Heart of Darkness // Waiting for the Barbarians

There are the numerous, concrete parallelisms between the Magistrate and Mr. Kurtz in their two respective novels. In the era of British imperialism, Britain can be seen as the “Empire” presented in Waiting for the Barbarians, and the Africans are the “barbarians.” Both these characters can be labeled as explorers and collectors. Both embody figures of authority who stray from the accepted social mores of their cultures and eventually become similar to the respective barbarians in the eyes of their peers. The two stories can be seen as a reflection of one another. In Heart of Darkness, Marlowe is from the mainland of the British Empire, observing Kurtz after years of being immersed in the foreign country. In Waiting for the Barbarians, the Magistrate is the one who has been “sunk, after years in this backwater, in slothful native ways,” (50) and the emissary from the capital is presented in Colonel Joll.

Similar to how Kurtz is shunned by his people because of his preference to live among the Africans, the Magistrate is imprisoned and tortured by the Empire because of his interest in the barbarian culture. In Waiting for the Barbarians, the citizens of the town soon fall to the tasking life under martial law. As the soldiers all abandon the town, the Magistrate essentially comes back into his position of authority and I like to think that the people of the town realize that he has been right all along. Similarly, Kurtz’s view of integrating with the Africans is directed in the right path, although the end result of his actions- becoming a worshipped god to the tribal people- is not what one should strive for.

But the parallel actions of these two characters from the two novels are not what is so profoundly unique. The distinctiveness lies in the motives that drive the actions of the Magistrate and Kurtz. As Douglas Kerr says in his article, “Kurtz too has acquired a lover…the wilderness itself.” (22) Upon reflection, I find that the same could be said of the Magistrate. He is confused by his feelings for the barbarian girl because he doesn’t understand that his intentions aren’t comparable to those involved in a sexual relationship but instead it is a relationship of cultural curiosity. The Magistrate and Mr. Kurtz represent two separate instances of individuality and the courage to venture out of bounds and into the “wrong.” (399)

Waiting for the Barbarians

The first two sections of Waiting for the Barbarians gave me mixed feelings about the narrator. At first, I favored him over the other characters presented in the story, placing him above Colonel Joll, the barbarians, and the other people of the Empire. But as the story goes on, Coetzee gives this main character more depth- as the narrator becomes more human. By this I mean that the reader becomes confused with the true intentions of the narrator, and I feel that he himself is just as clueless. The problem seems to lie in the narrator’s want to be better, but is held back by the fact that he is merely human. He tries to protect innocent individuals from being interrogated by Colonel Joll, becomes irritated by the torture of the barbarians, attempts to find a reason for why he hunts, etc. A major part of his daily activities involves him trying to explain his existence. The excavations of the ruins, his studies of the ancient scripts, his want to preserve the barbarians’ society all point to a desire to give meaning to his life. The second chapter of this novel deals mainly with the narrator questioning human sexual desire. As he grows older, he again begins to question why he has such wants. In the end, this uncertainty and indecisiveness is what taints the image of the narrator in my mind, and also in the minds of other characters in the novel. As seen in the young officer’s reaction when the narrator gets carried away, there is a foreshadowing of what is to result from the narrator’s contemplations. (269)

Diversity of the Human Race/Comparative Worth of Races

Alfred Russel Wallace

- Two parties of argument; one believes that mankind is homogenous and that variations of physical attributes of man have created ‘races’, the other believes in the permanence of these characteristics, the original diversity of man

- The effects of natural selection on man vs. animals: mental weakness takes precedent over physical weakness

- Natural selection affects variations in man’s mental capacities now, instead of physical ones

- Nature still affects man physically in one factor- the color of the skin

- Those civilizations who prospered in harsher climates “hardened” the mind of the inhabitants and thus advanced them further than other civilizations of the world

- Such harsher climates were those of temperate weather and inclement seasons: North-South relationship

- Prediction of the origins of races of man, naturally adapting, gregarious species who migrated to different environments; mental development was accelerated during this time from some unknown cause

Francis Galton

- Sets up comparisons between the Negro and Anglo-Saxon race

- Ranking of the cognitive abilities of different races: A-G are above the mean, a-g are below the mean, and X and x for the extremes

- Example of the white traveler, civilized but an average person, meeting the black tribal chief, raised to be a leader: records never show that the white is inferior to the black- the smartest black compares to an average white

- Greeks are the most valuable race in the history of man, Australians are the lowest

The Conclusion of the Compsons

The novel is essentially brought to a close by Faulkner in Dilsey’s quote, “I seed de beginnin, en now I sees de endin” (297). The reader is hard pressed to fully interpret what Faulkner was trying to say through Dilsey in this passage. But the story is being brought to a close as the Compson family finally reaches its demise, or so one can predict. Dilsey had been with the family the entire novel, and possibly longer than even this time frame, when the Compson’s were a respectable, aristocratic, Southern family. She sees the ending when, in this final chapter, Quentin runs away and Jason goes after her, leaving mother to die and, consequently, Benjy to be sent to Jackson. Quentin’s running away is crucial because it contradicts Jason’s father when he said to Quentin, “no compson has ever disappointed a lady” (178). Thus all the values and traditions of the respectable Compson family are abandoned and the most recent generation collectively leads the family to its downfall. As Dilsey grows old, she sees that there will be nobody to hold this family together after her, and the Compson legacy will vanish. This is what she saw in her enlightenment during Easter service at church. Faulkner thus brings closure to the novel with the death of the Compsons.

(218)

Paradise Lost and Found

As I read through the pages of The Sound and the Fury in preparation for class discussions, I always look for biblical symbols and motifs. Not only because of my religious views but also the fact that most literary works contain references to the Bible in some way. This common ground provides fuel for the majority of my input in class and, consequently, creates a greater sense of achievement and purpose internally. However, thus far, I had been unsuccessful in extracting any references to the Bible in this novel. Luckily, Mary Dell Fletcher had more insight than myself and was able to devote two pages of interpretation solely to Faulkner’s biblical symbolisms.

This article, titled Edenic Images in The Sound and the Fury, appeared in volume 40 of the South Central Bulletin in the winter of 1980 and published by The Johns Hopkins University Press. It was written by Mary Dell Fletcher who attended Northwestern State University of Louisiana. In it, Fletcher mentions random, unconnected scenes that relate to themes that appear in Paradise Lost by John Milton. The central idea is that literature is constantly seeking Edenic paradise, “a rural scene, a physically beautiful garden filled with sunlight, blue skies, warm winds, babbling brooks, and aromatic flowers.” (Fletcher, 142) But many literary scholars also tend to relate this paradise with the loss of it through the acquirement of knowledge, as taught in the Bible. This historically great work of art tells its readers of a story in which God told Adam and Eve to stay away from the one Tree of Knowledge but Satan was able to deceive Eve, and in turn Adam, to eat the fruit from the tree, resulting in God’s wrath and exile from the Garden of Eden. Fletcher saw the parallelisms to this story in Caddy’s climbing the tree next to the house the night when Damuddy dies even though “your paw told you to stay out that tree.” (Faulkner, 39) In disobeying her father’s orders, Caddy climbs the tree and gains “greater knowledge”; specifically, she learns that her grandmother has died. Fletcher quotes Faulkner’s interviews when he pointed out the importance that “the girl was the only one that was brave enough to climb the tree.” He also notes the importance of the symbolism of the scene where “we watched the muddy bottom of her drawers.” (39) This, according to Fletcher, is in reference to the Biblical teachings in which, as punishment for disobeying His orders, God cursed women with the “unclean blood of the menstrual cycle.”

Benjy also holds similar roles to that of Adam in the Bible. According to Faulkner, he created Benjy as the personification of innocence in the sense of blindness. Benjy is Faulkner’s interpretation of what God intended the human race to be: oblivious to anything outside of their senses, blind to good and evil, and the type of ignorance that is stressed in Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck. Fletcher also noted on the importance of time in relation to the Bible. Benjy recounts his portion of the novel in no distinct order in reference to time. Similarly, the Bible does not provide an accurate timeline which has created the question within the Christian community of how long the world has been in existence. From this I started thinking about the importance of the second section of the novel retold by Quentin. His obsession with time and clocks and the idea that he is “trapped” in time takes on new meaning, although I am not sure of what that meaning is.

The Compson pasture is also a huge part of this metaphorical relationship between the novel and the Bible. Benjy’s chopped recollections of the pasture are filled with descriptions of flowers, bright grass, trees, and the sun. These descriptions create an image in the reader’s mind similar to the Edenic garden that is the ultimate goal of so many. There seems to be some importance in Benjy’s attachment to the pasture, his constant want to return to it even after his family has sold it and moved away because it reminds him of home and Caddy- paradise lost. Symbolically, the pasture is later sold to pay for Quentin’s tuition at Harvard, paradise is lost in return for the pursuit of higher knowledge. I like to think that Faulkner is trying to make certain implications when Quentin kills himself, thus proving the futility of all the Compsons had given up for his education.

In the end, with the help of my good friend Mary Fletcher, I am able to extrapolate some Biblical importance from this novel once again.

(770)

Living the American Dream in Shiloh, Tennessee

The American Dream: “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement… It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable…” as stated in 1931 by James Truslow Adams who first coined the phrase. “Shiloh”, written by Bobbie Ann Mason, is a story of Leroy Moffitt’s hopes to live the American dream and, more importantly, how he fails to achieve it.

The two main characters of the story, Leroy and his wife, Norma Jean, are making considerable changes in the hopes of recreating themselves. Norma is “attending a body-building class” at the beginning of the story (6). She later finishes her “six-week body-building course and now she is taking an adult-education course in composition at Paducah Community College.” (86) The narrator, presumably Leroy, also notices that “Norma Jean has been cooking unusual foods- tacos, lasagna, Bombay chicken.” (93) By the end of the story, Norma Jean has also quit smoking, after having been caught by her mother. It is apparent that Norma is going through great pains to try and remake her own character, to become something new.

Leroy is also guilty of holding false hopes of his own. After he is injured in an accident from his previous job as a truck driver, he takes up crafting; initially to pass the time but later, takes his new hobby seriously, promising his wife to build her a log house with his own hands. While he is grounded in his home for a few months, Leroy grows “unusually tender about his wife and guilty over his long absences.” (9) However, Leroy seems to pick and choose which aspects of his life he wishes to create, perhaps contributing to the future failure of his plans. He does not see anything wrong with buying drugs from his former high school classmate’s son, who is the same age as his own dead son would have been at the time.

Even Mabel, Leroy’s mother-in-law is looking for some change. She insists that the Leroy and Norma Jean take a trip to Shiloh, Tennessee, where she went on her honeymoon, after being married to Jet Beasley.

There are characteristic flaws in the relationship of Leroy and Norma Jean, very similar to that of Mr. and Mrs. Das as well as our good friends- the Bennett couple. The concept of a mismatched couple somehow married and living together for many years seems to have become the status quo. The only major discrepancy in the Moffitts’ case is that it doesn’t work out so well for them in the end. This could be due to a lack of communication among the members involved in the said relationship. While at home, Leroy notices that “they never speak about their memories of Randy…they sometimes feel awkward around each other.” (9); and again at the park museum, “he feels awkward, like a boy on a date with an older girl.” (133) This shortage of exchanges of thoughts creates disparities in the two’s hopes and dreams. Leroy is never quite able to understand what Norma wants from him, and Norma just seems to be exasperated by him at times, refusing his promises of a log cabin and “[taking] Leroy’s needlepoint and [shoving] it into a drawer.” (37) These flaws are the primary contribution to their failure in the end of the story.

Mason cleverly embeds many packed sentences within the narrative throughout the story. She foreshadows what is to come by saying “that they must create a new marriage, start afresh. They are lucky they are still married.” (9) Eventually, Norma Jean becomes unable to handle the failure and leaves Leroy. She explains her emotions, for once, saying that “I feel eighteen again. I can’t face that all over again.” (154) She seems to contradict her previous wishes to start over and be remade. Leroy is, as always, predictable and takes a while to process all the information, most likely because he has been smoking dope, and later simply agrees with Norma Jean’s opinions- “It was clumsy of him to think Norma Jean would want a log house. It was a crazy idea… He will wad the blueprints into tight balls and fling them into the lake.” (155) As soon as he makes up his mind, he starts after Norma Jean who is “walking through the cemetery, following a serpentine brick path” (155) and, after reaching the bluff, waves goodbye to Leroy; it is left up to the reader to determine what became of poor Norma Jean after that.

(795)

Revelation 21:4

Flannery O’Connor once said that “I write the way I do because (not though) I am a Catholic.” Upon reading and interpreting two of her works this week, one finds that this could not have been more clearly stated. The reader finds a recurring theme of religion in almost all of O’Connor’s works; “Revelation” proves to be no exception.

The symbolisms and motifs of this short story can easily be extracted from a purely religious viewpoint because of the author’s writing style. It is patently clear that Mrs. Turpin sees herself as the perfect Christian, providing an example for the rest of the world to follow, as those of the faith are taught to do. Yet blinded by her prejudice, Mrs. Turpin cannot see that she is a perfect example of why so many today are reluctant to accept Christianity as their religion. It is the common case of a misinterpretation of the teachings of the Bible by an individual. Mrs. Turpin believes that she must use her blessing of being made “better” than others to save the souls of what appear to her to be savages and lowlifes. Based upon her judgment of other people around her, it is hard to believe how Mrs. Turpin views herself as the shining light of Christ for all to see. In the waiting room, she quickly groups the other people in the room into labels such as “trash” and “niggers”. It is apparent that she thinks very poorly of these people when she describes their habits of “[Lounging] about the sidewalks all day drinking root beer. Dip snuff and spit in every puddle and have it all over my face. I could be nasty. Or you could have made me a nigger… Lay down in the middle of the road and stop traffic. Roll on the ground.” (380)

From the religious perspective, the climax of the story is God attempting to send a message to Mrs. Turpin of what it is to be a true Christian. She is attacked in the waiting room of the doctor’s office- comparable to waiting in purgatory before the gates of Heaven- by a random college girl who tells Mrs. Turpin to “Go back to hell where you came from, you old wart hog.” (376). It is as if this girl could see straight into Mrs. Turpin’s soul, past all the fake appearances and outside layers. Yet still, Mrs. Turpin does not get the message, later becoming furious with God and even challenging His authority. It is then that she sees something like a highway, extending from earth to the heavens, with a train of souls going upwards, “clean for the first time in their lives…” (381). The conclusion leaves it up to the reader to decide whether or not Mrs. Turpin finally does get the message from up above.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” (Revelations 21:4)

(525)

An Interpretation of "Interpreter of Maladies"

During my experience in the other block of AP English I noticed that the members of the table did not enjoy speaking as much as those in my original class. Most likely because of this fact, an important idea of the short story, in my opinion, was only briefly addressed; and I would now like to take the time to more thoroughly inspect the topic. The “Interpreter of Maladies”, essentially, is about the cultural differences that face the Das family, as observed by the third-person, limitedly omniscient narrative of Mr. Kapasi. Upon thoughtful reflection, I find the story to relate in many ways to my own life.

Within the first minutes of being introduced to the Das family, Kapasi initially notices that they look like tourists, with their bright clothing and cameras. He also makes a note of how Mr. Das “squeezes his hand”, greeting him like an American; a custom that we refer to as a handshake. As noted in discussion, Mr. Kapasi sees Bobby’s braces and can only interpret them as silver wires in his mouth, as he had never seen anything like them before. The reader again sees an example of this rift when the puffed-rice vendor half-jokingly, half-seriously professes his love to Mrs. Das through a traditional song and she does not understand what it means.

Following readings of the book revealed to me these same cultural divergences existent in my life. As an “international kid”, I have constantly juggled two different cultural existences my whole life. Almost every summer since I was young, my family would go to Korea for vacation; when I lived in Korea, I would fly back to America. But being primarily an American teen, I usually found difficulty in the former. Without an entire knowledge of the Korean language, I struggle every year to converse with members outside of my immediate family. My ‘Americanization’ has also led to many misunderstandings beyond the language barrier, creating amore than necessary share of awkward moments.

It is on account of these reasons that Mrs. Das might find Mr. Kapasi’s alternate job as a medical interpreter “romantic”. There is an indelible want to return to one’s roots in every individual- causing the Das’ to return to India and my nuclear family to return to Korea every year. The ability of Mr. Kapasi to be able to speak to and understand individuals of both cultures is something that almost every one of us desires. However, unable to be seen through her narrow vision, even the interpreter of maladies, Mr. Kapasi, can only relate to Americans and English speaking individuals to a small extent, much less than what we hope for. Although time has separated both cases likely from ever reverting to their respective cultures, it is important for us to know where we come from because, as in the story, in the end, family is what matters most. (483)

Summer Reading Experience

Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
iCon, by Steve Jobbs
Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki
Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson

Contrary to what one might extrapolate from my relatively short reading list this past summer, I am an avid reader. Since I was a young child, I read books as a recreational activity; though this habit has unfortunately waned over time. I used to read and re-read various novels of all genres, some above my level and some below, but all equally enjoyable to myself. Even now, whenever I find the rare opportunity of having free time, my mind seems to draw itself towards its old habits. Take the last book on the list for example, this summer was not the first time I read Treasure Island (probably the 8th or 9th in fact), yet for some reason, almost as soon as summer vacation had begun, I was compelled to pick up this book and revisit the experiences of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver.

However, the one reading that was most striking in my mind was Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki. The book is an educational narrative intended to teach the reader on how to make money. In using his own life as an example, Kiyosaki talks of his childhood, when he abandoned the advice of his own father for his friend's father, whom he called his own, merely because of the fact that his friend's father was rich and his own was not. This shock was compounded when, upon a little research, I discovered that the author was now bankrupt. Ironically, I continued to read his thoughts on how to create a fortune for myself and I found myself fascinated. I talked about my thoughts on the book with the person who I thought the most qualified in the subject, my father.

Although his job description falls under the category of investment banker, my father has not made his fortune that allowed for my brother and myself to enjoy our lives to the fullest by working within the lines. Through hard-work he has been able to become one of the most sought-after risk managers in Korea. His wealth was increased by his research and investment in the real estate market, along with his safe-spending. My interest in this field led to many discussions with my father about money making, and has consequently resulted in a better understanding of my father’s life as well as a strengthened bond because of this mutual interest between us.

Learning about the real estate market, the stock exchange, the currency exchange, mutual bonds, and how to maximize my assets while minimizing my liabilities really taught me something about myself as well. Up until now, I had been set on a college major related to medicine. My major of choice was not changed by a single summer of reading but this newly-found interest in finance and business has certainly opened up new horizons in my future as I look forward to many more educational readings on this topic. (520)