Novel
Summary Sheet ~Quartering the Text ~
Your
name: Malte Bolesta
Quarter # 3
Novel Name: Heart of Darkness
Author’s last name: Conrad
1.
Skeletal plot (Point form only-
keep this short but insightful):
1.
–want to drive upwards the river- impossible-fog, attack of natives-one
man dies
2.
–Mr. Kurtz- man that thinks only about his career new informations about
his history
3.
–reach the station-burnt out- believe he is dead
4.
–driving stream upwards-attacks of natives
5.
–find Kurtz as the leader or maybe god of the clan of the natives
§
Conflict or “tension” eg person
vs person, or (internal) person vs self; Is this important to the novel’s
theme or purpose? Circle
one and explain:
yes or No
Explanation: In this quarter of the novel there is a
conflict. The conflict is between Charlie Marlow and his crew and between
Marlow and Mr. Kurtz. When they reached the station all thought Mr. is dead,
Marlow was the only one who thought the opposite. The second conflict you see
when they continue driving upwards the stream. They learned that Kurtz don`t
want to be saved and that he organized the attacks on the steamer.
2.
Setting (When & where does
various parts of your novel take place-how are theses places important to the
character or the theme of your work?):
-steamer
-stream
-station and inner station
3.
Characters (Know your character types
and why this is important to your novel! (Eg. Are they
round/flat-why?/static/dynamic-why?) How many characters
do you meet in this quarter or do you find more about their personalities? #?
-Mr. Kurtz
His character is round and dynamic.
He is described
as a wise man and is the leader of the clan of the natives now.
-Charlie Marlow
His character
is round and dynamic.
He is teller of
the story. He makes the experience how Mr. Kurtz is and how other people are
thinking about him.
-Russian
His character
is round and static.
He tells Mr.
Kurtz is a remarkable man.
-manager
His character
is round and static.
He drives with
on the steamer.
-helmsman
His character
is flat and static.
He dies after a
short while in the quarter by an attack of a spear.
4.
Point Of View~ Circle one!: 1st person 3rd person/limited omniscient or omniscient
§
Why do
you think the writer chose this point of view to develop plot character or
themes?
The
novel is written in the 1st person view. I think Conrad has chosen
this point of view, because it brings the happening nearer the reader. The
suspense can be higher with that point of view, too.
5.Notables
on writer’s style and structure!
§ Are
there similes or metaphors? Record a quote:
“The woods were
unmoved, like a mask-heavy, like the closed door of a prison- they looked with
their air of hidden knowledge, of patient expectation, of unapproachable
silence.”(p.52)
§ Visual
or other imagery? Record a quote: “ “The manager stood by the wheel murmuring
confidentially about the necessity of getting well away down the river before
dark at all events, when I saw in the distance a clearing on the river side and
the outlines of some sort of building.” “(p.47)
§ Is
there unusual vocabulary or diction? Record a quote:” “He positively danced,
the bloodthirsty little gingery beggar.” “(p.47)
§ Is
the novel structured with a particular idea? Record a quote or explain
There is an
particular idea. A man named Kurtz is in the Inner Station of a trading
company, he got a savage and can`t leave it. Charlie Marlow’s mission is to
find and save Kurtz.
§ Is
there dialogue & is it realistic? Record a quote:
“ ‘What was he
doing? Exploring or what?” I asked. ‘Oh, yes, of course’, he had discovered
lots of villages, a lake, too –he did not know exactly in what direction; it
was dangerous to inquire too much –but mostly his expeditions had been for
ivory.’ But he had no goods to trade with by that time, ’I objected. ‘There’s a
good a lot of cartridges left even yet,’ he answered, looking away. “(p.51)
1. Themes: Record words and topics related
to themes contained and developed in your novel:
-war( burnt station, killed
helmsman)
-good and evil (different sides of Mr.
Kurtz, savages in the forest)
-changing (Mr. Kurtz character)
-hope (Marlow believes that Kurtz had
survived)
-terror (attacks of the natives, fog)
Personal
Response to this quarter: what you thought or felt, related to, did not relate
to; how universal is the experience that your protagonist goes through?
The
situation in this chapter changes very often. First Mr. Kurtz is a remarkable
man and in the next minute he is a savage man, who orders attacks on his
friends. Marlow made the same experiences. I find , that the chapter is very
exciting, because the high suspense. You don`t know, what weird will happen
next. I found a few absurd parts, too. Normally, when I heard it at home, I
didn’t realized, that so many things are absurd. Marlow made the experience,
that a man is not, what you hear from him. He has to think about the point,
that the whole travel is worthless, because Mr. Kurtz doesn’t want to come
back, although there were a lot of whispers, that he wants to escape.
