Essay on Voice, Words and Sound in Heart of Darkness

Voice, Words and Sound in Heart of Darkness To Marlow, voice is the supreme symbol of civilization, and civilized understanding is expressed through words. The absence of words, or the inability to express something in words, signals meaninglessness. The psychedelic experience brings one into direct confrontation with the breakdown of language (the ‘transcendence of verbal concepts’ cited in the introduction), its inability to express the hidden truth of existence. Marlow becomes aware of this—primarily through his direct experience with Kurtz—yet he does not fully allow himself to believe in the failure of language. After all, language is still the most effective tool he has for communication. Sound is a signifier of†¦show more content†¦Then is the silence of fear, which changes to wails of threatened humanity. The white man conquers: the voices of the black men are silenced, and the sound left in the air is of technology. The defeat of the Africans is expressed in silence. Sound and voice define power. The silence of the forest is terrifying because sound is unnecessary to prove the forest’s power and its silence consumes the sounds of man. This is the first destabilization of sound for Marlow, the second occurring with Kurtz. First, Marlow discovers the power in silence, and then, he discovers the powerlessness of language. Kurtz is the personification of language—a voice. The voice speaks in English and it is this language that marks Kurtz as the supreme representative of European civilization. Marlow describes Kurtz as a man made by Europe, and his words express all that is positive and moral about European man. Marlow discovers that words are what allow the pretence of surface-reality and are not to be trusted because they don’t always represent fact. Kurtz’s words do not express the factual reality of his actions in the Congo. Only on the brink of death does he find the words that are not hollow, not pretence, the words that express the truth of his life. ‘The horror! The horror!’ has been interpreted differently by many critics. I would argue that the only way to interpret these words that is meaningful to the novellaShow MoreRelatedHavisham Essay935 Words   |  4 Pagesa shocking short sentence, which contains contrasting word choice to convey an ironic tone from Havisham. The contradictory oxymoron also startles the reader and grasps our attention as we do not expect this beginning. ‘Beloved sweetheart bastard.’ This contrasting word choice grasps the reader as it suggests a menacing narrative voice. The plosive ‘b’ sound repeated throughout the sentence creates a sinister mood as it is aggressive and sounds explosive and angry. This also suggests that she is writingRead MoreHeart of Darkness Lit. Journal1712 Words   |  7 PagesHeart of Darkness: Literary Vocabulary Journal Directions: As you read Heart of Darkness, you will note examples of important literary devices used by Conrad in the text. First, find the definition and fill them in the table below. Then, find and example from the text. You can find definitions on the internet (using a literary terms dictionary). Or in a Literary Dictionary. Online Literary Dictionary: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_A.html Term/Definition: Example from the text: BriefRead More The Limits of Language in Heart of Darkness Essay1400 Words   |  6 PagesThe Limits of Language in Heart of Darkness From the very beginning of Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad traps us in a complex play of language, where eloquence is little more than a tool to obscure horrific moral shortcomings. 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Achebes is an indignant yet solidly rooted argument that brings the perspective of a celebrated African writer who chips away at the almost universal acceptance of the work as classic, and proclaims that Conrad had written a bloody racist book (Achebe 319). In her introduction in the Signet 1997 editionRead MoreRomeo and Juliet: Romeos emotions for Juliet compared to Rosaline941 Words   |  4 Pageslightness’ and ‘sick health’ gives the impression that Romeo is confused; he doesn’t quite know whether he should feel happy or depressed about being in love. The oxymoron ‘bright smoke’ stands out particularly as the word ‘smoke’ is associated with clouded, gloomy thoughts, and the word ‘bright’ with more cheerful thoughts. The phrase ‘cold fire’ also makes the reader or listener imagine Rosaline – the â€Å"fire† – being â€Å"cold† towards Romeo. The consecutive oxymorons draw attention to this speech as itRead MoreEssay on Strange Fruit as Done by Cassandra Wilson951 Words   |  4 PagesA’. 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The Islamic Practice Of The Hijab - 1665 Words

For my ethnography project I chose to focus on the Islamic practice, of observing the Hijab. For the purpose of this paper I will refer to the scarf as â€Å"Hijab† which is the proper Arabic term. In this paper, I argue that hijab is a multifaceted ritualized action that has several different functions: It’s a symbol of piety for both the one who wears it and those who see her, an expression of modesty, a part of Muslim identity, liberation from mass media concepts of beauty and it can even be an argument against the objectification of women. Beyond all these reasons, however, most women who observe hijab do so because they believe that Allah ordered them to wear it. To further develop my arguments I will use an informant to gather supportive answers to the following questions, what is hijab? Why are so many people obsessed with it controversy? What does it mean, and why do women choose to observe hijab? Is Hijab about identity or is it about modesty? What actions shou ld a women take to be an ideal Muslim women from everyone else? The setting for my ethnography study was Ottawa Main Mosque, located on Northwestern Avenue. The masjid (the Arabic word for mosque) is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The certain features present on the architectural design of this mosque are, the brick walls, the domed roof, and the highly visible minarets. On the interior of the masjid, there are two separate different sides with their own entrances, one for men and the other for women.Show MoreRelatedHow do Muslim Families Transfer their Ethics and Values to Future Generations?661 Words   |  3 Pagesfoundation of Islamic society. When an Islamic family is united it is regarded as balanced ,healthy, and promotes spritual gowth. It is commonly found that Muslim families live with their extended family members in a community promoting comfort, support and security (discover islam.com). One-way that Muslims transmit their values and ethics in the 21st cent ury is through teachings in the home. It is the responsibility of parents to teach the children the values and ethics of the Islamic religion. IfRead MoreThe Islamic Religion And Culture1216 Words   |  5 PagesThroughout the Islamic religion and culture, the Muslim veil has developed into a symbolic concept that cannot be easily contained under one meaning. The veil, which is also referred to as the â€Å"hijab,† is both material and conceptual. Depending on the person’s cultural beliefs and practices, the veil is a fabric which comes in multiple forms. Despite these variations, the concept of modesty and veil is holistic. This concept has evolved into a significant hallmark of many Muslim women. However, theRead More The Religious Debate on Muslim Women Wearing the Hijab Essay1188 Words   |  5 Pages Should Muslim women be required to wear the traditional hijab is a religious debate I was never aware existed, I just always believed it was mandatory to wear the v eil and that was that. There are many that say the hijab is a symbol of their religion but they are being challenged by the view that it is a personal choice. The Islam religion has five fundamental requirements: Ramadan fasting, believing that the only God is Allah and that Prophet Mohammed is Allahs messenger, praying five timesRead MoreMuslims Women’s Rights to Practice Their Religion Essays1085 Words   |  5 PagesThere is a huge controversy about the hijab in some countries; France, Turkey and Tunisia are the most recognized countries in banning the hijab. France is not like other countries that allow the hijab; it rejects the whole idea of wearing headscarves. France bans Muslim women who wear the hijab from going to schools or even having jobs. In the Islamic countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran, women are forced to wear head scarves. Other countries like Turkey and Tunisia ban whoever female works in theRead MoreUnveiling The Hijab : Oppression Versus Self Determi nation1719 Words   |  7 Pages Unveiling the hijab: oppression versus self-determination in modern Islam The hijab is a traditional headdress worn by Muslim women, and to a lesser extent, Muslim men, based on Qur anic interpretations relating to modesty. Since religious mandates are rarely enforced in modern society, especially in Western nations, the persistent practice of wearing veils by Muslim women has received increasing scrutiny from government agencies and certain feminist groups . 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Other religious groups and even outsiders, don’t understand their religion because they’ve never experienced it first hand. Many religions believe in one god, other in many gods, and some in no gods at all. Although other groups may think that the Islamic religion doesn’t contribute to the American culture, other than their ownRead MoreThe Feminism Of Muslim Americans Essay1487 Words   |  6 PagesDespite many Muslim American women openly declaring that their choice to don a hijab is a celebration of their personal identity, some American feminists believe that hijabs embody Islamic oppression through forcing overly conservative fashion on women (Haddad 261-262). 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Miller also talked about how the root of all human religion is animism. Animism refers to the belief in spiritual beings such as angels, gods, and spirits. For example, the pre-Islamic religion believed in animism that physical entities such as animals, plants, and inanimate objects all had spiritual significance or some type of life source. Religion is also concerned with the shared beliefs and practices of human beings

Brief Look at Andy Warhol Essay Example For Students

Brief Look at Andy Warhol Essay Pop Art originated in Europe, however its greatest success was in America. This is because of the large amount of mass media and mass production within the country. One of the leading pop artists of this time was Andy WarhoL His work was and continues to be very popular and influential. One of the famous pieces by Andy Warhol is Green Coca-Cola Bottles. In a large advertising campaign against their rivals, Pepsi Coal, Coca-Cola used Andy Whorls expertise in their new ads. Warhol used the simple everyday coke tootles because they were familiar to the masses. The repetition of the bottles reflects Cokes constant presence in everyday life. Warhol was able to use a silk screen technique so he could easily reproduce the bottles over and over again. The familiar bottles connected the piece to the common culture in a way that any company would hope for it to. Another painting by Warhol is Marilyn Diptych. This piece was created shortly after Marilyn Monroe committed suicide. Warhol used this opportunity to capitalize on the media explosion because of her death. The flat colored side of the piece represents the movie star Marilyn that everyone saw in the media. It re-mentored the Hollywood created image that the masses worshiped. The repetition of the piece represents the way she was used as a consumer product. The right side suggests multiple film stills, representing the way she attained her fame through her movies. All of the pieces representing advertising and the mass media gave Whorls studio the name The Factory_ The factory was actually an old hat factory until Warhol took over for his art work. Many artists hung out in the factory during this time and it became the place to be At one point, a regular named Valerie Salinas came into the factory and fired three shots, almost killing Warhol. Although he survived the injuries that affect his lung, spleen, liver, esophagi and stomach, he never fully recovered. Warhol believed that mass media would allow everyone 15 minutes of fame, however his fame lasted quite longer and still does past his death.