Conrad-HeartofDarkness vs. SecretSharer

A detailed Summary of Conrad-HeartofDarkness vs. SecretSharer

For centuries man has argued over the nature of man. The Catholic church teaches "original sin," society shows us survival of the fittest, while others preach that there is an inert goodness in human nature. The reality of man's nature cannot be so simply defined. Throughout Joseph Conrad's stories, "The Heart of Darkness" and "Secret Sharer" he uses characterization in counterpoint to reveal that man has both a dark and light side. In each story he has one character represent the dark and another represent the light in man. Conrad links the two contrasting characters through imagery, descriptions, symbols, and goals. In "Heart of Darkness" Marlow is compared to Kurtz and in "The Secret Sharer" the Captain is compared to Legatt.

Through the comparison of Marlow and Kurtz in the "Secret Sharer" the reader sees the two sides of man. The first description of Marlow, before he's voyaged to the Heart of Darkness, is "sunken cheeks, a yellow complexion, a straight back, an ascetic aspect and, with his arms dropped, the palms of hands outwards, resembled an idol." He speaks of the "civilizing" of people with "different complexions and flatter noses." Like Kurtz, Marlow came to the Congo in an attempt to get ri

this once "remarkable man" is left to wait for his death in the dark. And when his final moment does come all he can think to mutter is "The horror! The horror!" The relationship that Conrad develops between Marlow and Kurtz is to emphasize that they are actually the light and dark of the same person. Each is what the other could have become, and it is through the example of the other that one learns what it is not to become.

s shaped like an L. It is the place where Leggatt is hidden and the continued reference to its L shape is symbolic that he belongs there. Despite numerous close calls the Captain manages to bring the ship close enough to shore so that Leggatt can escape. His justification for this risky maneuver was to find an off shore wind. The hat that had been Leggatt's disguise helped the Captain discern the direction of movement and make the proper adjustments of the sail. The dark half escapes to strike a new destiny and the once timid Captain is now confident and in control of his crew.

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In the "Secret Sharer," Conrad again uses two characters to show the two sides of man. In this story he uses the Captain and Leggatt to show the light and dark sides of man. As the Captain converses with Leggatt for the first time, he explains how it had seemed he "had been faced by *his* own reflection in the depths of a somber and immense mirror." Conrad's use of similar physical representations is symbolic of other similarities and connections. Though Legga

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1047
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English