intro

Perhaps it's because the story is a dream. Some look to Kafka's biographical and historical context to argue that the story, published in 1912, expresses anti-semitic views. Gregor's transformation into a disgusting parasite is often viewed as an expression of Kafka's feelings of isolation and inferiority. The story is also read as a prescient allegory for genocide, in particular the Holocaust. The readings can thus relate to the works of Freud and Darwin.

Power in the classroom

For nearly a century, societies have believed that higher education and conformity to a rigid structure is necessary for success, but the opposite is true with the modern version of education.  For instance, most of the high-tech companies were created by high school dropouts, who dreamt of doing something that nobody else had done.  You won't find such inventive and pioneering attitudes in those who desire to achieve and separate themselves from the typical society. Thus students should be trained to strive for 'non-limiting goals'.

Leaderless Discussion

I thought the process of having a leaderless discussion was very beneficial to our understanding of both Heart of Darkness and Kafka. Everyone had an opinion that contributed to a further understanding of the texts

Essay Intro

A picture is an abstract idea or notion out of grasp, brought into light to form something concrete.  They are made up and created to give off some sort of feeling or mood, that one can relate too. The atmosphere helps determine what kind of mood the picture will take in the mind of the reader. Any author or artist, of either a painting or piece of literature will set the mood by using their atmosphere to enhance the theme of their creation. In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad and criticism from Fredrick Karl uses mood and atmosphere to help create a portrait called the journey into the soul and thus delves deep into our internal minds.

HOD Analysis for Essay

As much as we like Marlow, it seems that the guy is something of a chauvinist. Twice in the novel, he mentions women and always sees them as somehow divorced from reality, as living in another world. To him, women are naive and idealistic, but he seems to want them to stay that way. For example, he lies to the Kurtz's fiance about Kurtz’s final words. To some extent, this behavior is a chivalrous attempt to protect women from the brutal realities of the world like slavery and imperialism.

HOD #6

The painting is of a blindfolded woman carrying a lighted torch, which distorts her face. The woman likely symbolizes the Europeans who have come to civilize the natives. The torch she carries represents the European customs and values that they try to force upon the native Africans. The woman is blindfolded because the Europeans cannot "see" the negative effects that their customs have on the natives. Her face has become distorted because, to the natives, the European customs seem rather repulsive.

HOD #2

In justifying Marlow's journey he connects the journey to Africa to the roman times in London. The connection that both journeys represent the unknown and the quest for knowledge. In terms of colonization both regions have savages and the goal is to purify these civilizations to create an order of proper governmental rule