Joseph Conrad. Heart of darkness
Description
Joseph Conrad's compelling novella, marked by an ominous tone and a sense of unspeakable menace, is a literary introduction to the savage 20th century. In this program, noted Conrad scholars Bruce Harkness, Frederick Karl, Jerome Meckier, and Dwight Purdy examine the author's life within the context of his times: the pervasive influence of his Polish background, the impact of the sense of isolation he experienced as a merchant marine, and the nightmarish conditions in King Leopold's Belgian Congo. Historic photos and maps help set the tale in the context of time and place. In addition, experts analyze Marlow, Kurtz, the Accountant, the Manager, and Kurtz's fiancé; discuss the importance of literary techniques such as juxtapositioning; interpret the meaning of Kurtz's last words and Marlow's lie to the fiancé regarding them; and consider the story's bleak implication that it is only the knowledge of one's own perversity that separates humankind from the darkness.
Runtime
30 min
Series
- Heart of Darkness (1)
- The Cambridge Educational Core Curriculum Video Libraries (90)
- Language Arts & Literature Core Curriculum Video Library (17)
Subjects
Contributor
Genre
Date of Publication
[2005], c1998
Database
Films on Demand
Direct Link
Similar Films
Act One, Part 1
The Ottoman empire
King Solomon's Mines
King Lear Basics
Theme of Dreams
Martin Chuzzlewit. Episode 2
The Bronte sisters
Energy and resources
Reading a ruler. English and metric measurements
Act Four, Part 2
A Fanatic Heart. Bob Geldof and Yeats - Bonus Materials
How Fiction Differs from Philosophy
The Aztecs
Olivier's Henry V
Characters