Heart of Darkness There Is a Taint of Death
- Submitted by: xcapaul
- Views: 813
- Category: English
- Date Submitted: 02/21/2011 11:55 PM
- Pages: 3
- Report this Essay
Xochitl Capaul
Mrs. Priddy
English 4AP
February 11, 2011
Heart of Darkness
In the novella, “Heart of Darkness,” we read about the main character’s personal experience. As the reader I can relate to Marlow when he describes how he dislikes lies. “There is a taint of death, a flavor of mortality in lies –which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world---what I want to forget.”(29) Marlow clearly hates lies and yet he lies on numerous occasions throughout the novella. I feel the same way Marlow does towards lies but I still lie from time to time. People lie for many reasons, whether it is for ourselves or others.
If we are uninterested, we could care less about what other people think about us. In Marlow’s case, he was indifferent to what a brick maker thought about his involvement with the Company. “Well, I went near enough to it by letting the young fool there believe anything he liked to imagine as to my influence in Europe.”(29) Marlow truly knows nothing about the Company’s activites in Europe and could care less about what the brick maker thinks of him. As a person I would consider myself to be unresponsive in many ways. I am the kind of person who does not see any reason to argue if the whole argument is pointless. So if someone does not believe me when I am telling the truth I am not going to quarrel with them, I will just let them believe what they want to believe. In the same way, frequently I mislead people by not telling them the whole truth.
There are times as human beings when when we pretend to be a part of something we are not. Shortly after meeting Kurtz, Marlow makes an interesting statement to the Russian on the boat. “‘Well!’ said I at last, ‘speak out. As it happens, I am Mr. Kurtz’s friends -- in a way.’”(60) After the Russian tapped Marlow on the shoulder he hesitated on whether to tell Marlow something. Marlow sort of lies to the Russian when he says he is Kurtz’s friend in order to hear what he had to say. Occasionally when I...
Mrs. Priddy
English 4AP
February 11, 2011
Heart of Darkness
In the novella, “Heart of Darkness,” we read about the main character’s personal experience. As the reader I can relate to Marlow when he describes how he dislikes lies. “There is a taint of death, a flavor of mortality in lies –which is exactly what I hate and detest in the world---what I want to forget.”(29) Marlow clearly hates lies and yet he lies on numerous occasions throughout the novella. I feel the same way Marlow does towards lies but I still lie from time to time. People lie for many reasons, whether it is for ourselves or others.
If we are uninterested, we could care less about what other people think about us. In Marlow’s case, he was indifferent to what a brick maker thought about his involvement with the Company. “Well, I went near enough to it by letting the young fool there believe anything he liked to imagine as to my influence in Europe.”(29) Marlow truly knows nothing about the Company’s activites in Europe and could care less about what the brick maker thinks of him. As a person I would consider myself to be unresponsive in many ways. I am the kind of person who does not see any reason to argue if the whole argument is pointless. So if someone does not believe me when I am telling the truth I am not going to quarrel with them, I will just let them believe what they want to believe. In the same way, frequently I mislead people by not telling them the whole truth.
There are times as human beings when when we pretend to be a part of something we are not. Shortly after meeting Kurtz, Marlow makes an interesting statement to the Russian on the boat. “‘Well!’ said I at last, ‘speak out. As it happens, I am Mr. Kurtz’s friends -- in a way.’”(60) After the Russian tapped Marlow on the shoulder he hesitated on whether to tell Marlow something. Marlow sort of lies to the Russian when he says he is Kurtz’s friend in order to hear what he had to say. Occasionally when I...