Author Description
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad's fictional account of a journey up the Congo river in 1890, raises important questions about colonialism and narrative theory. This casebook contains materials relevant to a deeper understanding of the origins and reception of this controversial text, including Conrad's own story "An Outpost of Progress," together with a little-known memoir by one of Conrad's oldest English friends, a brief history of the Congo Free State by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and a parody of Conrad by Max Beerbohm. A wide range of theoretical approaches are also represented, examining Conrad's text in terms of cultural, historical, textual, stylistic, narratological, post-colonial, feminist, and reader-response criticism. The volume concludes with an interview in which Conrad compares his adventures on the Congo with Mark Twain's experiences as a Mississippi pilot.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This casebook investigates the complex intersection of colonial history, narrative structure, and critical reception surrounding Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness. Gene M. Moore, an established scholar of Conrad's work, compiles primary source documents and diverse critical essays to provide a multifaceted framework for analyzing the text. The volume argues that understanding the novella requires balancing its historical context in the Congo Free State with the evolving theoretical lenses applied to it by modern critics.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Primary source materials including Conrad's "An Outpost of Progress" and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's history of the Congo Free State.
- A collection of diverse critical methodologies including post-colonial, feminist, and reader-response theory.
- Historical context regarding the 1890 Congo river expedition and its impact on Conrad's writing.
- Comparative analysis featuring an interview with Conrad regarding his experiences alongside those of Mark Twain.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and students frequently utilize this volume as a foundational resource for navigating the dense critical history of Conrad's most debated work. The text is noted for its balanced inclusion of both historical primary sources and varied theoretical interpretations, making it a standard reference for academic study.
Page Count:
288
Publication Date:
2004-03-11
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0195159950
ISBN-13:
9780195159950
History
Fiction psychological
Colonialism
Literary Criticism
Africa
Literary theory
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