European ignorance. aunt, for Marlow as a metonym for all women Marlow’s too, “functions who are ignorant of the (McIntire 263). The two women knitting black are remembered ‘truth’” by Marlow as the door of (Conrad 11). They are never involved in any “guarding Darkness” kind of travel and therefore have no ideas about any other territory other than the one in which they work. They are simply used as symbols for the fate of journey. The African Marlow’s woman, although she is thought to hold a position of power, has no real freedom of power and is confined to her territory, the Congo River. Men, however, seen to be all-knowing. They are very conscious and understanding of what is going on in neighboring cultures. Conrad uses lie to Intended to Marlow’s Kurtz’s illustrate how the women belong in the same world, or sphere, as the men. Nina Pelikan don’t Straus, who delivers her critique of in a feminist point of view, states that Heart of Darkness “the sexism of Marlow and Kurt is part of the that Conrad intends to and that “horror” disclose” “this is deliberately hidden from (Straus 123). The major then becomes: horror… Kurtz’s Intended” what is intention? Is he trying to protect the Intended from the truth because it is Marlow’s “too is he striving to protect the male realm because she, along with all other women, is dark”? Or of I believe, and will try to prove, that Marlow is trying to protect the male realm from “out it”? women who belong. don’t Conrad splits the book into two different realms: male and female (Straus 124). The women are left of being lied to and deceived, while the is directed at and intended “out it”, “truth for men (Straus 124). Truth is hidden from women in This is most Heart of Darkness. only” obvious in lie to the Intended. Marlow obviously feels comfortable enough to share Marlow’s his secrets with men, otherwise he would not tell his companions the story of his travel to the Congo, much less, admit that he lied to the Intended. He does not, however, confide in the
European ignorance. Marlow’s aunt, too, “functions for Marlow as a metonym for all women who are ignorant of the ‘truth’” (McIntire 263). The two women knitting black are remembered by Marlow as “guarding the door of Darkness” (Conrad 11). They are never involved in any kind of travel and therefore have no ideas about any other territory other than the one in which they work. They are simply used as symbols for the fate of Marlow’s journey. The African woman, although she is thought to hold a position of power, has no real freedom of power and is confined to her territory, the Congo River. Men, however, seen to be all-knowing. They are very conscious and understanding of what is going on in neighboring cultures. Conrad uses Marlow’s lie to Kurtz’s Intended to illustrate how the women don’t belong in the same world, or sphere, as the men. Nina Pelikan Straus, who delivers her critique of Heart of Darkness in a feminist point of view, states that “the sexism of Marlow and Kurt is part of the “horror” that Conrad intends to disclose” and that “this horror… is deliberately hidden from Kurtz’s Intended” (Straus 123). The major then becomes: what is Marlow’s intention? Is he trying to protect the Intended from the truth because it is “too dark”? Or is he striving to protect the male realm because she, along with all other women, is “out of it”? I believe, and will try to prove, that Marlow is trying to protect the male realm from women who don’t belong. Conrad splits the book into two different realms: male and female (Straus 124). The women are left “out of it”, being lied to and deceived, while the “truth is directed at and intended for men only” (Straus 124). Truth is hidden from women in Heart of Darkness. This is most obvious in Marlow’s lie to the Intended. Marlow obviously feels comfortable enough to share his secrets with men, otherwise he would not tell his companions the story of his travel to the Congo, much less, admit that he lied to the Intended. He does not, however, confide in the
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