Examples of Outstanding Student Efforts...
re: Webquest: Feminist Criticism message board
Feb 1, 2011 3:46 pm
The docks:
In an excerpt from Heart of Darkness titled “the docks,” the narrator’s description of the sea is in actuality a representation of his lack of interest in women’s nature. The narrator starts off by talking about men “who followed the sea,” a group which Marlow is a member of. According to the narrator, these seamen’s homes are “always with them - the ship; and so is their country - the sea.” Farther along, there is one telling line which states, “there is nothing mysterious about a seamen unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny.” In this line the narrator refers to the sea as a seaman’s mistress, or female counterpart. The sea is mysterious and inscrutable, or impossible to understand. This means that the narrator feels that women are unfathomable too, since he has associated femininity with the sea. However, the thought that women are cryptic is the result of the narrator’s indifference. The narrator admits that “a casual stroll… on shore suffices to unfold…the secret of the whole continent [which is a] secret not worth knowing.”This means that the narrator has only bothered to skim the surface, the shores, in trying to understand women because he thinks they aren’t worth his time. This dismissive attitude towards women is a shame, and if he dug a little deeper I’m sure the narrator would realize women aren’t as confusing as they appear to be.
re: Webquest: Feminist Criticism message board
Feb 3, 2011 5:24 pm
Outer Station:
In a passage from “Heart of Darkness” titled “Outer Station,” there is for certain an inequality in the way men and women are portrayed. In this section, Marlow meets the Company’s chief accountant and is in awe of his appearance. Marlow describes the accountant as “sort of a vision,” a “miracle,” because he is dressed to the nines and is neatly groomed, despite having lived in the harsh jungle for almost three years. Thus, this man, and men in general, are depicted as worthy of worship and respect because of Marlow’s praise. However, we soon find out, through the prodding of Marlow, that the secret to the accountant’s immaculate dress is a Congolese woman who he had taught to do his laundry. When the accountant admitted he had trained “one of the native women,” Marlow thought this was a great achievement. Through this we can infer that Marlow feels a woman’s job is to provide for men and nothing more. This sexist ideal of a woman as a man’s servant, doing domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, etc. for him, is greatly reinforced in this excerpt. This view is unfortunate because it devalues women and doesn’t show what they are truly capable of. If truth be told, women are just as competent as men, but from reading this passage you wouldn’t know it.
re: Webquest: Feminist Criticism message board
Feb 11, 2011 7:10 pm
Inner Station:
The “Inner Station” excerpt of “Heart of Darkness” supports the idea that women should be sheltered from the evils of the world. In this section Marlow sees Kurtz, who has been transformed into a “devilish” creature by the darkness of the “the wilderness.” Kurtz, in his corpse-like state, speaks of a woman he is betrothed to, his “Intended.” Marlow doesn’t want Kurtz’s fiancée to see Kurtz like he is, stating, “Oh, she is out of it-completely. They-the women I mean- are out of it-should be out of it. We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own, lest ours gets worst.” From this quote we can see that Marlow feels that women should live in their own little “world,” a bubble so to speak, in which they are protected from the darkness of life, in this case crazy Kurtz. However, this idea is very unrealistic because darkness takes many forms, and no matter how hard someone tries to prevent it, women will be exposed to them in one way or another. Therefore, it is unfair to say that men must shield women from the real world because it makes women seem more childlike and helpless compared men.
Feb 1, 2011 3:46 pm
The docks:
In an excerpt from Heart of Darkness titled “the docks,” the narrator’s description of the sea is in actuality a representation of his lack of interest in women’s nature. The narrator starts off by talking about men “who followed the sea,” a group which Marlow is a member of. According to the narrator, these seamen’s homes are “always with them - the ship; and so is their country - the sea.” Farther along, there is one telling line which states, “there is nothing mysterious about a seamen unless it be the sea itself, which is the mistress of his existence and as inscrutable as Destiny.” In this line the narrator refers to the sea as a seaman’s mistress, or female counterpart. The sea is mysterious and inscrutable, or impossible to understand. This means that the narrator feels that women are unfathomable too, since he has associated femininity with the sea. However, the thought that women are cryptic is the result of the narrator’s indifference. The narrator admits that “a casual stroll… on shore suffices to unfold…the secret of the whole continent [which is a] secret not worth knowing.”This means that the narrator has only bothered to skim the surface, the shores, in trying to understand women because he thinks they aren’t worth his time. This dismissive attitude towards women is a shame, and if he dug a little deeper I’m sure the narrator would realize women aren’t as confusing as they appear to be.
re: Webquest: Feminist Criticism message board
Feb 3, 2011 5:24 pm
Outer Station:
In a passage from “Heart of Darkness” titled “Outer Station,” there is for certain an inequality in the way men and women are portrayed. In this section, Marlow meets the Company’s chief accountant and is in awe of his appearance. Marlow describes the accountant as “sort of a vision,” a “miracle,” because he is dressed to the nines and is neatly groomed, despite having lived in the harsh jungle for almost three years. Thus, this man, and men in general, are depicted as worthy of worship and respect because of Marlow’s praise. However, we soon find out, through the prodding of Marlow, that the secret to the accountant’s immaculate dress is a Congolese woman who he had taught to do his laundry. When the accountant admitted he had trained “one of the native women,” Marlow thought this was a great achievement. Through this we can infer that Marlow feels a woman’s job is to provide for men and nothing more. This sexist ideal of a woman as a man’s servant, doing domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, washing clothes, etc. for him, is greatly reinforced in this excerpt. This view is unfortunate because it devalues women and doesn’t show what they are truly capable of. If truth be told, women are just as competent as men, but from reading this passage you wouldn’t know it.
re: Webquest: Feminist Criticism message board
Feb 11, 2011 7:10 pm
Inner Station:
The “Inner Station” excerpt of “Heart of Darkness” supports the idea that women should be sheltered from the evils of the world. In this section Marlow sees Kurtz, who has been transformed into a “devilish” creature by the darkness of the “the wilderness.” Kurtz, in his corpse-like state, speaks of a woman he is betrothed to, his “Intended.” Marlow doesn’t want Kurtz’s fiancée to see Kurtz like he is, stating, “Oh, she is out of it-completely. They-the women I mean- are out of it-should be out of it. We must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own, lest ours gets worst.” From this quote we can see that Marlow feels that women should live in their own little “world,” a bubble so to speak, in which they are protected from the darkness of life, in this case crazy Kurtz. However, this idea is very unrealistic because darkness takes many forms, and no matter how hard someone tries to prevent it, women will be exposed to them in one way or another. Therefore, it is unfair to say that men must shield women from the real world because it makes women seem more childlike and helpless compared men.