The African men were described as nothing manly. When we think of a man we think of someone who is muscular, strong, a leader. Men are promiscuous and they want lots of women. They're studs. They're persuasive. The men described in this story were a pathetic version of a man. The Africans were described as black shapes crouched or leaning against trees. They were also called black shadows of disease, a destruction-- that alone pretty much sums it up. Marlow also said that they were morbid shapes, phantoms, and dusty n*******.
The accountant that comes is the "perfect" example of a man. he has a high starched collar, which cuffs, parted hair. He came and took what he wanted-- enslaved the women to do his work.
I didn't really understand the majority of this literature. The only sentences/phrases I found to be feminist/gender based were "They were nothing earthly now-- nothing but block shadows of disease and starvation, lying confusedly in the greenish gloom." Which in a racist sense the African people are known to be weak, disease, useless almost, dark skinned people compared to the dapper, strong accountant. Men, well white men, are stereotypically known for their muscle, facial hair, job/bank account, and promiscuous ways; the Africans don't have any of that and their there is no mercy only torture/labor.
The women in all this were doing all mainly housework: "I've been teaching one of the native women about the station. It was difficult. She had to distaste for the work." Women were treated as if they knew nothing and that their only worth was labor, sex, etc.
The main story is African men were castrated and sickly and women were objects. The white people were terrorists and showed no mercy for the weak, brittle people they created.
In this story, they portray the native men as demasculinized beings. All the while, the accountant was show to be about as manly as you can get.
The black people in the story are shown to be like animals. "...shapes crouched, lay, say between trees..." "... one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink." this makes them seem more like animals than men. Also, the blacks couldn't seem to keep their women, who were going to "work" for the accountant as housekeepers, maids, cooks, and I am sure they provided other services.
"The man seemed young-- almost a boy-- but you know with them it's hard to tell." This shows that the narrator feels there is no difference between the young males and older males. So, the Africans have to puberty. Bye bye manhood!
The white accountant on the other hand is totally a man. He has the African women, wears fancy cleans clothes, and has his hair styled. he is also in charge of many other people, who are totally under his thumb.
So this accountant keeps up a flawless appearance at the expense of a woman. Meanwhile, a whole honey bunch of men are outside, dying of starvation, sickness, and exhaustion. There he is, the perfect specimen of society and health, looking positively sexy, surrounded by the very manifestation of oppression and poor health.
He would rather look like a boss instead of help these people that probably need a meal more than he needs shoe polish. This effectively emasculates them. As discussed in class, they are socially castrated.
Can you call yourself a man when some white bean-counter comes to your town, takes your food, teals your women to be enslaved in an industrial-era laundry mat?
Talk about humiliation! Not on a manly level, but on a much more basic human level. He has completely dehumanized them. We set ourselves apart from animals because we are "civilized." If you take away our civilization we are just clever monkeys.
Of the many different themes in "Heart of Darkness," I find the feminist view the hardest to discuss, but I will anyway. The natives in this story are always vague-- somewhat incomprehensible-- because of their lack of definition. You would think that in a land naturally inhabited by Africans they would play am more instrumental role in the story, but instead they are kind of more of a notion, castrated of their manhood by the lack of definition. All of the Eauropean characters are explored in depth by the author, and there is not a single positive description of a native. Also, the natives never talk, which is not characteristic of a man, boisterous, it's more like that of an snimal, silent, lower than men.
The natives are sickly and weak, not worthy of being men by denotative standards of a masculine society, whereas the big, strong, well-groomed accountant, not always traditionally thought of as manly, is the most manly figure in this feminine land of beasts and non-manly burden. I think also the fact that they all obey Kurtz should be considered. Kurtz is not that strongest figure, and his name literally translates to "short," yet all the natives follow him like some sort of god-like figure. Some would say like a good woman, would obey a man's every whim and fancy.
No comments:
Post a Comment