The Role of Madness in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness

The novella Heart of Darkness was written by the British novelist Joseph Conrad and appeared, before its publication in 1902, as a three-part series in Blackwood’s Magazine. This frame tale or â€Å"story within a story† follows the lead character Charlie Marlow as he describes his adventures to a group of men aboard a ship. It also tells of an earlier event in Marlow’s life, at a time when he was working as a steamboat captain in a country whose name is not specified in the book. The story provides readers with a glimpse into the mind and soul of Marlow as he travels through the literal â€Å"Heart of Darkness† and comes face-to-face with the atrocities of racism and slavery. Marlow’s predecessor, the government-employed ivory agent Kurtz, dominates the natives through violence and coercion. When the two men finally meet, Marlow recognizes in Kurtz a mere shell of a man, the substance and soul of which has been devoured by the contempt of his own morals. This realization propels Marlow to scrutinize his own virtues and to decide whether or not to compromise them for the sake of wealth. The novella revolves around three central themes: â€Å"the hypocrisy of imperialism, madness as a result of imperialism, and the absurdity of evil† (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/facts.html, 2006a). In Heart of Darkness, madness is closely associated with the concept of imperialism. In the text, Africa is presented as a cause and catalyst for diseases of the body and of the mind. Madness also serves two functions in the novella. First, it functions as â€Å"an ironic device to engage the reader’s sympathies† (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/themes.html, 2006b). As Marlow is informed from the beginning, the ivory agent Kurtz is â€Å"mad†. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that this madness is relative; that madness in the context of the setting in which the characters move is quite hard to define. This causes the reader to develop a feeling of sympathy towards Kurtz and a sense of doubt and mistrust towards the Company. It also propels Marlow, who was initially suspicious of Kurtz, to sympathize with him. Madness also serves to create the â€Å"necessity of social fictions† (http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/heart/themes.html, 2006b). Even though rationales and social norms are strewn throughout Heart of Darkness, they are ultimately proved to be utterly false and even causative of evil. However, they are indispensable in the quest of providing a sense of personal security and harmony among groups. In Heart of Darkness, madness is the result of having been detached from one’s own social realm and being permitted to become the lone arbitrator of one’s own actions. Therefore, madness is associated not only with supreme power and moral genius but to man’s primary and deep-seated imperfection: the character of Kurtz answers to no one but himself, and this proves too much for any one person to tolerate. In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz proves unable to resolve the contradictions between his own moral beliefs and cultural assumptions and subsequently sinks into madness when he begins to identify with the natives. Marlow says that Kurtz had gone mad because his soul â€Å"Being along in the wilderness,†¦ had looked into itself, and by heavens! I tell you, it had gone mad.† (http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng109/HeartSG.htm). This is in contrast to Kurtz’s nature of being power-hungry. The madness begins when Kurtz, who is mad with power provided by his absolute control over his domain, begins to succumb to the lure of the wilderness and the native people. He goes mad when his greed clashes with his growing affinity towards the natives. The subsequent moral dilemma proves too much for him. Marlow, in his recounting of his adventures, says that the moment of the native ceremony was the moment when he realized that Kurtz had gone mad when he went alone into the wilderness, when his spirit had been left alone with itself. Marlow recognizes that Kurtz is under the spell of the wilderness and tries to understand what had drawn Kurtz into â€Å"the edge of the forest†¦ towards the throb of drums, the drone of weird incantations;†¦ beguiled his unlawful soul†¦ beyond the bounds of permitted aspiration† (http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng109/HeartSG.htm). Marlow, who is uninterested with wealth or advancement in the Company, is focused chiefly on keeping his sanity amidst the madness in his surroundings. Nevertheless, his experiences leave him broken and distressed. The physical and mental torment he was forced to endure proved to be too much for him. Through Kurtz, Marlow had been drawn into the horror as well. When Kurtz says his last words, â€Å"The horror! The horror!† (http://web.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng109/HeartSG.htm), Marlow was forced to face death. The experience leaves him bewildered and disturbed. He tells the group that when the natives buried Kurtz, they had almost buried him as well. When he returns to the city from which he came, Marlow finds the people there stupid and he continues to dwell on Kurtz and the remnants of the life Kurtz had left behind. When he goes to visit Kurtz’s fiancà ©, he feels the presence of Kurtz’s spirit entering the house with him. As Marlow proceeds into the fiancà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s house, he imagines the natives dancing around their ceremonial fires, and hears Kurtz’s voice discussing ivory. Madness, as a theme in Heart of Darkness, serves to reinforce the fact that when given absolute power over himself and those under his influence, man is susceptible to his own dark nature. Work Cited Conrad, J. (1899). Heart of Darkness. In Davis, et. al. Eds. (1995). Western Literature in a World Context Volume 2: The Enlightenment throughout the Present. New York: St. Martin’s Press. Retrieved from on November 15, 2006. Sparknotes. (2006a). Heart of Darkness Study Guide. Sparknotes: Today’s Most Popular Study Guides from Barnes & Noble. Retrieved from on November 14, 2006. Sparknotes. (2006b). Heart of Darkness Study Guide: Themes, Motifs and Symbols. Sparknotes: Today’s Most Popular Study Guides from Barnes & Noble. Retrieved from on November 14, 2006.

Pericardiumâ€Anatomy and Function

Pericardium- Anatomy and Function The pericardium is the fluid-filled sac that surrounds the heart and the proximal ends of the aorta, venae cavae, and the pulmonary artery. The heart and pericardium are situated behind the sternum (breastbone) in a position in the middle of the chest cavity known as the mediastinum. The pericardium serves as an outer protective covering of the heart, a vital organ of the circulatory system and cardiovascular system. The primary function of the heart is to help circulate blood to the tissues and organs of the body. Function of the Pericardium The pericardium has several protective functions: Keeps the heart contained within the chest cavityPrevents the heart from over-expanding when blood volume increasesLimits heart motionReduces friction between the heart and surrounding tissuesProtects the heart against infection While the pericardium provides a number of valuable functions, it is not essential for life. The heart can maintain normal function without it. Pericardial Membranes The pericardium is divided into three membrane layers: Fibrous pericardium is the outer fibrous sac that covers the heart. It provides an outer protective layer that is attached to the sternum by  sternopericardial ligaments. Fibrous pericardium helps to keep the heart contained within the chest cavity. It also protects the heart from an infection that could potentially spread from nearby organs such as the lungs.Parietal pericardium is the layer between the fibrous pericardium and visceral pericardium. It is continuous with fibrous pericardium and provides an additional layer of insulation for the heart.Visceral pericardium is both the inner layer of the pericardium and the outer layer of the heart wall. Also known as the epicardium, this layer protects the inner heart layers and also assists in the production of pericardial fluid. Epicardium consists of connective tissue elastic fibers and adipose (fat) tissue, which help to support and protect the inner heart layers. Oxygen-rich blood is supplied to the epicardium and inner heart la yers by the coronary arteries. Pericardial Cavity The pericardial cavity lies between the visceral pericardium and the parietal pericardium. This cavity is filled with pericardial fluid which serves as a shock absorber by reducing friction between the pericardial membranes. There are two pericardial sinuses that pass through the pericardial cavity. A sinus is a passageway or channel. The transverse pericardial sinus is positioned above the left atrium of the heart, anterior to the superior vena cava and posterior to the pulmonary trunk and ascending aorta. The oblique pericardial sinus is situated posteriorly to the heart and is bounded by the inferior vena cava and pulmonary veins. Heart Exterior The surface layer of the heart (epicardium) is directly below the fibrous and parietal pericardium. The external heart surface contains grooves or sulci, which provide passageways for blood vessels of the heart. These sulci run along lines that separate atria from ventricles (atrioventricular sulcus) as well as right and left sides of ventricles (interventricular sulcus). Main blood vessels extending from the heart include the aorta, pulmonary trunk, pulmonary veins, and venae cavae. Pericardial Disorders Pericarditis is a disorder of the pericardium in which the pericardium becomes swollen or inflamed. This inflammation disrupts normal heart function. Pericarditis can be acute (happens suddenly and over quickly) or chronic (happens over a period of time and lasts for a long time). Some causes of pericarditis include bacterial or viral infections, cancer, kidney failure, certain medicines, and heart attack. Pericardial effusion is a condition caused by the accumulation of large amounts of fluid between the pericardium and the heart. This condition can be caused by a number of other conditions that affect the pericardium, such as pericarditis. Cardiac tamponade is pressure build up on the heart due to excessive fluid or blood build up in the pericardium. This excess pressure does not allow the heart ventricles to fully expand. As a result, cardiac output is lowered and blood supply to the body is insufficient. This condition is most commonly caused by hemorrhage due to penetration of the pericardium. The pericardium may become damaged as a result of severe trauma to the chest, a knife or gunshot wound, or accidental puncture during a surgical procedure. Other possible causes of cardiac tamponade include cancer, heart attack, pericarditis, radiation therapy, kidney failure, and lupus.

Readers and Text Meanings Essays

Readers and Text Meanings Essays Readers and Text Meanings Essay Readers and Text Meanings Essay Language – often defined as â€Å"the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way†, the aforementioned has played an eminent role in our society from the beginning of time. As human beings, language is a part of our human heritage that is often passed down from parents to children within the speech communities where we live. A child born in India is most likely to speak Hindi and a child born in Washington is likewise, most likely to speak English. Had the two children been switched around during birth, they’d also switch the language capabilities they possess. Language, however, is not confined to only the human voice resonating in other’s ears. Words written by humans possess the ability to transcend meanings from one to another. As Roland Barthes once said, â€Å"the birth of the reader must be at the cost of the death of the author†. So truly , how is it that we humans – we readers – shape the meaning of a particular text at hand? The question at hand is highly subjective. To begin with, we as people are born as blank slates whose individuality is then painted and crafted by our experiences, emotions, faith and beliefs’ as we grow into adulthood and swim through our daily existence. As the theory of existentialism rightfully states, the individual person is the only agent that can determine his or her own life by means of acts of the will. This means that our life is based on our own decisions. As each person is different and has become the human they are today based on their own choices, is it not fair to say that their personal experiences can manipulate the way they articulate and form a common consensus on a text at hand? For instance, will a woman who has been brought up in free America not find a textual piece on women’s rights violation under Islamic law more abominating than an Islamic woman brought up in the same circumstances in th

The Nature of Disease Experienced by David Roy Case Study

The Nature of Disease Experienced by David Roy - Case Study Example As per(Wedro,2013) â€Å"TIAs are often warning signs of a future stroke. The risk of a stroke increases dramatically in the days after a transient ischemic attack† He had speech trouble, difficulty in walking and lower extremity hemiparesis. He is a 51-year-old Hotel Operations Manager who is a working student. David Roy on the visibility of physical difficulty was taken to doctor by his wife in order to understand his health condition. The patient on the onset of the disease was suggested to undergo CT scan, MRI, and Cardiac enzyme test. It was diagnosed that the patient had mini-stroke which is called TIA (Transient Ischemic Attack) sites in the heart region. According to (MNT,2009)â€Å" Health experts say a TIA may be a warning. Approximately 30% of people who have a TIA eventually go on to have a stroke†. The intervention was done by the family member who is wife as she is the one who confronted the symptoms of the patient. On witnessing the same, the patient was taken to doctor where medical intervention occurred. Cardiologist conducted CT scan, MRI and Cardiac enzyme test to unleash the medical condition. Conclusion -The patient is on medication and is following strict exercise regimes and eating habits along with medication. He is suggested to take less stress and follow light physical activity and frequent medical checkups. The aim of this case study is to analyze the health condition and explore the living condition of the patient called David Roy. The objective of this health case study is to understand the effect of heart disease on a healthy man and how it can change his lifestyle and living quality. This case study will also look into the reasons behind heart problem and medical intervention possible for the same. A case study reveals the family history of a patient and also projects the problems encountered by a person while suffering a disease. This subject of heart disease of David Roy is important as it gives chance to evaluate the pros and cons of unhealthy living and matters to concentrate in case of adverse diseased conditions. Studying deep into the disease condition of a heart patient, one can understand the nature of health problem and the remedies attached to it. The patient David Roy was a healthy person and leads a normal life with a standard exercise regime. The case study is importan t in highlighting the steps taken by the family members of the patient in observing the person and the symptoms displayed by him during the course of the heart problem. It will also unravel the uncertainties and impact of disease on the specific individual.   

Counseling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Counseling - Assignment Example I would start by asking the freshman the reasons as to why he chose the career. This can be due to personal interest on that area, persuasion/ influence from either parents or colleagues, being cheap in terms of cost, taking a short duration of time. It can even be that the freshman chose the career not basing it on any factors. My area of interest would be to ascertain the suitability of the career from the 'marketability' point of view. He should be able to choose a career that would enable him secure a job as soon as he finishes college. I would then encourage him to change his career if I realize that the one he has chosen may not adequately serve his needs as soon as he finishes college. I will stipulate to the freshman the need for living harmoniously with colleagues in college. Living peacefully with colleagues would enable him to always have a peaceful mind and be able to concentrate in his studies. Conflicts characterized with chaos, fights would not only adverse his performance in academics, but can make him either be suspended or expelled from college. The entire life of the freshman would be greatly influenced by the kind of people/ friends he would be associating himself with. Friends are people who can easily influence someone's character, either positively or negatively. I would therefore urge the freshman to carefully choose the kind of people to associate with. He can do this by consulting the sophomores and other seniors if the people he wants to associate himself with are already known by them (sophomores and seniors). If they are fresher, then he can use his own judgment to determine whether they are good or bad, morally upright or to the contrary etc. I would further advice him to cling to people with vision and one goal - that of passing college exams and coming out successfully. In this respect I would advice him to completely avoid associating himself with students who take alcohol, smoke, and who involve themselves in other immoral activities. 4) SEXUAL RESPONSIBILITY This would be a very important topic as far as the new freshman is concerned. I would tell him the need to completely abstain from sex. Sex, being addictive would deviate his mind from studies thus deteriorating his performance. It can also earn him enemies because he might be competing with his colleagues and even lecturers for sexual partners. Worst of all, I would highlight to him; the dangers of engaging in sex irresponsibly one of them being contracting of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/ AIDS. 5) OBEDIENCE & ADHERENCE TO ESTABLISHED RULES I would advice the freshman to adhere to the generally established rules and regulations of the

The Revolution in America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Revolution in America - Essay Example In the evening of 26th August 1765, the home of the Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor and Chief Justice Thomas Hutchinson was attacked by a mob from Boston while he was eating dinner with his family. The group broke into his home and looted and stole a large number of possessions from there, however, the Hutchinson family manages to escape just in time to avoid a bloody disaster. The Stamp Act Congress was formed and met in New York where the conflict that took place in Virginia was resolved and this paved the way for the first united coalition of the North American colonies. A new series of colonial taxes followed suit in 1767 called the Townshend Duties and would be accepted by the colonists as they were in charge of controlling trade. In Boston, things had not been faring well as a Non-Importation Agreement was issued by the merchants and traders with a condition of not importing anything that was manufactured and came from Great Britain in order to protest against the taxes, spec ifically the Townshend Duties that had been levied by the Parliament. In 1768, the Boston riots broke out as John Hancock’s ship was attacked by the British royal troops, for having violated laws relating to trade. This made the Parliament strict in its attitude and posted more British troops near the ports and waters in order to regulate the law; however, these stationed troops were soon hassled by Bostonians and led to the death of some troops. It soon became a massacre as more and more people began to get involved and this entire episode.... He assembled people to raid the British and destroy their forts and buildings as a sign of protest. Before this however, in November 1763, a group known as the Paxton Boys that consisted of half a hundred Scottish and Irish men, massacred a formidably large Indian population in Pennsylvania and blamed the state government of being lenient and biased towards the natives. This enraged them and they aimed for equality, thus displaying their wants through a series of attacks. The British were extremely powerful and counter attacked Pontiac and his tribes which led to signing of the Proclamation of 1763 which forbade any American colonist from settling on Native American territory unless he had permission to do so by the means of either purchase or treaty. All these incidents led to the end of salutary neglect and subsequently, in April of 1763, the First Lord of the Treasury and Chancellor of the Exchequer took office in London – George Grenville. In the year 1764, he enforced the Navigation Act and also passed the Sugar Act according to which sugar would then be taxable as three pennies on molasses so that the costs that were incurred by the British government during the war with France could be undertaken in the form of payment and recovered so that the benefits would ultimately go to England. The colonial Americans however were taken aback by the amount of tax on the sugar molasses and expected it to be two pence per piece at the most because of which they began to then protest in order to remain in business. Apart from this, he also enforced the Currency Act by which he stopped the circulation of paper currency; the Stamp Act as per which taxes were imposed on printed materials; and the Quartering Act by which

Fruit Fly Introduction Essay Example for Free

Fruit Fly Introduction Essay The purpose of this lab is to understand how each offspring inherits its genotype and how its phenotype reflects it. Sex chromosomes determine the sex of the offspring, and the autosomes consist of all the other chromosomes that determine phenotypic traits. Dominant traits are the genes that are expressed, while the recessive traits are masked by the dominant traits. We used Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly), mutating the female fruit fly with a scalloped gene to change the phenotype of its offspring and using males with genes showing wild-type. Placing WT males and SD females in the same vile, we provided the flies an atmosphere to mate, giving us offspring with mixed genotypes and phenotypes. This experiment will reflect the breeding of fruit flies and how genes are present within adults as well as passed down through the offspring. Our four hypotheses related to mode of inheritance that was used to pass the gene. The mode of inheritance for the scalloped gene is autosomal dominant. The genotype of the female parent is homozygous dominant. The male parent genotype is homozygous recessive. From this hypothesis we expect all of the offspring to have a heterozygous genotype, and the offspring would all be scalloped†¦. The mode of inheritance for the scalloped gene is autosomal recessive. The genotype of the female parent is homozygous recessive. The genotype of the male parent is homozygous dominant. From the hypothesis we can expect the offspring to have heterozygous genotypes, but the offspring’s phenotype would be wild type†¦. The mode of inheritance for the scalloped gene is sex-linked dominant. The genotype of the female is homozygous dominant. The genotype of the male parent is hemizygous recessive. From this hypothesis we can expect all the female offspring to be heterozygous and all the male offspring to be hemizygous dominant. Both male and female offspring would be scalloped†¦.. Finally, the mode of inheritance for the scalloped gene is sex-linked recessive. The genotype of the female parent is homozygous recessive. The genotype of the male parent is hemizygous dominant. From this hypothesis we can expect all the females to have heterozygous genotypes and all the male offspring to have hemizygous recessive genotypes. In this prediction, all the male offspring would be scalloped, while the females would be wild type†¦.. The hypothesis that stated the mode of inheritance for the scalloped gene is autosomal dominant, and the mode of inheritance for the scalloped gene is sex-linked dominant predicted that all of the offspring are scalloped. To set up the reciprocal cross, the mutant gene was given to the male rather than the female from the first experiment and the female received the wild-type. The first hypothesis stated was that the mode of inheritance for scalloped is autosomal dominant. In this hypothesis the female genotype was homozygous recessive while the male’s was homozygous dominant. The offspring from this cross had heterozygous genotypes and expressed the mutant phenotype. †¦. The mode of inheritance for scalloped is autosomal recessive. In this cross, the male parent had a homozygous recessive genotype, while the female had a homozygous dominant genotype. The result of this was that all of the offspring had a heterozygous genotype and expressed the wild type phenotype. †¦ The mode of inheritance for scalloped is sex linked dominant. In this cross the female parent had a homozygous recessive genotype while the male had a hemizygous dominant genotype. The female offspring from this cross were heterozygous and expressed the mutant phenotype, while the male offspring had a hemizygous recessive genotype and expressed the wild type phenotype. †¦ The mode of inheritance for scalloped is sex linked recessive. In this cross, the female parent had a homozygous dominant genotype while the male parent had a hemizygous recessive genotype. The female offspring of this cross had a heterozygous genotype while the males had a hemizygous dominant genotype. All offspring expressed the wild type phenotype†¦. Each of the Punnett squares are possible outcomes of offspring phenotypes based on the genotypes of the parents. By comparing our results to that of the Punnett square’s we will be able to determine, through process of elimination, whether or not the mutation is a dominant or recessive trait and if it appears through an autosomal or sex linked chromosome. Based on the phenotypes of the offspring, we can infer the identifications of the parental genotypes.