Quartering the text #2 quarter "Heart of Darkness"

Novel Summary Sheet ~Quartering the Text ~

Your name: Malte Bolesta               Quarter: # 2

Novel Name: Heart of Darkness

Author’s last name: Conrad

  1. Skeletal plot (Point form only- keep this short but insightful):

1.  – Marlow walks to the central messroom and speaks with the manager

2.  – hears that his steamer sunk and have to be repaired

3.  – finds the station's brick maker

4.  – In the night he hears the manager and a first class agent talking about Kurtz

5.  – Driving with the steamer up the stream to Kurtz' station, the inner station

§   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 the novel there is no inner conflict or fight against nature or other persons. It is true, that there are moments where the protagonist is attacked by spears by the natives, but it is no conflict with the protagonist.The scene is not in this quarter so it is no conflict in this quarter at all.

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?):

-station

-station's messroom

-stream

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? #?

-Charlie Marlow: He is round and dynamic character. He has to be round and dynamic because he is the main character of the novel and so the most important person.

-first class agent: A not important character, he is only active in the scene with the manager near the steamer in the night. This fact shows that he has an unimportant role in the novel.

-boiler maker: He is a flat and static character, you here only that Marlow needs him for repairing his boat.

-station's manager: He is a more important character, because he tells Marlow that his steamer sunk and the whispers about Kurtz' escape. He is a round and static character. He is one of a few characters who has an own opinion about Kurtz.

-crew of the steamer: A few characters, which aren't important for the story. All are flat and static; you only know that they are there but they have no real function.

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 1^st person view. The reason why it is written like this is that feel yourself in the position of Charlie Marlow. Marlow tells the story and so there is a greater  suspense. The teller is not omniscient. A good example for it is the scene when they were attacked by a group of native throwing spears.

5.Notables on writer’s style and structure!

§   Are there similes or metaphors? Record a quote: “The word “ivory” rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed.(p. 20)

§   Visual or other imagery? Record a quote: “A taint of imbecile rapacity blew through it all, like a whiff from some corpse.”(p. 20)

§   Is there unusual vocabulary or diction? Record a quote:“He was standoffish with the other agents, and they on their side said he was the manager's spy upon them.”(p. 20)

§   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:

  ““ Tell me, pray,” said I,” who is this Mr. Kurtz?” “The chief of the Inner Station,” he answered in a short tone, looking away. “Much obliged,” I said.” And you are the brick maker of the Central Station. Everyone knows that.””(p. 22)  

1.   Themes: Record words and topics related to themes contained and developed in your novel:

 -good and evil (criminals , spears ,destroyed)

  -war (spear)

  -racism (criminals)

  -journey (Mr. Kurtz)   

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?

This quarter was very short. The most happened in the Station. Charlie Marlow made the experience how the natives get a raw deal. They are like slaves working and called criminals. Charlie hears a bit more about Kurtz and his personality. The rest of the quarter he has to repair his steamer. For me the second quarter is not so interesting than the third, which I already have read. But the fact that Joseph Conrad shows us here, that the natives are hold like slaves I found interesting.

Racism is a topic, that is very rare in books and the situation the topic is included is extraordinary, too.