out of his novella, he, perhaps unknowingly, created a passage that has greatly influenced his story and has led to a considerable amount of debate (McIntire 257). Marlow directs his attention to when he mentions to his fellow passengers aboard the yacht that Kurtz’s Intended is out of it—completely. They—the women I mean—are out of it—should be out of it. We “she must help them to stay in that beautiful world of their own lest ours gets worse. Oh, she had to be out of (Conrad 48). In this passage, Marlow clearly states that are not simply of it.” “women a different world, but ought to be the story (McIntire 256). He also asserts ‘out of’ ‘completely’” that women should stay in their own world ours gets (Conrad 48). This “lest [the men’s] worse” supports my argument that Marlow is defending his own territory rather than trying to be chivalrous and spare the women of the harsh realities that lie in the heart of Africa. Conrad also pays careful attention to the placement of the women in his Heart of By using this technique, he secures the position: that they are bound to Darkness. women’s their territories. The women are unable to wander in and out of their territories and cultures (McIntire 271). For example, the Intended is bound to and her “lofty drawing-room” Kurtz’ the river bank as she wails at (McIntire 259). Both mistress “struts along Kurtz’s departure” women are confined to the cultures in which they are born. Conrad uses the Intended’s naivety to show that she would not survive in the wilderness, and she simply belongs in Europe. The thoughts and of Europe as a Intended’s “ideas are… those whole” (Dilworth 511). She shares her ignorance with the inhabitants of Europe that Marlow so hates upon his return to Belgium. He calls them that not possibly know the things I “intruders”, claiming “they could knew” (Conrad 70-1). Because of her Intended could not possibly belong “irritating pretence,” Kurtz’s in the sphere. men’s
out of his novella, he, perhaps unknowingly, created a passage that has greatly influenced his story and has led to a considerable amount of debate (McIntire 257). Marlow directs his attention to Kurtz’s Intended when he mentions to his fellow passengers aboard the yacht that “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 worse. Oh, she had to be out of it.” (Conrad 48). In this passage, Marlow clearly states that “women are not simply of a different world, but ought to be ‘out of’ the story ‘completely’” (McIntire 256). He also asserts that women should stay in their own world “lest ours [the men’s] gets worse” (Conrad 48). This supports my argument that Marlow is defending his own territory rather than trying to be chivalrous and spare the women of the harsh realities that lie in the heart of Africa. Conrad also pays careful attention to the placement of the women in his Heart of Darkness. By using this technique, he secures the women’s position: that they are bound to their territories. The women are unable to wander in and out of their territories and cultures (McIntire 271). For example, the Intended is bound to her “lofty drawing-room” and Kurtz’ mistress “struts along the river bank as she wails at Kurtz’s departure” (McIntire 259). Both women are confined to the cultures in which they are born. Conrad uses the Intended’s naivety to show that she would not survive in the wilderness, and she simply belongs in Europe. The Intended’s thoughts and “ideas are… those of Europe as a whole” (Dilworth 511). She shares her ignorance with the inhabitants of Europe that Marlow so hates upon his return to Belgium. He calls them “intruders”, claiming that “they could not possibly know the things I knew” (Conrad 70-1). Because of her “irritating pretence,” Kurtz’s Intended could not possibly belong in the men’s sphere.