A Comparison of the Power of Will in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse N

The Power of Will in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of Heart of Darkness was adapted to film after many failed attempts. (Hearts of Darkness, Coppala E.). Finally, director Francis Coppala collaborated with his friend John Milius on writing a screen play for Conrad's masterpiece. The two came up with Apocalypse Now, utilizing a more modern setting than the original story which was based in imperialistic Europe. The modern setting was that of the Vietnam war. Apocalypse Now focuses on the insanity of a decorated military colonial. "Kurtz intended to enlighten the natives, but instead he circums to the primal temptations of the jungle and goes insane." (Hearts of Darkness, Coppala E.)    The fiction of Joseph Conrad, as seen in Heart of Darkness, represents the teachings of the German philosopher and idealist Arthur Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer thought of the world as having two distinct entities, both of which are parts of the whole [world]. First, there is the world of representation or appearance. This is the phenomenal world which is made of tangible objects. For Schopenhauer the second entity being the thing-in-itself is will, and is the cause of everything. {Frost}. "The phenomenal world [world of representation] is merely an image; it mirrors the will, the real world." (Sahakian). Schopenhauer, being of pessimistic views, argued will to be a force that both "creates all and destroys all in its insatiable demand for " 'More!' [More of what it does not know it only knows that it wants more.]" (Palmer). All human actions are a result of will. As seen through the character of Kurtz, the world of will manifestates suffering, evil, and insanity into the world of perce ption.    There are m... ..., Francis Copala, and John Milius. Paramount, 1989. Palmer, Donald. Looking at Philosophy; The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter. 1988. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1994. Sahakian William S. History of Philosophy. New York, Barnes and Noble Books, 1968. Schopenhauer, Arthur. Essays and Aphorisms. Trans. R. J. Hollingdale. New York, Penguin Books, 1970.    Works Consulted: Boyle, Ted E. Symbolism and Meaning in the Fiction of Joseph Conrad. 1965. ` Folcroft, PA; The Folcroft Press, 1969. Johnson, Bruce. Conrad?s Models of Mind. Minneapolis: Minnesota UP, 1971. Murfin, Ross C. Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism. New York: St. Martin?s Press, 1989. Wollaeger, Mark A. Joseph Conrad and the Fictions of Skepticism. Stanford, CA; Stanford UP, 1990.    A Comparison of the Power of Will in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse N The Power of Will in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The story of Heart of Darkness was adapted to film after many failed attempts. (Hearts of Darkness, Coppala E.). Finally, director Francis Coppala collaborated with his friend John Milius on writing a screen play for Conrad's masterpiece. The two came up with Apocalypse Now, utilizing a more modern setting than the original story which was based in imperialistic Europe. The modern setting was that of the Vietnam war. Apocalypse Now focuses on the insanity of a decorated military colonial. "Kurtz intended to enlighten the natives, but instead he circums to the primal temptations of the jungle and goes insane." (Hearts of Darkness, Coppala E.)    The fiction of Joseph Conrad, as seen in Heart of Darkness, represents the teachings of the German philosopher and idealist Arthur Schopenhauer. Schopenhauer thought of the world as having two distinct entities, both of which are parts of the whole [world]. First, there is the world of representation or appearance. This is the phenomenal world which is made of tangible objects. For Schopenhauer the second entity being the thing-in-itself is will, and is the cause of everything. {Frost}. "The phenomenal world [world of representation] is merely an image; it mirrors the will, the real world." (Sahakian). Schopenhauer, being of pessimistic views, argued will to be a force that both "creates all and destroys all in its insatiable demand for " 'More!' [More of what it does not know it only knows that it wants more.]" (Palmer). All human actions are a result of will. As seen through the character of Kurtz, the world of will manifestates suffering, evil, and insanity into the world of perce ption.    There are m... ..., Francis Copala, and John Milius. Paramount, 1989. Palmer, Donald. Looking at Philosophy; The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter. 1988. Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company, 1994. Sahakian William S. History of Philosophy. New York, Barnes and Noble Books, 1968. Schopenhauer, Arthur. Essays and Aphorisms. Trans. R. J. Hollingdale. New York, Penguin Books, 1970.    Works Consulted: Boyle, Ted E. Symbolism and Meaning in the Fiction of Joseph Conrad. 1965. ` Folcroft, PA; The Folcroft Press, 1969. Johnson, Bruce. Conrad?s Models of Mind. Minneapolis: Minnesota UP, 1971. Murfin, Ross C. Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness: A Case Study in Contemporary Criticism. New York: St. Martin?s Press, 1989. Wollaeger, Mark A. Joseph Conrad and the Fictions of Skepticism. Stanford, CA; Stanford UP, 1990.   

Meaning of Life and Poem Essay

Introduction Chinodya is a graduate of the University of Zimbabwe. A good writer, he won the first prize in Literature in English in the Zimbabwean Book Publishers Associations’ Award in 1991. He has also published several children’s books in his life. Discussion There is no set garentee to unlock the meaning of a poem. Each poem dictates an individual mode of approach. A useful approach to the analysis or discussion of a poem is to list some of the elements that are foregrounded in the poem. M H Abrams defines foregrounding as follows: `To foreground is to bring something into the highest prominence, to make it dominant in perception’ (Abrams 1993:274). Foregrounding may be achieved in several ways. The writer may repeat certain words or an entire line to draw our attention. Sometimes, the typography (setting of type) and punctuation may be manipulated for effect. Even images, such as visual or auditory, may be heightened for attention. Now that you know the meaning of the term foregrounding, use it sometimes in your discourse of poetry. Just as Banoobhai foregrounds irony in his poem `He’s a Good Boy, This One’. Chinodya foregrounds certain elements in his poem for our immediate attention. Before proceeding any further, list at least THREE elements that are foregrounded in `Recollection’. Your list would probably look like this: . Repetition of words: remember, thorn . Use of sound devices (appealing to the sense of hearing) . Use of colour (appealing to the sense of sight) . Conversational tone . Use of long vowel sounds to slow down the rhythm . †¦ and so on. Try to incorporate some of the above points in your discussion of the poem. The English poet William Wordsworth celebrates the power of the imagination to recall and re-live memorable experiences in his famous poem `I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud’ (often referred to as `The Daffodils’). Chinodya’s poem is reminiscent of Wordsworth’s poem. The foregrounding of the word `remember’, by its repetition, suggests that the speaker’s memories of his childhood days are vivid. It also induces a nostalgic mood which contributes to the overall effect of the poem. Minute details such as `crouching thorn trees’, `criss-crossing bush paths’ and `coarse crop of grass’ suggest memories that are still alive after all these years. Unlike Wordsworth’s poem, `Recollection’ sketches a past which was not always idyllic (look up the meaning and pronunciation of this word if you are not sure). In the third stanza, the speaker’s description of his childhood days is interrupted by the unpleasant memory of a harsh law: I remember the big sign that said Something about people not being allowed in ? Such memories are indelible and often shape our attitudes as adults. We recall how in our own country apartheid laws restricted Black people (including Indians and Coloureds) free access to public places. Although as a child the speaker was too young to know the significance of the `big sign’, its effect on him as an adult is a lasting one.

Sacrifice and Identity Essay - 667 Words

Topic: â€Å"Belonging to a group always involves sacrificing aspects of one’s identity† Identity is the set of behavioral or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognizable as a member of a group. Each people have their own personality, being different and unique from other people. Even though it’s different, each people have some similarity with others that connected them together as a community or a group. However, these groups is not open for all people, some people have to sacrifice their aspects of identity in order to belong to the group that they want to join. For some groups, belonging does require sacrificing individual identity and this occurs when the groups are the dominant and require the identity of the group to†¦show more content†¦There are some groups that none of us has any choice in whether we belong to them or not. Factors such as gender, ethnicity, family and even social status are at birth, groups that we belong to, yet cannot choose, and many of these endure throughout life. Although family, religious beliefs and even social status can be altered in later life, all of these groups are ones that are integral to an individual’s identity and in fact add it in life. However, as a child their influence is perhaps even more important as in these formative years one’s gender, culture, family and even religion actively create individual identity. As we grow as develop as individuals we begin to make choices about where we want to find belonging. This can be seen in choices as minor as belonging to a football club or friendship group, to more life-altering choices such as being a member of a political party or protest group such as Green peace. As individuals make such choices they do not sacrifice their identities, but rather work to increase and from their ever-changing sense of self. Such choices can also be made after life-altering circumstances, such as when people feel a need to join victim’s group or support groups when they or a loved one contract a chronic or terminal illness. Statement of Intention: This essay is written in formal form with the topics of identity and belonging. With this piece of writing, the audience that I’m targeting is teenager untilShow MoreRelatedTo Kill A Mockingbird Sacrifice Character Analysis1457 Words   |  6 PagesTo Sacrifice, Almost everyday one decides to sacrifice an aspect of their life, but is limited to only so many on their behalf of their morals. In the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch sacrifices his and his familys identity, well being, and time for his beliefs. The book takes place over the course of the great depression where racism is a normal day to day behavior. 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