University of Zadar English Department Gothic Genre Marko Luki, Ph.D.

Martina Stojko The Monster in Colonial Gothic -J. Conrad, Heart of DarknessSeminar paper

Zadar, Septembre 2012

1. Introduction While Britain's power as a colonial empire was growing rapidly, Gothic writers at home started realising the potential of it, so that by 1790s colonialism already became a vast, heterogeneous source of themes, settings and concepts which would soon enter, or rather mix with the Gothic genre. Indeed, what colonialism brought with itself were new frightening others, a new kind of horror lurking from new, unknown places. Eventually, as Paravisini-Gebert implied in her study on colonial and postcolonial Gothic, with the approach of the nineteenth century, colonial settings, with all the terrors of colonization more and more served as a reflection of the growing fear(s) in British society the fear of racial boundary crossing, miscegenation, and the spreading of anti-colonial ideologies in British-held territories in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean; more precisely there was a growing fear of the consequences such exposure to non-white, non-Christian societies could have (230). This fear of the incursion of a foreign Other into Britain entered the public discourse as early as Walpole began the Gothic novel, and debates on slavery and racism are present through much of the early (colonial) Gothic fiction. However, over the course of the nineteenth century the focus has moved towards the issues of personal and national identity, stability of which was threatened due to an even more progressive colonial expansion. (Paravisini-Gebert 229-230) In this seminar paper, I tried to analyse Joseph Conrads short novel Heart of Darkness as a colonial Gothic work, although it is somewhat different from other works of that particular genre, and there are actually very few critics who categorize it as such. My main interest is Conrads representation of the Monster, but I also examine Kurtz's experience of otherness and the gothic elements the story has. In addition, I mention Francis F. Coppolas Apocalypse Now as an example of how universal Conrads themes are.

2. Heart of Darkness - Colonial (or) Gothic or...? Heart of Darkness (1902) is a novel mostly examined as a part of colonial and postcolonial (and of course, Conrad) studies but historical, political, gothic and many other readings are also possible. As already pointed out in the introduction, we can put it under the label colonial Gothic, although Gothic interpretations of the novel are not that common. What differs it from most of the fiction written in that tradition1 is the fogginess, or rather, the masking of its basic meaning which is, on the other hand, not that unusual if we primarily considered Conrad as a modernist. The thing with Heart of Darkness is that its main idea is hidden behind some secondary notions (Murfin 100), such as colonialism, so after publishing the novel Conrad was at first accused by some for being a racist and an imperialist (107) - although the interpretation of such a work mostly depends on when and how it is read. Throughout the novel we can find many arguments to consider the critique of imperialism and the trading system as being the main idea containing the moral of the story: They2 were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force- nothing to boast of, when you have it, since your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others. They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale, and men going at it blind- as is very proper for those who tackle a darkness. The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is
1

Meaning in the tradition of colonial gothic; e.g. Caribbean Gothic, which is more direct in the representation of horror and in generating a political and social critique (considering enslavement, racism, etc.) (Paravisini-Gebert 229-257)

The Romans

not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. (Conrad 1995:6) What we can notice in these words is a certain duality in Marlows attitude on imperialism. He both judges it and tolerates it. As a matter of fact, we can notice the same thing in most of his attitudes, if they can be called such at all. The dualism, together with many ambiguities Conrad uses in his narrative imply that the novel is, among other interpretations, suitable for psychoanalysis and other psychological readings, but for now Ill concentrate on its Gothic elements. According to Murfin Heart of Darkness is primarily an atmospheric work (101), and the feeling of dread which is conveyed can already by itself qualify the novel as Gothic (Lipka 29). There is a constant feeling of mystery and suspense which is even stronger when Kurtz is the subject of a conversation; he appears as a character only at the end of the novel but from the very beginning Marlow is implying that it was his meeting with Kurtz which would give the whole story its relevance. What contributes to this general, sombre atmosphere are, as Lipka (2008:29) puts it: (...) many classic Castle of Otranto early Gothic elements, such as a far- off, exotic setting, nightmares, visions, night and darkness aplenty, a damned soul, and a ghost haunting Marlow (...) .

The setting of the story being primeval wilderness- a vast and, to a great extent, unknown placecreates a feeling of desolation and, with the surrounding horror lurking among the trees, of constant threat. Marlow thus cannot escape the wilderness, but has to resist its heavy, mute spell (Kurtz was not that successful) in order to retain his sanity and finish his journey. The concept of a journey (to a place of immense darkness) is an element of Gothic which can previously be found in the

works such as those of Hawthorne and Melville, and it generally includes the finding of some sort of evil, or experiencing some kind of enlightenment. Marlow returns to Europe a changed and more knowing man (qtd. in Murfin 1996:103), he has seen The horror most people living their sedentary lives cannot even imagine. In that respect, the journey can be seen as a dream of self-discovery (qtd. in Murfin 103) and the novel as principally concerned with the theme of self-knowledge (qtd. in Murfin 103). Although aware of the fact that every man has to pass this journey on his own, Marlow is still haunted by the ghosts of the past, by a voice, and by that everlasting feeling of horror so he shares this experience in order to ease his soul, regaining its stability: Do you see him? Do you see the story? Do you see anything? It seems to me I am trying to tell you a dream- making a vain attempt, because no relation of a dream can convey the dream- sensation, that commingling of absurdity, surprise, and bewilderment in a tremor of struggling revolt, that notion of being captured by the incredible which is of the very essence of dreams... [...] ...No, it is impossible; it is impossible to convey the life-sensation of any given epoch of one's existence that which makes its truth, its meaning its subtle and penetrating essence. It is impossible. We live as we dream alone... [...] Of course in this you fellows see more than I could then. You see me, whom you know... (Conrad 1995:27) We can find the so called Gothic therapeutic dialogue in a number of Gothic novels such as Shelleys Frankenstein just as Frankenstein tells his story to Walton, Marlow is telling his to a group of his shipmates on board the Nellie (qtd. in Lipka 31). Moreover, it is his experience through which the reader enters the darkness, and feels the thrilling horror of the unknown.

3.

The Monster The already mentioned concept of a journey into a place of immense darkness can be seen as

a journey into the depths of the human mind and soul. It is through this journey that we see the Monster, or rather become aware of different parts of this Monster which surround us or hide within us. Conrad gives a critique of the modern society, of the modern man who has become alienated from himself and from nature (qtd. in Murfin 106). He doesnt say whether this is bad or good, he rather states that it was inevitable; that it was destined to happen, because the Monster he describes is nothing but a puppet of some greater evil, of some powers of darkness which exist regardless of time and place. If we say that the Monster has a moral function, why cant morality itself be one of its parts which serves merely as a means of spreading fear among people? In a civilized society, men and women are taught all kinds of different norms (depending on the culture), but the basic idea of any norm is to teach someone the difference between good and bad, and the so called morality is nothing more than a means of restraint of the selfish and wicked human race (qtd. in Lipka 28).What we can read between the lines of Heart of Darkness is that the presence of norms in many people actually creates falsehood they act in a certain way not because they want to, or feel they need to, but because they think they have to. As Conrad sees it, there is also the other moral, an inborn one, hidden in every human soul; a deliberate belief as he calls it (36). It has been forgotten, replaced, but out there in the wilderness, in the hearts of wild men it is the only one that exists: It was unearthly, and the men were No, they were not inhuman. Well, you know, that was the worst of it this suspicion of their not being inhuman. It would come slowly to one.

They howled and leaped, and spun, and made horrid faces; but what thrilled you was just the thought of their humanity like yours the thought of your remote kinship with this wild and passionate uproar. Ugly. Yes, it was ugly enough; (...) (Conrad 1995:35-36) The Eurocentric notion of the Other3 is that of a savage, of an uncivilized animal, and the Western I has a role of civilizing, of bringing light to such dark parts of the Earth; however, this I, so remote from the night of first ages, cannot comprehend the Other and even the tiniest thought of actually being able to comprehend is thrilling because this would mean that there is no difference between the I and the Other, in which case the I loses its meaning; it falls apart; becomes unfamiliar. To use Freudian terminology, in the Other lies the uncanny, that class of the frightening, which leads back to what is known of old and long familiar (qtd. in Lipka 33). In this case, the Other becomes a threat in that it reminds the I of its true nature; which the I obviously wants to forget. While most people would thus reject the Other, Kurtz entered the otherness and decided to use this insight to create his own ivory realm4. He realised the potential of a moral which is completely norm-free, a tabula rasa - men who had this kind of moral would tend readily to accept what presents itself convincingly as if it had divine sanction (qtd. in Murfin 106). And it is the same principle on which civilized society works a modern man5 doesnt defy norms because he is afraid of the sanctions, not of divine ones, but of social and cultural. Another evil we encounter on Marlows journey is colonialism. Kurtz and Marlow have

Speaking in the context of time Conrad wrote Heart of Darkness

Although he never quite entered it because what he nonetheless still wanted to do was to Exterminate all the brutes (Conrad 1995:50)
5

Also in the context of the late 19 ct.

th

the minds of colonizers. They think like colonizers. However, they differ in their weaknesses while Marlow accepted to do colonial business out of love for sailing, Kurtz did it out of love for that very business. Conrad describes Marlows experience as a colonizer abroad, but it is through Kurtzs eyes that we see colonialism at work. And what it was really doing was something that eventually (morally) destroyed both the colonized6 and the colonizer. As Marlow puts it, describing one part of the journey: We were wanderers on a prehistoric earth, on an earth that wore the aspect of an unknown planet. We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. (Conrad 1995:35) Kurtz, as a true colonialist, was willing to pay that cost, to sell his soul to the (d)evil and take a high seat among the devils of the land (Conrad 49). He took a step into the unknown, which eventually made the darkness prevail in him, making him even more insatiable. However, it also made him see the "truth" (about human nature and society) which is "too dark - too dark altogether". Kurtz's last words "The horror! the horror!" could refer to the real nature of human beings, who deep down in themselves carry a potential evil, that inborn "moral" which allows people to act with no judgement, no distinction of good and bad, and no consideration of the consequences. The society hides the same truth, the same nature, which we can see in the last lines of the novel
6

Although in a way he failed at doing this because he relies heavily on colonial language, the language of the same culture he is trying to criticize (savages, brutes, etc.) (qtd. in Murfin 111)

when the narrator, one of Marlows shipmates, looking at the Thames concludes: The offing was barred by a black bank of clouds, and the tranquil waterway leading to the uttermost ends of the earth flowed sombre under an overcast sky seemed to lead into the heart of an immense darkness. (Conrad 1995:77) However, the society, together with colonialism, is hiding this truth under the mask of morality. Why so many people supported colonialism is because they believed it had a moral purpose. These put together actually create Conrad's Monster, which was, as well as Kurtz, possessed by some invisible "powers of darkness" which now control its destiny. And even if we saw Kurtz as the Monster, the society above all longing for power and using colonialism as a means of gaining it, would still be to blame for creating the monstrous side in him in the first place. All Europe contributed to the making of Kurtz; (Conrad 1995:49)

4.

The Apocalypse If we continued in that same pessimistic tone, than colonialism, followed by the Wars, as well

as many other wars fought in the present, can be some sort of messengers of an Apocalypse, can't they? Francis F. Coppola's movie Apocalypse Now (1979) is an example of just how universal Conrad's themes are (Lipka 27) and how significant they have come to be in the 20th century. Coppola took the setting of the novel and moved it to Vietnam and Cambodia during the Vietnam War. In the same manner as Conrad, Coppola depicts the path of mankind towards its destruction the loss of both identity and sanity in a place where there are no rules, where you are either an

animal or a God. It is obvious which of these two Kurtz thought he was, unlike the rest of the American soldiers (with the exception of Willard) who were fighting against something they could not comprehend. Also, in both the movie and the novel, Kurtz is motivated by a diabolic ambition to rule and to posses which in the end leads him to his death. Where it would lead him if he didnt die, we can only suspect but it would probably result in a great number of casualties. Anyhow, Apocalypse Now is primarily a critique of the Vietnam War, with an emphasis on its absurdity. As Hubert says to Willard during the dinner: "You Americans are fighting for the biggest nothing in history", and what he meant was that they were fighting a war they could not win nor control. Even if they did win, what would they win? Well, probably a piece of land under China, which is just absurd. But this is something which deserves an analysis of its own. 5. The fascination of the abomination Gothic fiction almost always generates some contemporary anxieties (political, social, cultural, etc.) of its age. It does so by reminding us that two sides of reality exist; not only the objective reality which offers us all kinds of explanations for our actions, but also the subjective, irrational one: The birth of Gothic as a literary genre was a reaction to the Enlightenment eras extreme leanings towards the rational; the Gothic goal was to exalt the senses over reason by taking the reader into the abyss that incapacitates our power of cognition. (Lipka 2008:31) Conrad is doing the same thing. He sees the nature of everything as dual, emphasising the part which has, to a great extent, been suppressed. In this seminar paper I have concentrated on Kurtz as

representing the evil hidden deep in the human soul, but if we wanted to study Heart of Darkness through Jungian psychology, Marlow would be a far more interesting character as Kurtz could then be seen only as Marlows shadow (qtd. in Lipka 32). This would explain why Marlow cannot forget Kurtz and why years after his experience in the Congo, Kurtz still haunts him in a form of a dream, more precisely, nightmare. As Brennan suggested in his book The Gothic Psyche:

Gothic works all depict the failure of individuation in at least one key character; in different ways, they depict the collapse of the psyche and disintegration of the Self (...) (qtd. in Lipka 2008:32)

This would also explain why we meet Kurtz at the very end of the story, i.e. at the end of Marlow's journey, and why Marlow, even before their meeting, imagined Kurtz as a voice. Furthermore, it leads us back to the notion of Heart of Darkness being a novel concerned with self-knowledge, the jungle representing the human mind, as one of the biggest mysteries of mankind: The mind of man is capable of anything because everything is in it, all the past as well as the future. What was there after all? Joy, fear, sorrow, devotion, valour, rage who can tell? but truth truth stripped of its cloak of time. (Conrad 1995:36) As Conrad sees it, this truth is nothing but the horror itself. The deeper Marlow went into the jungle, the more he was disturbed - and the more he wanted to know. At the beginning of the novel, Marlow is describing how it must have been to the Romans when they first came to Britain:

Theres no initiation [...] into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of abomination you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate. (Conrad 1995:6)

In the end, this fascination of abomination is one of the essential parts of the human nature. The uncanny. That class of frightening which only a few, such as Marlow, can really rationalize. Nonetheless, it is certainly the essence of any Gothic piece of work and it is what makes the reading of this very fiction seem as some kind of a realistic dream; or rather, a nightmare. And what about the powers of light? Well, we can write about it if we survive the apocalypse at the end of this year.

Works cited Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkness and other stories. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd. 1995. 3-77 Lipka, Jennifer. The horror! The horror!: Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness as a Gothic Novel. Conradiana. 40:1 (2008):25-37. Murfin, Ross C., ed. Joseph Conrad: Heart of Darkness. 2nd Ed. Boston: St. Martin's Press, 1996 Paravisini-Gebert, Lizabeth. Colonial and postcolonial Gothic: the Caribbean. The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction. Ed. Jerrold E. Hogle. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 229-257

Works consulted Hurley, Kelly. British Gothic fiction, 1885-1930. The Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction. Ed. Jerrold E. Hogle. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2002. 189-207 Jung, Carl G. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. 2nd Ed. London: Routledge, 1991 (Notes from the lectures. Gothic Studies. 2012)