sugar estates. As the understudy of history Ada Ferrer has communicated, 'At a fundamental level, opportunity in Saint-Domingue got comfortable its refusal in Cuba.

Christopher Columbus clarified he adored Cuba's wealth. Columbus initial feeling of Cuba was notable that he cherished it. At the show about astonishing Cuban lady, the speaker talked on how Columbus was enamored with Cuba's sea shores and the country. Christopher Columbus says, " never observed a particularly wonderful spot… ." communicating the amount he esteemed the place that is known for Cuba. My inquiry I addressed is the manner by which Christopher Columbus fell head over heels for this wonderful land.

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How did Christopher Columbus Find a New World

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) was an Italian dealer, pioneer and guide. He was brought into the world in Genoa, Italy. In 1492, another world had been established by this man. Numerous individuals in Western of Europe need the more limited approach to get to Asia. Around then, he needed more cash to pay for the journey. So he request the King and Queen of Spain, Ferdinand II and Isabelle I to pay for this outing. His purposed of this outing was reached to Asia, where had a lot of gold, pearls and flavors. At that point Columbus figured he could get to Asia by cruising west. His excursion has experienced three journeys.

In August third, 1492, Columbus and his mariners left Spain in three boats: Santa Maria, Pinta, Santa Clara. In October twelfth, 1492, his team arrived on a little island in Bahamas called Guanahani. Columbus named it San Salvador Island since he guaranteed it as Spain. In the wake of looking through the island they met Arawak and Taino whose Columbus called as Indians. At that point they cruised to Cuba – the nation of tobacco and Hispaniola and assembled Navidad, a stronghold with a name implied Christmas. It was the primary European army installations in Western Hem. However, he remembered his principle reason that to discover gold, so he accepting a few Arawaks as detainees and requested them to lead him to take gold, yet he fizzled.

In September 24th, 1493, Columbus left Spain to make Spanish provinces in New World. Investigated a portion of the islands of Lesser Antilles, around Hispaniola, Jamaica and Cuba. After the primary journey, Columbus had fostered his group. His team have 17 boats and 1200 mariners including officers, ranchers and ministers to change locals over to Christianity. At that point he returned to Navidad yet it had burned to the ground and 37 troopers were covered and the rest vanished.

The principle reasons were illnesses and battled with Arawak individuals. And keeping in mind that Columbus investigating Jamaica and Cuba, his fighters quit building post and cultivates and asked Arawak individuals to give them food yet didn't work excessively. At that point they attempting to take and assaulted Arawak ladies. After each contention, the Arawak retaliated yet they've fizzled in light of the fact that absence of weapon. On his overcome, Columbus made individuals who more prominent than 14 years of age to give him certain measure of gold at regular intervals. If not, his man would remove their hands and leave seep to death. Around 10000 individuals kicked the bucket in light of that exacting. Many attempted to flee yet can't on the grounds that Columbus had huge loads of canines and chase them down. On February, 1495, Columbus caught 1500 Taino for exchange however they've kicked the bucket almost half on their outing.

In 1498, to track down a mainland South-west of Cape Verde islands as King John II arranged. Sovereign Isabelle reminded Columbus that he should treat individuals on the island well to change them over to Christians. 3 ships directly to West Indies, 3 boats to Portugese island, Canary Islands and Cape Verde. After left Cape Verde, they cruised toward the Northern Coast of South America and arrived in Trinidad. He additionally investigated more land in South America which currently are called Tobago and Grenada. In August nineteenth, 1498, he and his group got back to Hispaniola, numerous pilgrims were miserable in light of the fact that they want to have more gold in the New World. Columbus give pilgrims land in Hispaniola to keep them glad however he fizzled. The pioneers sending grumblings to Spain.

In 1499, Queen Isabelle sent Francisco de Bobadilla to Hispaniola and enabled him all to do everything on the island. In 1500, he showed up and the principal thing he did was captured Columbus and sent him back to Spain. Discovering America had made a foundation of an advancement of the Americas. From that period, numerous nations were made and lead to a created landmass as daytime. Almost 10 years, Columbus had found a colossal piece of the reality where we called the New World. After his overcome, individuals from Europe begin to relocate to the New World for another everyday routine and better experience conditions. In 1506, Columbus kicked the bucket on account of cardiovascular breakdown and arthristis in Spain. Individuals will recollect Columbus as an author of the New World.

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Analysis of Christopher Columbus Letter

Christopher Columbus had consistently longed for heading out to Asia, yet there was a deterrent: he required monetary help. From the start, Columbus couldn't get subsidizing for his outing, however then he moved toward the King and Queen of Spain, Ferdinand and Isabella, and they concurred. At long last, he had the option to head out from Spain to Asia in the year 1492. He was sure that he was gone to Asia in any case, his arrangement didn't turn out as he had trusted. He wound up some place totally unique, despite the fact that he was ignorant. A couple of months after his journey, Columbus chose to compose his excursion benefactors a letter. In the letter that Columbus kept in touch with the King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, he clarified why and how his journey was a triumph. He needed them to realize that the journey they financed had brought them wealth and new land as guaranteed and urge them to subsidize future journeys; in sending the letter, he conveyed both applicable data from his journey and a cautiously created powerful contention.

There were numerous purposes behind which Christopher Columbus composed that first letter to Ferdinand and Isabella. Normally, he expected to tell them that he really showed up and had the option to reward Spain. In the letter, Columbus states, "I found numerous islands… I claimed every one of them for our most lucky King… " By saying this Columbus needs the King and Queen of Spain to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he had assumed responsibility for every one of the spots he went to and had the option to acquire them for Spain. In another passage he says, "… they may become Christians and slanted to adore our King and Queen and Princes and every one individuals of Spain." With this statement, Columbus needs the King and Queen to comprehend that he is spreading Christianity to different pieces of the world and is growing Spain's region by overcoming new land. He needs the King and Queen to realize that Spain is leaving an imprint with these individuals and that they will consistently be recalled.

Another primary concern of the letter was to call attention to that the journey was an incredible achievement, as guaranteed and giving thinking to future journeys. Columbus persuades the peruser in this letter by expressing the positive parts of the islands that he had experienced, for example, "various harbors on all sides", "exceptionally wide and sound giving streams", "really prolific fields", and "all around adjusted for developing structures." With these lines, Columbus is giving proof of motivations to return and how his discoveries were fruitful. Columbus needs to have future journeys and investigate the world better. The solitary way he can do is so by the sponsorship of the Ferdinand and Isabella. Without them, he would not have even gone anyplace in any case.

The fundamental justification the letter, in any case, is that Christopher Columbus needed to get acknowledgment for his discoveries and disclosures, despite the fact that Ferdinand and Isabela had effectively settled on a concurrence with him. Columbus found significantly more than he suspected he would. Despite the fact that he couldn't discover what his unique journey objective was, the immediate water course from Europe to Asia; he never really arrived at Asia, and was ignorant of this reality. All through the letter, Columbus specifies "I" reliably, causing it to appear like he is just answerable for every one of the positive parts of his journey. Columbus needs to leave an imprint and ensure that he gets a type of acknowledgment for his journey. Since the entirety of the land and the greater part of the wealth were vanquished by him be that as it may, are for Spain, the voyager, Columbus, doesn't wind up with a major extent of the discoveries however, having the option to assume acknowledgment for his discoveries have an effect. Columbus needed to ensure that Ferdinand and Isabela are not by any means the only ones getting acknowledgment for his investigations.

Columbus was effective in discovering numerous new revelations, land, and islands all through his journey. Along these lines, he could reward the nation of Spain for subsidizing his journey and future journeys since he did, all things considered, have a prosperous journey. Columbus' fundamental justification the letter was to get kudos for his diligent effort, very much like his motivation, Marco Polo (in spite of the fact that Marco Polo composed a book to build up his ability). His fundamental objective was to track down an immediate water course west from Europe to Asia at the same time, all things considered, he really wound up accomplishing significantly more prominent disclosures in the New World.

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Criticism of Columbian Exchange

The Columbian Exchange was the organic trade of sicknesses, food, creatures, and individuals all throughout the planet. This is something that massively affected individuals and urban communities all finished. At the point when explorers made their first excursions to the new world, they brought creatures new to the new region just as sicknesses that individuals populating those grounds had not been presented to beforehand. They additionally found that the native individuals they experienced had farming that was not found in the old world. The effect of the trading of natural things to and from these spaces had many negative repercussions, despite the fact that there were some sure results too.

There were numerous infections that were brought to the Americas that the native individuals had never been presented to. With the deadliest being smallpox, the trading of irresistible sicknesses from the Europeans to the local Americans brought about a fast decrease in the populace. I trust it is protected to say that the Americas might not have been so effectively crushed if 80% or a greater amount of the populace had not been wrecked. In the beginning of the settling of America there were whole urban areas that vanished because of the spread of disease. In the fight that happened at Tenochtitlan between the Spanish and the Mexica, or all the more normally known as the Aztecs, it was the spread of smallpox all through the city that prompted the Spanish arising successful. At the point when this occurred, the Spanish exploited over the attack in light of the fact that there was essentially insufficient Aztecs left to ensure the city. This is just a single little illustration of the pulverization caused all through the Americas because of the spread of infections. We could all be living in an altogether different United States at the present time if this had not happened.

The farming trade had both positive and adverse consequences across the globe. Europe acquired some new food things that they had never seen like corn, tomatoes, and potatoes. It was found that they likewise filled well in various European regions and these turned out to be a significant staple for their weight control plans. This wound up being fairly a gift and a revile. Britain encountered a huge ascent in populace and more adjusted weight control plans, anyway neediness expanded. Because of this individuals that had cash to eat had the option to eat well, however the destitute individuals were probably going to starve. I think that its fascinating how more food can be destructive, as it were, to a populace of individuals. This was one of the principle reasons that the English began setting their concentration across the Atlantic. It is truly conceivable that, under various conditions, individuals of our country's predecessors might have had for the most part Spanish or French genealogy. The Americas acquired a few things that are ordinary on the supper table today too. Cows and pigs were brought by boat from Europe. Meat and Pork are consistently in stock in my kitchen and they have gotten a staple in the American eating routine present day generally. I for one, am exceptionally glad that I have these things accessible to me now.

Moving away from creatures that we raise for food, there was another creature that had a critical effect also. At the point when the Europeans carried ponies to America, they enjoyed a huge upper hand over local people. The Spanish had the option to travel quickly on their ponies and enjoyed an enormous benefit in battle against the Indians. It was not long until the Indian public additionally gained ponies, in any case. Because of this, the local Americans had the option to meet the resistance with somewhat more fairness when it came time to battle. Ponies were utilized for advantage in fight, yet in addition for more viable chasing and the capacity to move a lot bigger items or burdens effortlessly. Societies that were recently settled got itinerant as they had the option to effectively chase bigger game and travel farther and quicker. Today there are ponies everywhere on the Americas. What might the cowhands of the old west have ridden if the ponies were never brought over on those boats?

As I would see it, the exchange of individuals all throughout the planet had the greatest effect of all. Subjugation got typical after the colonization of America. Africans were in a real sense stuffed into boats and put through awful conditions just to be brought abroad to the Caribbean and the Americas. Shockingly, things didn't improve for them once they made it here. They were treated as property and seen as mediocre. It is difficult for me to fold my head over claiming a genuine individual. African kids were conceived straightforwardly into it too with no chance for whatever else. It is an extremely discussed subject on the impacts that this had on America. At the point when I take a gander at this from a humanities angle, there isn't anything positive that I can think of all alone. At the point when I attempt to see it from a monetary viewpoint, notwithstanding, I can see how this was practical for individuals that profited by this. The manors were enormous and required a great deal of labor to stir them to stay aware of the weighty interest of horticultural things like tobacco and sugar. The proprietors of the ranches got exceptionally affluent due to the work their slaves did. During that time additionally, there might not have been some other spot for the captives to go that would have been exceptional for them on the off chance that they were free. In spite of the fact that the treatment they got was appalling, they had a rooftop over their head and food to eat. While these things might be valid, it might have made individuals in the south to some degree sluggish. They didn't actually need to work for everything on the off chance that they possessed slaves. Indeed, even today there is by all accounts a scholarly split between the northern states and the southern states in America. While it isn't as predominant today as it was at that point, a guide to exhibit this would be the educational systems America has in the current day. The schools in the northern states are positioned a lot higher than the schools in the south. In general, I accept that the acquaintance of Africans with America had exceptionally enormous effects regardless of assuming fortunate or unfortunate.

It very well may be accepted that the Americas may have been a totally different spot to live today if the Columbus Exchange has never occurred. The positive and adverse results have all influenced the world that we as a whole live in today. As the consequences of this turned out to be more investigated individuals put restrictions on making a trip to different nations with particular sorts of produce and creatures. There are still occasions when you should inform somebody in the event that you have headed out to specific spaces of the world because of a flare-up of contamination. The positive outcomes made it fit to have bacon for breakfast and rides riding a horse on the sea shore. It is not difficult to disregard the destruction that infection brought to the Indians yet all that happened assisted with molding the Americas into what they are today.

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Which Plants Took a Part in Columbian Exchange

The plants related with the Columbian Exchange definitely changed both the economy and culture of the New and Old Worlds. European explorers got back with New World plants, for instance, beans, squash, stew peppers, sunflowers, peanuts, tomatoes, yams, avocado and pineapple. Regardless, the two most huge New World plants were the potato and maize (corn). They would over the long haul influence the Old World and present day social classes.

Maize (corn) is a critical New World yield drew in with the Columbian Exchange. It was continually crucial for the social orders of Central America since it very well may be dried and taken care of for huge time intervals. It was adequately moved to Europe because of its adaptable nature and would over the long haul be created in a wide scope of regions all over. The introduction of maize into the Old World, close by other New World sustenances, provoked a general population improvement as the new food sources helped reinforce greater social orders.

Potatoes are nearby to South America anyway were sent to the Old World where they would go into a critical piece of the eating routine of various Europeans for a significant long an ideal opportunity to come. The potato was huge in light of the fact that they could go against cold temperatures and create in decently wobbly soil. Specifically, the potato would be basic to Ireland explicitly and by the nineteenth century, Ireland was so dependent upon the potato as a wellspring of sustenance that the 'Irish Potato Famine' in the 1840's and 1850's caused mass starvation and movement from Ireland. Approximately two-fifths of the general population was only subject to the potato as a wellspring of sustenance, and when a potato disease crushed the yields it had hair-raising effects for Ireland and Irish people. Ireland's general population dropped around 20% to 25% between the extensive stretches of the starvation.

Various Old World plants were brought to the New World and would significantly influence the Americas. Most importantly, Old World yields like wheat and grain ended up staple creating harvests on the American grasslands. A logically unequivocal instance of an Old World collect was the sugarcane. The sugarcane was a basic yield really. Christopher Columbus familiar the gather with the Caribbean on his second journey to the Americas. The new yield flourished in the New World with sugarcane homes being made in Cuba, Puerto Rico and Jamaica. Sugar today is used in various sustenances and has since ended up being one of the greatest cash crops ever.

Coffee had been created in Africa and the Middle East before it was moved to the Americas. Once in the New World, coffee transformed into a huge new yield in Central and South America. It has continued being a critical yield of the area due to its ability to foster adequately in the climate of Central and South America. Today coffee is a standard beverage the world over.

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A Gain of Wheat Vs Heart of Darkness Comparison

Contents

INTRODUCTION
Theme of isolation
Darkness and Betrayal
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

At its height the British Empire was a vast communications network and was thoroughly represented as heroic conquerors and civilizers of the world in text. Letters, diaries, memoirs and notebooks from the imperial period (1815-1914) connected worlds and offered home audience information about the explorations on the other side. This way the British produced stories and history of their own by excluding the stories of the people which countries they “explored” on. This exclusion of native’s narratives depicts an image of the white man’s story being of more importance. When referencing to the colonized, they are often represented as less human, less civilized and savage to build the image of the superior Europeans.

One of the most well-known novels of this time is Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad. Conrad was a Polish émigré who himself experienced the dark sides of imperialism, growing up under the shadows of the Russian empire. When he later migrated to Britain, joining the British Empire, roles were switched. Conrad’s experience of both sides of imperialism is quite clearly shown through the conflicting events in Heart of Darkness.

The idea of ‘post-colonial theory’ emerges from the inability of European theory to deal adequately with the complexities and varied cultural provenance of post-colonial writing. The incidents of the ‘Mau Mau’ or Land and Freedom anti-colonial revolt in Kenya in 1952 inspired the revolutionary decolonizing process amongst many. Writers of post-colonial literature seek to reclaim self- portrayal from stereotypical representation in colonial literature and discourses. Amongst them, is the Kenyan writer Ng?g? wa Thiong’o, who was born in 1938 when Kenya was still a British colony and raised through the Mau Mau war of Independence. This shift has greatly influenced his third novel A grain of wheat (1967).

A grain of wheat is the end spectrum of the situation in Heart of darkness and displays the unmistakable debts to the events in Conrad’s Heart of darkness. They are the different perspectives, of different times treating the same historical experience. They are opposite sides of the same coin. One, may therefore assume there are no similarities between them, however as one reads through the process of colonization in Heart of darkness and then the process of decolonization in A grain of wheat there is a great similar questioning of the morality of action. The discussion of the collective versus the individual and the concept of identity. All through themes and concepts such as darkness, betrayal, and isolation.

This extended essay derives from interest for literature great capability to create an effect and the way literature has been used to form what we today know about colonialism. After having read work from authors in the late 20th century when independence on Africa started to take place versus work from earlier during the 19th century it is interesting how the works can form such different and similar effects. The idea is, therefore, to further investigate this by comparing the novels mentioned above to identify: How Ng?g? wa thiong'o' in A Grain Of Wheat and Joseph Conrad’s Heart Of Darkness achieve the same effect of loss of identity?

Theme of isolation

In Heart of darkness, the reader follows Marlow’s journey through the Congo River, to relieve his employer’s agent Mr. Kurtz. As Marlow shares and reflects about the ongoing colonialization that is taking place, there is a great sense of questioning, hypocrisy, and wondering of the actions of the managers and Mr. Kurtz himself. They are supposed to be there for the “civilizing” however, he notices the great ivory industry that is taking place and starts doubting the doing of his companions.

A grain of wheat, which is set in Kenya tells the story of the main events leading up to independence. It recalls Kenya’s struggles against colonialism and its fight towards Uhuru, freedom. The Africans formation of a party led by Jomo Kenyatta and Harry Thuku and their struggle of liberty. Simultaneously, it deals with the white man, the remaining colonizer's unwillingness to leave, their capturing of mau-mau members and the torture they put they them in, inside the detention camps for rebelling against the colonial government.

Though there is no physical questioning voice as clear as Marlow’s in Heart of darkness, it is clear that Ng?g?’s authorial one functions similarly. In both novels, these voices serve to account for the mental states of the characters and as stated in A grain of wheat: Freedom and Renewal, it reveals how they are products of events, layer upon later. One of the great causes being solitude. Two significant characters in the novels are Mugo in A grain of wheat and Mr. Kurtz in Heart of darkness. Both characters which image, completely changes throughout the novel and could be argued to be the work’s antagonists. Yet, they are presented as protagonist early on in the text. Mr. Kurtz is initially portrayed as a “very remarkable person”, “the best agent, an exceptional man, of the greatest importance to the Company”, “He is a prodigy” ] This semantic field of words such a remarkable, best, greatest and prodigy create a positive attitude towards his character. Nevertheless, this tone of admiration interrupts because Mr. Kurtz is found out to be nothing of the expected. He is later described as “an animated image of death carved out of old ivory”. The use of death in this metaphor emphasizes the extent to which Kurtz has vanished. There is nothing left of the exceptional man Marlow had anticipated. The physical that is left of him is compared to death meaning that there is not much left of this person. And the use of ivory accentuates that he has become his obsession. This changed image and attitude towards Mr. Kurtz continues throughout the end of the book.

“But his soul was mad. Being alone in the wilderness, it had looked within itself, and, by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad.”

“No eloquence could have been so withering to one’s belief in mankind as his final burst of sincerity. He struggled with himself too. I saw it, - I heard it. I saw the inconceivable mystery of a soul that knew no restraint, no faith, and no fear yet struggling blindly with itself. “

The change of Kurtz character, the evilness, and madness that is found to be within him is explained by the isolation in the wilderness. And his reach to the isolation is because of his great desire of ivory which colonization provoked and stimulated. It is even explicitly told in the novel that: “All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz”. The desire for money and power that ruled and made nations go out to plunder other nations, evoked people as Kurtz in the novel to even go as far so that he lost himself in it. He became so obsessed that he lost himself, isolated in the world of ivory. And this becomes figurative when the Russian pilgrim tells Marlow: “I offered to go back with him. And he would say yes, and then he would remain; go off on another ivory hunt; disappear for weeks; forget himself amongst these people-forget himself- you know.”

There is a similar development and reveal of the character Mugo. He is invited to make the main speech at the event for the Independence Day because he supposedly helped the great freedom fighter Kihika who was killed. Mugo is praised as this powerful and great person who had enabled innocent people to escape the detention camps.

“You gave Kihika shelter without fear of danger to our own life. You did for Thabai and in detention what Kihika did in the forest., “you should lead in the sacrifice and ceremonies to honour those who died that we might live”

As he is compared and honoured to a similar extent to this great freedom fighter, it is situational irony when he later reveals that he is the murder of Kihika. However, this surprise is not as shocking as in Heart of darkness because of Ng?g?‘s significant use of foreshadowing. For example, when General R. asks Mugo about Kihika, it is described as: “Mugo’s throat was choked; if he spoke, he would cry” signifying that he knew more than them and was somehow involved. Because the narratives shifts between characters in A grain of wheat, the idea of isolation’s effect is greater comprehended because the reader is able to read from the character’s perspective and feel what they feel, in contrast to in Heart of darkness. This enables the reader to understand the impact isolation had on Mugo which contributed to the killing of Kihika. Firstly, Mugo was raised with a distant and drunk aunt that verbally abused him. He expresses that: “The world had conspired against him, first to deprive him of his father and mother, and then to make him dependent on an ageing harridan”. When the aunt dies, he suddenly misses her and is now experiencing the loneliness.

“He wanted somebody, anybody who would use the claims of kinship to do him ill or good. Either one or the other as long as he was not left alone, an outsider.”

He turned to the soil. He would labour, sweat and through success and wealth force society to recognize him. There was for him, then, solace in the very act of breaking the soil: to bury seeds and watch the green leaves heave and thrust themselves out of the ground to tend the plants to ripeness and then harvest, these were all part of the background against which his dreams soared to the sky. But then Kihika had come into his life.

Taken into consideration that Mugo’s character is not commenting on the great Independence struggle that most Kenyans in the nation seems to support. His sorrow or anger lays in the fact of his solitude. But the soil and his works keep him going, thus when freedom fighters such as Kihika cause disorder, which makes the white colonial government harsher against the Kenyan people, Mugo takes it personally. The disruption that occurs in the land sets his future in danger. Hence, when Kihika is haunted by the colonial government and finds rescue in Mugo’s hut. Mugo fears to return to prison and the detention camps so he decides to kill Kihika. He goes against the collective and the movement to save himself away from the isolation. “People voted the Party into power and resumed their toil. Mugo thought Thabai had forgotten him.”When reminiscing on the detention camps:

“Why do you tell me all this? I don’t like to remember”

“Do you ever forget? “

“I try to. The government says we should bury the past.”

Solitude surrenders the detention camps. The captivity and bondage of the prison could be interpreted as symbolism for the consequences of colonialism. Use of imagery through the verb “burying” implies isolation. To bury the past is to isolate it underneath the soil where it is dark and lonely. This quote embodies Mugo’s pain, suffering, and struggle.

In Russell West-Pavlov’s book about the politics and spaces of voice in these novels, he mentions that Ng?g?’s A grain of wheat follows a similar structure of narration as in Conrad’s Heart of darkness. A narrator that gradually shifts from omniscient to participatory which highlights the connection between the past and present. He continues that this narration is important because it shows knowledge and ignorance, it can be both objective and subjective which makes the narration more persuasive for the reader to agree with the central themes.

The fluidity in a change of the narrator does have a significant impact on the central themes of identity and isolation discussed in this essay. The ability for the narrator to shift between all- knowing and to the first-person point of view highlights the idea of solitude and identity as the solitude and being of a character can be compared and analysed from a personal and external point of view.

The concept of isolation is prominent in the novels as it becomes a tool to account for the mental states of the characters. Loneliness seems to be a concept which highlights the idea of identity in these novels as their solitude results in their character’s personality and actions.

Darkness and Betrayal

Except for the physical consequences from the isolation endured by the colonial setting, there is a great personal loss as well. One of the ways both Conrad and Ng?g? achieve to create an effect of loss of identity in both novels antagonist is through the concept of isolation. However, this idea is further developed through the novels personal themes of darkness and betrayal. Conrad achieves it by his use of language to frame an image of the native people being less human. Primarily, he uses the term darkness to depict the Congolese people as having no integrity. Therefore when the changed idea of Kurtz is later referred to have become like “them”, it becomes an indication that Kurtz identity has been lost in his isolation in the wilderness. The effect of loss of identity in A grain of wheat arises from Mugo’s personal struggle with guilt and his own identity. Ng?g? use of multiple narratives contributes to this effect as the struggle of identity in the process of decolonization is not only individual but collective.

Mr. Kurtz time in the Congo has made him sick and completely mad. His madness is referred to as impenetrable darkness, menacing and hollow. However, Marlow’s description of Kurtz is not particularly evil or negative. He rationalizes it as a natural part of entering deep within the wilderness in solitude. “But the wilderness had found him out early, and had taken on him a terrible vengeance for the fantastic invasion. I think it had whispered to him things about himself which he did not know, things of which he had no conception till he took counsel with this great solitude”. His time alone along the river appears to have caused a fundamental change within Mr. Kurtz. This conclusion that Marlow develops is foreshadowed when Marlow has a doctor’s appointment before this trip to the Congo.

“I always ask leave, in the interests of science, to measure the crania of those going out there,’ he said. ‘And when they come back too?’ I asked.´ Oh, I never see them, he remarked; ‘and, moreover, the changes takes place inside, you know.’ He smiled, as if at some quiet joke. ‘

‘Ever any madness in your family?

The question the doctors asks about madness is significant because it is this kind of change and madness that Marlow later recognizes within Mr. Kurtz. It appears that the identity of Kurtz, his humanity and restraint has utterly vanished. It is clear through the symbolism of the heads on the stakes under Mr. Kurtz’s windows. Symbolizing the insanity he has reached. Also, his loss of identity becomes evident when Conrad resembles Mr. Kurtz and the Congolese people. The Congolese people are represented as savages and criminals if not as black figures or shadows who lack identity. For instance on page 171: “One of the agents with a picket of a few of our blacks” and “shapes of blackness”. Because they are dehumanized in the novel it creates the idea that they are less human, if humans at all which deprives them of their identity. Thus, when the image of Kurtz changes to darkness it is as if he has become like the insane natives. “forget himself amongst these people- forget himself- you know.’ ‘Why! He’s mad,’ I said”.

“And the lofty frontal bone of Mr Kurtz! They say the hair goes on growing sometimes, but this-ah- specimen, was impressively bald. The wilderness had patted him on the head, and, behold, it was like a ball-an ivory ball; it had caressed him, and-lo!- he had withered; it had taken him, loved him, embraced him, got into his veins, consumed his flesh, and sealed his soul to its own by the inconceivable ceremonies of some devilish initiation.”

Mr Kurtz has lost almost all sense and aspects of a human being. He has not only lost the physical but also the spiritual aspects of being a human being There is like there is nothing left of him than his physical body which reflects the ivory that has possessed him.

In contrast to Conrad’s Heart of darkness, Ng?g? emphasizes more on the emotion and guilt to express Mugo’s confusion of himself. Rather than elements in the setting. A grain of wheat: Freedom and Renewal indicate how Mugo’s betrayal to Kihika is mitigated by the suffering he experiences in the various detention camps. Mugo becomes a detainee because he saves a woman from a heavy beating from a home guard. Which labels him as a freedom fighter. He is drawn into the stream for reasons which has nothing to do with the fight for independence. While free again, he isolates himself, for him not to return. Thus, his frustration with freedom fighters such as Kihika increases when Kihika takes rescue in his hut.

” Why would Kihika drag me into a struggle and problems I have not created? Why? And now I must spend my life in prison because of the folly of one man!” What shall I do, he asked himself. “If I don’t serve Kihika he’ll kill me. If I work for him, the government will catch me.” My God, I don’t want to die, I am not ready for death, I have not even lived”

This frustration causes Mugo to betray Kihika, which is the great climax of the novel. When he confesses, it is described as “He shook everywhere. The trembling and the depression increased the further he walked”. The interpretation here is that Mugo actually did not want to betray and kill Kihika. But, because of the situation, the colonial setting and his past experiences he believes that the betrayal is the only way that he can save himself. It is a great irony because the guilt eats him up and causes increased depression and isolation. Mugo ends up in a bad circle in which he finds himself unable to escape. He loses himself and his identity in it. He can no longer identify with his previous dreams nor identify with the people longing for freedom. His personal and individual struggle becomes too great which leads to his death because he confesses. Mugo’s guilt is clear when Ng?g? describes Mugo’s disrupted mental and physical state after the confession. “ Then the table, the chair, the D.O., the white- washed walls- the earth- started spinning, faster and faster again. He held on to the table to still himself. He did not want the money. He did not want to know what he had done”.

Ng?g?’s skills to take the reader into the character’s mind expands one’s understanding of Mugo’s actions based on his identity crisis. It allows one to realize the great losses and struggles as results of colonialism. Not only did people and the collective struggle, but there were also individual struggles. He accomplishes this to a great extent by using multiples narratives to represent different aspects of the process of decolonization and the effect the colonial period had on Kenyan’s, their culture and identity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the effect of loss of identity is achieved in both A grain of wheat and Heart of darkness through their prominent and complex characters. Mr. Kurtz and Mugo are developed characters which are given depth and personality. Similarly, the concept of isolation’s impact on one’s mentality can be found in both works. Mr. Kurtz and Mugo faces physical isolation regarding the deep jungle and the detention camps, as well as mental solitude. However, the mental struggle of the mind and its effect of one’s identity is more evident in A grain of wheat because of the different narrative technique. Ng?g? enables the reader to greater see the loss of the character’s identity by setting the reader into the mind of the character. Mr. Kurtz loss of identity is only depicted from a third party. A grain of wheat emphasize the importance of struggle and loss for the purpose of freedom. The same way a grain of wheat when planted must shed its identity and break down in order to sprout. The significance of identity is also found in Heart of darkness. The progress of Marlow travelling up the Congo River to find the heart of darkness, is a process in which he reveals Mr. Kurtz lost identity. The same way the characters in A grain of wheat, through the novel are broken down to remove the layers of the colonial past.

At the same, the authors achieve the same effect differently. For instance, Conrad uses the theme and symbolism of darkness and comparison of the Congolese people to illustrate the loss of Mr. Kurtz’s identity and his state of mind. As well as the symbolism of the heads on the stakes while the different narrative and the character’s struggle is mainly the source of the effect in A grain of wheat.

Comparison of these novels enables one to recognize a similar effect of both parties as a result of colonialism in the books. The conquest and control of other people’s land and goods do not only deprive one physically but also mentally for all parties involved. Despite their differences, both novels shares the idea that colonialism has the effect of plundering one’s identity.

Bibliography

Primary sources

Joseph Conrad- Heart of darkness and other tales (2002) Oxford University Press

Ng?g? wa Thiong’o – A grain of wheat (1986) Heinemann Educational Publishers

Secondary sources

Bill Ashcroft, Gareth Griffiths, Helen Tiffin-The Empire Writes Back (1989)

Elleke Boehmer- Colonial-and-postcolonial-literature-2nd-edition file:///C:/Users/Student/Downloads/epdf.tips_colonial-and-postcolonial-literature-2nd-edition.pdf Accessed 13.11.2018

Heart of Dankness https://sites.google.com/site/hodstudyguide/part-ii/identity Accessed 24.11.2018

Ng?g? wa Thiong’o - https://ngugiwathiongo.com/about/ Accessed 15.11.2018

Russell West-Pavlov- The Politics and Spaces of Voice: Ng?g?'s A Grain of Wheat and Conrad's Heart of Darkness https://resistanceandpowerofthewill102w.wordpress.com/2014/09/23/the-politics-and-spaces-of-voice-ngugis-a-grain-of-wheat-and-conrads-heart-of-darkness/ Accessed 17.11.2018

Shodhganga- A GRAIN OF WHEAT: Freedom and renewal page. 99 http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/85853/10/10_chapter%204.pdf?fbclid=IwAR03mQKUYzEjfH0VQP38FcO-Xt_g7CDNSC7Wy7fl5Pg5_J8AQdR2VGV5Tng Accessed 17.11.2018

West-Pavlov, Russell- “The Politics and Spaces of Voice: Ng?g?'s A Grain of Wheat and Conrad's Heart of Darkness.” Research in African Literatures, vol. 44, no. 3, 2013, page. 160–175. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/10.2979/reseafrilite.44.3.160 Accessed 17.11.2018.

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How Surroundings Affect on Character in Heart of Darkness

In Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness the setting of the Belgian Congo molds Kurtz from a man who had good intentions to a man who forgets those intentions, and almost loses himself, to reveal that human nature is only contained through civilisation.

The Belgian Congo of Heart of Darkness is a place of opportunity for entrepreneurs. A territory, it is free from moral constraints. The objective is to make money, and a strict philosophy of “the ends justify the means”; is followed. A thin veneer of good appearance is maintained; even when things go wrong, it is attested that “everyone behaved splendidly!” The culture of Europe is only maintained in as much as it is convenient; killing natives is common place in the Congo, not even punished, committed even by pilgrim missionaries was by very definition was supposed to civilize the natives. As long as ivory is acquired, anything goes.

Kurtz is indicated to have started out with intentions of innovating the ivory trade so as not to cause so much harm to the natives. Presumably by befriending them, Kurtz can gain the highest quality ivory from even the worst sources. Marlow, a moral man, admires this being whom he has never met, despite rumors against Kurtz’s character. However, it becomes clear that the noble aspirations of the men have fallen by the wayside. With a diary entry advocating “exterminate all the brutes!”, it becomes evident that Kurtz is no longer the benefactor he tried to be.

Without any rules or guides, morality becomes a mere detail to Kurtz. Viewed as a god, worshipped by the natives, Kurtz’s view of himself changes. The diary entry indicates a stark change in his motives. Kurtz realizes that he can have anything he desires. He has utter authority in his outpost. He has the natives in the palm of his hand. With no civilization to indicate the way in which he should act, he is free to do whatever he wishes with them, whether it be having an affair or having them kill other natives, natives whose shrunken heads line the path to his house. He acts subhuman.

His actions lead to his deterioration; he acts as a wild animal, trying to escape into the heart, the darkness of the forest rather than be with those, namely Marlowe and his crew, who would dictate his actions. The noble Kurtz is lost, until he is confronted with the near proximity of his death.

Kurtz’s last utterances “The horror! The horror!” point to the central theme of the novel: that without civilization and its constraints, the true human nature will emerge; the greed and desire to come out on top, to survive, will appear and the heart of darkness will be revealed. Civilization is the one institution which quarantines human nature, and if the bonds of that institution are removed, nothing else can suppress any evil inclination held within.

However, Conrad also attests that the knowledge of the true human nature can only be gained by proximity to one who has lost it. The Europeans in the bureaucracy may, as the French doctor, recognize the change that occurs in those that collect ivory, but cannot identify it. These people, though, are far removed from the environment; for example, the doctor only examines the fitness of those wishing to journey into the Congo. Though he may measure the hearts of such adventurers as Marlow, he will not examine them when they return. Too, does Kurtz’s fiancé not recognize nor realise the monstrosities committed by her intended. Remembering him as the man with whom she was enamored, she was told only that which she wants to hear; that her love’s dying words were of her, not of the true cry of utter despair, and the torturous realisations his demise wrought. Had Marlow told her the truth, she would not have believed it; living in civilisation, hearing of the things Kurtz had done would have no realisational effect on her. Even more removed from the Congo without civilisation, than the French doctor, she would deny heartily any accounts of her Kurtz indulging in bad behaviour, of her Kurtz not behaving splendidly, as never being in a situation where her ties to civilisation and their ability to restrain her true human nature were tested, she could not concieve the horror of her human nature.

Thus not only does Conrad demonstrate how surroundings where there is no moral constraint of civilisation change characters from normal and civilised to corrupt and greedy monsters, he also explains why only those who have experienced temptation in such a setting can understand and accept the noisome qualities of the heart of darkness that is human nature, whereas those who have never had those boundaries tested cannot even concieve of what the human mind and heart and other faculties are capable of doing.

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Capitalism and Human Nature as Portrayed by “Heart of Darkness”

Throughout time, people of all ideologies and social standings have agreed that poverty is an undeniable hindrance to society at any stage. Marxists, communists, capitalists, and even anarchists across time have all agreed that poverty is the ultimate obstacle to achieving a flourishing society. Adam Smith once said, “No society can surely be flourishing and happy of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable.” As a devout capitalist and successful tycoon, Smith knew well that in order for a society to do better they must be blessed with a wealth that lifts them out of poverty, or else the whole society would suffer and be held back. More than Smith knew of the limiting nature of poverty on society, people and thinkers like Andrew Carnegie and Karl Marx understood this to be truthful as well. Karl Marx especially emphasized this point to no end. One of Marx’s core insights into the human condition was that when people are driven by money and greed, they doom themselves to be overcome and overrun by the underprivileged. This is one of the core teachings of Marxism, and is the most obvious and widely understood truth of his philosophy. This idea of greed overcoming mankind and destroying civilization is explored by many, however it is explored in an abstract and problematic way in Joseph Conrad’s novel, “Heart of Darkness.” In a work that is almost allegorical, Conrad shows us the consequences of human greed and lust for power during the time of his writing. By showing the suffering of the native Congolese people in his work, “Heart of Darkness,” Conrad either consciously or unconsciously outlines the follies and evils of the capitalist system and demonstrates that such a system almost always leads to barbarism, inhumane actions, and the exploitation of people who are less capable than ones self.

Capitalism has long been used as a justification for the accumulation of grotesque amounts of wealth, as well as a justification of actions taken by those who seek to gain more wealth and power for themselves at any cost. The great robber barons of our societies have long been those willing to undercut and harm anyone and everyone who would seek to challenge their position in the world or seek to accumulate wealth in a similar manner as them. Tycoons like Andrew Carnegie, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and J.P. Morgan all exploited labor laws, lower class citizens, and even children in order to gain the amount of wealth that they did, and once these men reached a level of power over their respective markets and surroundings, they abused their power in order to manipulate government bodies, destroy competition, and exploit consumers in order to grow their already vast power. In regards to “Heart of Darkness,” Conrad shows us how the inherently greedy nature of the capitalist system through his use of an organization called simply “The Company.” “The Company,” that nameless, all-powerful agent of capitalism, had expanded its “empire” into the Congo, but not to instill Western beliefs or society, but simply to take advantage of the natives for what amounts to slave labor, and to appropriate the ivory from this untamed, new land. “The Company” impacts each and every one of the characters in a different way, however Kurtz has become the brutal embodiment of the capitalism practiced by “The Company.” In no way do the natives benefit from the ivory trade. In no way do they reap the spoils of their goods. Instead, they collect the ivory for their “master” – Kurtz, the newest member of the bourgeoisie. Kurtz, the newest god in Africa, a god with an appetite for power and adoration. A man whose original purpose in Africa had become so lost in his living personification of the phrase “absolute power corrupts absolutley.” “Kurtz’s methods only showed that Mr Kurtz lacked restraint in the gratification of his various lusts,” Conrad wrote. “I’ve seen the devil of violence, and the devil of greed, and the devil of hot desire; but, by all the stars! These were strong, lusty, red-eyed devils, that swayed and drove men” (Conrad 52). Kurtz’s actions reflect that of most of Europe at this time, taking brutal advantage of the continent of Africa in the West’s relentless expansion.

Rooted in the writings of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, this approach emphasizes issues such as the class struggle between the proletariat & bourgeoisie, the inevitable failure of capitalist systems, and the tendency of the empowered to exploit the disenfranchised. Marxists consider imperialism to be the peak of capitalism and, coincidentally, Heart of Darkness has been considered as an anti-imperialist work, so the work invites a Marxist approach in itself. This anti-imperialist attitude is apparent throughout the novel as the protagonist, Marlow, surveys his surroundings: “The conquest of the earth, which mostly means taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much” (Conrad 41). Here, Marlow is observing the nature of his work and its exploitative nature of the native slave labor he sees. Marlow is sympathetic towards the slaves and shows a good degree of class consciousness when he states, “Your power is just an accident arising from the weakness of others” (Conrad 41). Here, it is clear that Conrad meant to portray the natives as the oppressed proletariat class, driven from peaceful lives to work for the benefit of their oppressors. The white oppressors, or bourgeoisie class, ruthlessly enslave the natives to acquire ivory for trade.

The application of the Marxist approach in this novel brings to the foreground an important central theme: man’s inhumanity to man. It is perfectly exemplified through the exploitation of the natives. Repeatedly, Marlow reveals the greed of the bourgeoisie “pilgrims” as despicable. In one instance, for example, he comments on a fat man who is unfit to survive in the jungle: “I couldn’t help asking him once what he meant by coming there at all. ‘To make money, of course. What do you think?’ he said, scornfully” (Conrad 57). This draws an unsettling parallel between monetary gain and brutal exploitation, showing how capitalism is inherently exploitative. The subject and driving force of all of the greed, ivory, is established as a symbol for emptiness. This serves to make trivial the characters’ procurement of wealth, specifically in the case of Kurtz. Marlow explains, “Everything belonged to Kurtz” (Conrad 91), which juxtaposes private ownership (capitalism) with Kurtz’s rampant immorality and inhumanity. However, ivory is also used to foreshadow the inevitable downfall of the operations. As Marlow watches Kurtz die, he observes, “It was as though a veil had been rented. I saw on that ivory face the expression of sombre pride, of ruthless power, of craven terror – of an intense and hopeless despair” (Conrad 115). Here, a parallel is drawn between Kurtz’s death and the inevitable death of the ivory trade, or capitalist system. This is reinforced with the usage of the word “ivory” in reference to Kurtz’s face. Kurtz’s morals are not called into question, rather, he self-destructs due to his excessively greedy practices. The Marxist approach focuses on social commentary; the use of anti-imperialist rhetoric makes a strong case against Europe’s invasion and abuse of Africa. Whether by coincidence or by design, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness is replete with Marxist ideals.

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Biography of Frida Kahlo

The celebrated Mexican painter Frida Kahlo made the Autorretrato con Mono y Perico painting. This picture was painted in 1942 and is essential for the Contemporary Art from Mexico. The estimations of the composition are 21" x 17". This is Frida's self-representation and she incorporated her beyond all doubt cherished pets. The creepy crawly monkey, named Fulang Chang, was a blessing from her better half Diego River, a contemporary Mexican craftsman. The Amazon parrot utilized in the representation was named Bonito. Frida utilized Óleo sobre fibra dura, which means Oil on Masonite, to paint her self-picture. The tones that she utilized on her representation are splendid and blissful. Those brilliant and euphoric tones introduced her enthusiastic state at the exact instant of her life. This picture was briefly shown at the Houston Museum of Fine Arts. It is important for a spotlight exhibition talk, which one can investigate the twentieth century, famous Mexican craftsman Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. This presentation was fleetingness shown at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Modern and Contemporary, Masterworks from the Malba, Fundación Costantini. This show was briefly shown all together for workmanship darlings, understudies and instructors to gain more from the twentieth century Mexican craftsman like Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.

Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon was her complete name however everybody knew her as Frida Kahlo. She went to the world on July 6, 1907. She was brought into the world in her folks' home called "La Casa Azul" (The Blue House) which is situated in the city of Coyoacan around there. At six years old, she contracted polio, and her left right leg more slender than the other one. The Bus mishap and polio changed Frida's life unremittingly. That is the reason you will consistently see Frida wearing long skirts or dresses in her pictures to mask that. She experienced a disengaged right foot and shoulder. She additionally experienced a messed up collarbone rib, spinal segment, and foot. Her recuperation venture in a full body cast went on for around a quarter of a year. Frida in the long run recuperated from the post-awful transport mishap. She had the option to walk again with a limp. Despite the fact that she recuperated, she would in any case have an incredible agony for the remainder of her life. While she was sleeping recuperating, her adoration for painting developed. In 1925, she had to exit the Preparatoria, where she contemplated art.Kahlo likewise got some preparation from her dad, Guillermo. Guillermo, who was a photographic artist and a novice watercolorist. Frida was a keen spectator; she would notice a significant number of the main patterns of the 1920s.Children's specialty and some early marks of Surrealism were remembered for the main patterns. The Contemporáneos likewise propelled Frida, which was a more personal way to deal with craftsmanship making and gave a substitute perspective on the advanced city.

Frida has endured a large portion of her life, because of polio and the transport mishap. In August 1929, Frida wedded Diego Rivera, who was a popular Mexican wall painting painter. Her marriage with Diego Rivera was not generally rainbows and blossoms. Her relationship with Diego was turbulent on account of his betrayal. On occasion, they were energetic with one another and different occasions it was the inverse. Another significant issue they confronted was that Frida couldn't have any kids and that was a significant given in their marriage. Frida needed kids and Diego didn't need kids due to his vocation, it expected him to do a ton of voyaging. Diego was not stressed over having youngsters since he previously had kids from his past marriage. Diego Rivera affected the vast majority of Frida's pictures. Through her representations, she paints dependent on her feelings. She generally painted reality and never dreams. The vast majority of her pictures are self-representations and depend on occasions that she was going through right now or occasions that she had endured in the past.Her representations consistently have Mexican images presents, for example, native individuals and feminism.The topics showed in her representations were agony and enthusiasm. The vast majority of Frida's representation are about herself since she regularly felt alone and painting was her method of communicating her profound feelings.

The Autorretrato con Mono y Perico painting address her viewpoint throughout everyday life. Bonito the Amazon parrot and Fulang Chang the bug monkey encompass her. Since Frida was unequipped for having kids, creatures were viewed as replacement for youngsters. The representation was finished with thoroughly controlled strokes all through the picture, besides in the quills of the parrot and the hide of the monkey. The immediate front facing show of the model that Frida did is important for the nineteenth century pictures. The shadings that she utilized on her picture are brilliant and blissful on the grounds that that is the place where her enthusiastic state was. Now throughout everyday life, Frida was glad. Frida's work was not formally Surrealist, however the development freed her to find her internal apprehensions and desires.To have the option to investigate her own insight rather than public issues.

Frida was impacted by the native Mexican culture for the utilization of splendid shadings including emotional imagery. In her picture, she depicted Fulang Chang and Bonito as caring and warm images. Despite the fact that, the monkey is viewed as a symbol of desire in Mexican folklore. The rugged leaves behind Frida address her affection for the cultivating that she kept up at her home, La Casa Azul. The picture shows her thick ragged eyebrows, which were her brand name. On the picture, you can see that she tied up her hair in an exquisite twist to flaunt her elegant neck.

Frida Kahlo painted herself the manner in which she was, all things considered, and what was occurring in her life at the exact instant. Every last bit of her representations depended on her own background, beginning from the transport mishap and in any event, painting herself in her deathbed. My general insight of visiting the Museum of Houston Fine expressions was exceptional. I do wish they made more presentations on Frida's representations to have the option to respect and concentrate more about them. Inside those twenty minutes of the spotlight talk, I found out such a huge amount about Frida's own life. I was adequately lucky to have had the option to visit this two or three years prior. The presentation was fruitful on the grounds that I realized what motivated Frida to paint and her purposes for her representations. I had the option to see Frida's representations very close. I was so flabbergasted and proceeded onward the accounts behind the representations. I have consistently been a devotee of Frida's representations on account of the astounding terrible stories behind them. Frida couldn't have cared less about what she looked like and couldn't have cared less about others' assessment. Frida had her own character. This representation truly stood out enough to be noticed, The Autorretrato con Mono y Perico in light of the fact that she truly adored her creatures and the tones she utilized on it. In her representation, you can advise how significant her creatures were to her. Since Frida couldn't have any youngsters, she cherished her creatures, as they were really her own kids.

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