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Readers are introduced to "The Circle of Death" on page 17 when Marlow begins to talk about the "Black shapes" he sees before him. By using the words "shape" and "black shadows" it emphasizes the ambiguity that frequently occurs in the novel, along with the confusion Marlow has in how he feels about the situation. He then goes on to list all of the different places bodies are found, "...crouched, lay, sat between trees, leaning aginst the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half efaced within the dim light..."(17),increasing the overwhelmed feeling in the passage. Marlow then continues in the next paragraph to list things that these people he's seeing were NOT: "They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,..." (170. His statements further emphasize the confusion and ambiguity that Marlow is feeling within himself. He next sees a "face" approach him, and decides that since he can find "nothing else to do" except to offer the face a biscuit that he had in his pocket. Marlow is unintentionnally acknowledging that despite all of the famish and destruction that is surroundg him, there is very little he can do, giving light to why he approaches The Circle of Death in such an ambiguous way. After the boy takes the biscuit, Marlow notices that this boy has "tied a bit of white worsted round his neck" disregarding the fact that worsted/cotton isn't native to Congo, and that the only way he cotton could get around his neck was if this "bit of white thread around his neck from beyond the seas" (17) was tied there by a person from beyond the seas. The fact the that cotton is around the boy's neck makes it sem as if the cotton is served as some sort of a collar. Marlow is so blinded by this that he goes on to question the purpose of the cotton, guessing that it is a symbol of honor: "Was it a badge-an ornament-a charm-a propritiatory act?" (17). Marlow then goes on to describe another "one of these creatures" that "rose to his hands and knees and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink." All of the characteristics Marlow gives this man , from crawling him a creature all the way to the method this man used to drink his water, are very similar to the chracteristics of a dog, showing that even in Marlow's eyes, who has acknowledged something sketchy about the situation aready, these people are the farthest things from human beings, only worthy of being shapes and dogs. It is when Marlow decides that he "didn't want any more loitering in the shade" that he comes across the accountant. The accountant,who iwearing all white and is s VERY clearly described, contrasts with the ambiguouty of the Africans, perhaps because Marlow has found someone he can relate to. The mention of the stark white accountant, along with "the bit of white thread from beyond the seas" that "looked startling round his (the boy's) black neck" (17), serve as symbols of what imperialism is doing to the African nations. The accountant is able to shine out as a "miracle" even though the very things that he has used to be a savior to these people is what's killing them. The "thread from beyond the seas" is choking this blacboy just as the men from beyond the seas are draining the life of the Africans. Marlow can't explain "the effect of it on me"(7) because even he doesn't want to acknowledge that what is going on is horrible, and because he can't do anything about it. He cannot relate to what is going on either. He makes himself believe it is blurry and unclear, just shapes surrounding him so he doesn't have to deal with it completely.
3 comments:
Readers are introduced to "The Circle of Death" on page 17 when Marlow begins to talk about the "Black shapes" he sees before him. By using the words "shape" and "black shadows" it emphasizes the ambiguity that frequently occurs in the novel, along with the confusion Marlow has in how he feels about the situation. He then goes on to list all of the different places bodies are found, "...crouched, lay, sat between trees, leaning aginst the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half efaced within the dim light..."(17),increasing the overwhelmed feeling in the passage. Marlow then continues in the next paragraph to list things that these people he's seeing were NOT: "They were not enemies, they were not criminals, they were nothing earthly now,..." (170. His statements further emphasize the confusion and ambiguity that Marlow is feeling within himself. He next sees a "face" approach him, and decides that since he can find "nothing else to do" except to offer the face a biscuit that he had in his pocket. Marlow is unintentionnally acknowledging that despite all of the famish and destruction that is surroundg him, there is very little he can do, giving light to why he approaches The Circle of Death in such an ambiguous way. After the boy takes the biscuit, Marlow notices that this boy has "tied a bit of white worsted round his neck" disregarding the fact that worsted/cotton isn't native to Congo, and that the only way he cotton could get around his neck was if this "bit of white thread around his neck from beyond the seas" (17) was tied there by a person from beyond the seas. The fact the that cotton is around the boy's neck makes it sem as if the cotton is served as some sort of a collar. Marlow is so blinded by this that he goes on to question the purpose of the cotton, guessing that it is a symbol of honor: "Was it a badge-an ornament-a charm-a propritiatory act?" (17). Marlow then goes on to describe another "one of these creatures" that "rose to his hands and knees and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink." All of the characteristics Marlow gives this man , from crawling him a creature all the way to the method this man used to drink his water, are very similar to the chracteristics of a dog, showing that even in Marlow's eyes, who has acknowledged something sketchy about the situation aready, these people are the farthest things from human beings, only worthy of being shapes and dogs.
It is when Marlow decides that he "didn't want any more loitering in the shade" that he comes across the accountant. The accountant,who iwearing all white and is s VERY clearly described, contrasts with the ambiguouty of the Africans, perhaps because Marlow has found someone he can relate to. The mention of the stark white accountant, along with "the bit of white thread from beyond the seas" that "looked startling round his (the boy's) black neck" (17), serve as symbols of what imperialism is doing to the African nations. The accountant is able to shine out as a "miracle" even though the very things that he has used to be a savior to these people is what's killing them. The "thread from beyond the seas" is choking this blacboy just as the men from beyond the seas are draining the life of the Africans.
Marlow can't explain "the effect of it on me"(7) because even he doesn't want to acknowledge that what is going on is horrible, and because he can't do anything about it. He cannot relate to what is going on either. He makes himself believe it is blurry and unclear, just shapes surrounding him so he doesn't have to deal with it completely.
Julia Sill
Cami Farmer
-dehumanizing imagery of africans...words such as "phantom" "appaling" "bundles" "black bones" "black shadows of disease" "creatures" "acute angles"
-loitering in the shade (page 18)--sees himself as an outsider
when he leaves the shade, he encounters a perfect white man who he describes as a miracle
when the men are sick and therefore out of work, they are described as "free as air" when actually they are not. ironic.
-devilish imagery
"half coming out" of the earth
"clinging to the earth"
-"white worsted"
worsted = yarn
collar- slave of imperialism
no cotton in Africa- mark of imperialism
that last comment was from Tori and Ilana
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